Cannot change READ ONLY file attributes using Administrator Account

Anonymous
2009-10-31T21:41:55+00:00

I have tried windows explorer and a custom program called Directory Opus. I have tried creating several administrator accounts but no luck.

I cannot work with this problem existing.

I need a solution.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

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Anonymous
2010-02-27T20:39:32+00:00

I have the exact same issue.  Following the steps above did not work, the folder/subfolders remain Read-Only.  I am the owner of the folder and subfolders.  I'm not even sure how they became Read-Only to begin with.  Setting Read-Only on individual files works properly.  Changing folder settings does not.

***IMPORTANT EDIT:

According to a Microsoft Knowledge Base post:

You cannot view or change the Read-only or the System attributes of folders

To summarize, Windows ignores System or Read-Only settings on folders (it does not ignore those properties on FILES however).  Individual applications that you are running may not ignore the Read-Only status on a folder and may give an error.  In my situation, an application was attempting to create a new file in a folder that was marked as Read-Only and it honored the RO setting and refused to try to create the new file.

To actually change these attributes, the Properties menu will not work.  From the KB source:

  • If you click Apply changes to this folder only , the Read-only attribute is changed for all the files in the folder. However, the Read-only attribute is not changed for the folder, its subfolders, or any files in its subfolders. If you click Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files , the Read-only attribute is changed for all files in the folder and all files in the subfolders. However, the Read-only attribute is not changed for the folder or its subfolders.

In order to change these properties, the user must launch a command line terminal and execute the changes by hand, such as this command:

  • attrib -r +s c:\test

...which will remove the READ-ONLY setting and apply the SYSTEM setting to the folder.  Once again, changing properties of files (including files in subfolders) works as expected with the right-click Properties -> Security menu.

Knowledge Base source:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326549

Bad support, MS.

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  1. Anonymous
    2015-04-28T19:35:32+00:00

    This problem just appeared on my SERVER 2008 and  none of the above recommendations work.

    It appears that my drive attributes are being set by SYSTEM. Does anyone have a suggestion as to where a SYSTEM setting would change the entire drive to read-only? Prior to 4/27/2015 I did not have this problem.

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  2. Anonymous
    2015-09-06T21:05:28+00:00

    attrib -r +s d:\work gives me the following error message:

    Access denied - D:\WORK

    I had a system crash and imported this disk into a new operating system and I'm spending an untold amount of time on idiotic things like this.

    I *despise* Windows.

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  3. Anonymous
    2015-12-30T21:02:28+00:00

    Hi,

    I was going to post my similar problem here but it sure looks like everyone else has tried what I have.

    • I am the administrator. Windows fought me on that for a day but I eventually won.
    • I have taken ownership of the drive and the folders marked "read only" that I did NOT make read only and they were not before upgrading to Windows 10.
    • I now can uncheck the "read only" box hit ok and Windows TELLS ME it is changing the attributes of the folder, subfolder and files and "goes through the motions" but when done the folder is still "read only".  I have tried this numerous times even rebooted thinking it would help for some reason. NOPE.
    • I have also tried to remove the read only using the command prompt. While I was unsure how to represent the name of folders with two word names (if I key PHOTO FOLDER is says it does not exist if I try PHOTO_FOLDER same).  One word folder names I can tell it to change with the command prompt... but NO CHANGE is made and the folder remains read only.

    I think I have tried every possible thing here (including unhiding the hidden administrator user ID and trying to use that to do the job)  it failed also.

    I now have thousands of documents on this drive marked read only I can not copy or move as I need to!

    I know others are suffering the same way. No matter where I search I find the same solutions posted I have already tried to no avail, even when Microsoft themselves posts the answer!  Ugh!

    Anyone have a new idea that worked?

    Thanks!

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  4. Anonymous
    2016-02-03T19:35:37+00:00

    When I was having this problem it was caused by a VBA script that created the file, but the script never finished.  To resolve the issue I had to open the file and then explicitly close it by going to File -> Close.  After I did that I was able to rerun the VBA script and it deleted the file and recreated it as expected.

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