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
    2016-08-02T00:12:31+00:00

    Here's something I discovered with respect to the "Read-only" property of a folder C:\temp:

    1. Navigate to the containing folder, e.g. C:
    2. Right click on temp.  This will open a 'temp Properties' window.
    3. Clear the Read-only attribute.
      1. you will get a window asking about all the contained folders/files.
      2. Choose read-only for all of them.
    4. DO NOT close the 'temp Properties' window.  Just leave it open on the desktop.
    5. Closing the 'temp Properties' window on either OK or CANCEL appears to instantly reset this attribute.

    Fixing this problem should be simple at Microsoft -

    1. Find where this window is opened in the windows code.
    2. Find how it is closed.
    3. Stop whatever is resetting this attribute.

    Could be security breaches here, but Windows Defender has a way of allowing particular folders and files to evade security checks.  I used WD to bypass security on c:\temp, but it did nothing.

    Some other service appears to be setting this attribute.  I discovered that the problem went away for at least an hour after rebooting Windows.  Then it came back, stopping mysql from running.  I have no idea which task did me in, but it obviously is something in Windows.  Maybe Defender?

    Of course, there could be a ton of function calls, etc. on the window closing.  Only Microsoft and God would know about that.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-09-10T13:32:58+00:00

    Hey i got it working. If you right click on the file you're trying to edit then click on security you should see a box with all the different accounts in. You need to be an administrator to do this but if you are, there is a button that says edit underneath the box. Click this and then select your admin account and check the tick box which says full control. You should now be able to edit the file in notepad. I use windows 7 personally but if anyone's using xp/vista then i'm sure there should be something similar.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-06-20T21:54:18+00:00

    Same problem here! This seems to randomly pop up with different files. I'm not really sure what the cause is but man is it annoying. I've tried all the **** everyone always says. Attrib, ACLs, DACL, more acronyms, etc. Needles to say I have enabled FULL permissions for everyone on these suspect files and folders while in the Admin account, in safe mode, and still a no go. What else could you possible need. I mean I'm in the Administrator account with full permissions and in safe mode to eliminate program compatibility problems and what ever else and I get no where. Funny thing is if I transfer these files to my xp 32bit virtual machine everything works fine?

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  4. Anonymous
    2011-01-26T10:50:13+00:00

    I have this same problem

    I have a spent a while deleting an old (windows.old) folder.. was a mission getting around the permissions issue.. but job done now.

    1 file remains

    I have renamed the file to deleteme.txt (can't remember what it originally was)

    and moved it to root directory (allowing me to delete the containing folder)

    it won't let me move it off the drive c

    it has read-only attrib which I can't change as it continues to say permission denied.

    I have changed all permissions to full access etc

    I have taken ownership (apparently!)

    using cmd (in admin mode) to change attrib give access denied.

    ok whilst writing...

    even though [file]> properties > security

    I have full permission

    in [file] > properties > security > advance > permissions

    I do not have full permissions

    changing this last section enabled me to delete this last file.

    --- o ---

    Shame on MS for making this so convoluted... we've all got better things to do than get permission from computers we own so we can change/delete... the more complicated you make windows the less complicated Linux is in comparison!

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