Windows 11 folder keeps reverting back to read only

Even though it's normal, but how to fix this... I tried several methods and they never worked out.

That totally depends on what "this" is. What error message are you seeing?

If you see a message like the one below, then please see the instructions posted by AzizMehrez on page 6.

If you're seeing some other error, please post a screenshot of what you're seeing.

I merely posted an issue I've been having on a network with other PC's

The original post was about other accessing another PC on the network, making changes to a file in a folder only for it to pop up a window that it was a READ ONLY file. When attempting to change it or UNCHECK the blackened READ ONLY box and APPLY it would ALWAYS revert back to read only. I've had this on a number of business client PC's. There ARE workarounds that other techs have come up with but since the time I posted originally, none of them have worked.

Pete, the OP of this thread was Aaron Blatter. He was having an issue with an application named "Vortex". His post title was "Windows 11 folder keeps reverting back to read only" yet the folder in question was C:\Users\USER\Appdata\Roaming\Vortex\downloads which absolutely should be fully user-writable. Although never confirmed, it's likely that he looked at the folder properties, saw the "read-only" item, and jumped to the conclusion that was the cause of his problem with Vortex. The state of that checkbox has nothing to do with his issue (or your issue) because, as noted and proven, the state of that checkbox tells you nothing.

I understand that you are encountering "file is opened read-only" with Microsoft Office and that certainly could be caused by a Windows 11 bug. I also understand that it may help to use the "read-only" item in the folder properties to remove the read-only attribute from all files in the folder, but I have my doubts about that. When Office opens a file read-only it's typically because it detects (possibly incorrectly) that the file is already open or there is a permission issue (i.e. ACLs). It's not usually because someone, or some process, has come along and changed the file attributes.

Yes, I've gone into a lot of detail, but that was in an effort to try to provide a clear, simple explanation, with pictures, to show that the Folder Properties "read-only" item, while having possibly the world's stupidest interface, actually does work correctly, as designed, and is not a bug.

I truly wish I could solve your issue with Office opening files read-only. I already provided you with links to everything I could find on that topic. For some users, the issue is caused by an Excel add-in, as noted here, but I'm sure you must have already ruled that out. If the problem can be replicated on demand, then a solution is usually found quickly. When it happens intermittently, then that's when you see many different "solutions" and plenty of red herrings. I understand the frustration.

Les, did anyone ever tell you to Keep It Simple (KIS). You've over complicated in what clearly appears to be a major bug in Windows on quite a few PC's.

I merely posted an issue I've been having on a network with other PC's

The original post was about other accessing another PC on the network, making changes to a file in a folder only for it to pop up a window that it was a READ ONLY file. When attempting to change it or UNCHECK the blackened READ ONLY box and APPLY it would ALWAYS revert back to read only. I've had this on a number of business client PC's. There ARE workarounds that other techs have come up with but since the time I posted originally, none of them have worked.

You are blowing this waaaaaaaaaaaaay out of proportion and going waaaaaaaay off on tangents that don't even apply to the original post.

IF the switch is a COMMAND and not an INDICATOR, then why when you unset the switch to issue the command to set all files to not read-only does it NOT remove the RO flag from ALL files and folders.

Clearing the box and clicking Apply or OK, and then OK again, does clear the read-only (R) attribute for ALL files within the folder and all subfolders.

Also, checking the box and clicking Apply or OK, and then OK again, does set the read-only (R) attribute for ALL files within the folder and all subfolders.

How are you coming to the conclusion that it does not do that? If you are looking under the Security tab, then you are checking the wrong place. It only changes a file attribute, so that's what you need to check. Here's an example:

If you clear the checkbox and click Apply or OK like this:

You should get a prompt like this:

After clicking OK, all files within that folder tree should have their read-only (R) attribute cleared. If you are not getting that result, then there's something unusual going on. Please show screenshots of your results if that's the case.

Here are screenshots of the lowest subfolder in a folder tree where I set and then unset the read-only (R) attribute at the top level of the tree. I enabled display of the Attributes property in Explorer to see the result. The attribute was changed for ALL files in the tree as expected:

Read-only set:

Read-only cleared:

SO, since every folder has that box checked automagically, every time we review the properties on a folder, and maybe accidently hit "apply" on the way out, we have made the contained files and folders RO?

It's NOT checked. It's a SOLID BLOCK. That's not the same. It is never checked, or unchecked, when you open the Properties dialog.

For most dialogs we would interpret a solid block to mean "one or more". However, in this case, it means absolutely nothing because Explorer does NOT scan the files for the read-only attribute when you open the Properties dialog. There could be zero, some, or all files with their read-only attribute set. As I've stated many times, it's a very poor interface choice on Microsoft's part, but it's been this way for decades and they have no motivation to change it.

If you hit "Apply" or "OK" on the "way out", it will do absolutely nothing because you have neither checked or unchecked that box. And if you did, you would get a confirmation dialog. Why would you make such a claim without testing?

The problem then is that the File Explorer has a SEVERE LEVEL 1 BUG that needs to be FIXED.

There is nothing broken in regards to this feature. It's a terrible interface design, but it works correctly and has worked the same way for decades.

But please understand that if you are encountering some issue such as Office telling you that a file is opened "read-only", or you're getting an "access denied" message, or some other problem like that, I'm NOT dismissing your issue. I'm just letting you know that you're wasting your time looking at this particular non-issue. You have not found the smoking gun.

This information is incorrect

Please elaborate. What, specifically, is incorrect?