Windows 11 folder keeps reverting back to read only

There seems to be a significant increase in users encountering files opening read-only in Microsoft Office in the past year or so. I'm not sure if Excel is affected more than other Office apps, but you can find a lot of posts by searching on "excel files opening read-only".

Some of the cases have been caused by an Excel add-in (presumably incompatible or corrupted). I think third-party AV software has also sometimes been the culprit. I would also look closely at OneDrive, although it would be ironic if something so closely integrated with Office is to blame. Windows Defender settings (e.g. Controlled folder access and Ransomeware protection) and EFS are other variables to consider.

https://techcommunity.microsoft.com/t5/excel/all-excel-file-suddenly-become-read-only/td-p/3772157

https://learn.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/696479/excel-files-are-opening-as-read-only

This has been a bug in Windows since 7 although not to the extent in 10 or 11. I deployed some command prompt workarounds, five, I believe, starting from the easiest to the most complicated. It's never the same one that works on my clients networks and now, in Win11, none work.

I just had a thought...I wonder if this doesn't have to do with Bitlocker? Someone out there might want to turn Bitlocker off on all PC's on the network to see if that has something to do with it.

The other issue I want to bring up is that I DID have success on a client's simple network after hours of trying workarounds. Then, their router went bad, they replaced it, and now the same thing happens. They called me in and naturally, when they told me this, I started looking into router settings and all were where they should be. Nothing was blocking, no firewall, all permissions where they should be. This is one client I'm stuck with this issues. I'm thankful they're so understanding.

I've setup a network with Linux and don't have this issue whatsoever. This is definitely a Windows bug....just one of many.

Same issue here. REgards of the marked box. What I cant do, that I can do on slightly older Windows 11 and windows 10 computers on our network is save or create a new file. I can open existing files, they default to read only. I can type in it add and subtract, but when I go to save the new document it wont save. Says I dont have permission, says access denied, etc.

Is this just a matter of permission on our network or some new problem?
Thanks!

Please read what I posted previously. It's just a button to set or unset files read only. As soon as you close and reopen properties it will ALWAYS show as a solid box even if zero files in the folder are set read only. It's NOT an indicator.

You may use that option to set or unset all files in the folder read-only, but that's not the root of the issue. Something is interfering, causing Office to see the file as in use. It could be your AV software. It could be OneDrive. It could be EFS.

See this article:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/office/why-did-my-file-open-read-only-3ab4b792-da50-4b38-8628-14c64e1f1d15

I am having the same issue.

I have gone into the folder, unchecked the Ready only dash, applied to all folders and sub folders and it keeps coming back.

I am trying to open an Excel or Word document and it defaults to read only. I can make changes to document but can not save it to the same folder. It says Ready only no Permission, access denied. I cant save changes.

The dash instead of a checkmark means to me that some things are marked read only, and others are not. but Checking each Folder and sub folders I cant find this to be the case.