Word Always Opens Documents In Read-Only Mode / Subscription

Here are a couple more possible fixes:

I keep getting files that I am working on locked for editing. Word only allows me to open them read-only

http://www.word.mvps.org/FAQs/AppErrors/LockedFiles.htm

“This modification is not allowed because the document is locked” error message when you modify a document

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/818852

File Locked – Read-Only

I had the same problem. In my case, after applying the latest updates (June 2015) word started locking files and all files i opened in Word were read only.

The problem was the Preview pane in Windows Explorer. When you click a word file, Winword.exe runs as a background process, locking the file. Even if you unselect the file, it is still running. Although before the update it worked correctly, somehow now is broken or a new ‘unknown to me’ setting has been added.

Hi Ron:

Tip: looking for similar problems with solutions is good.

      BUT If the solution does not work for you please do NOT add your reply to it. START A NEW QUESTION.  That way you can describe your situation and MORE people are likely to look at your problem.

It definitely sucks. And it definitely is not supposed to "work" that way.

So something else is going on here.

One thing to try is starting Word in safe mode. If that helps, then the problem is an addin. You'll have to figure out which one is the problem.

Shortcut to Start Word in Safe Mode or Excel in Safe Mode, Hold <CTL> key when clicking on icon or using the Start menu search window and entering WINWORD.EXE /a or  WINWORD.EXE /safe

https://support.office.com/en-us/article/Work-with-Office-safe-modes-dedf944a-5f4b-4afb-a453-528af4f7ac72

Another thing to try is go into File Explorer. Right click on one of the problem files, select properties, look in the General tab, near the bottom to see if the "Read only" attribute is turned on.

Since you are lawyers, it could be that your network administrators have turned on some form of DRM, Digital Rights Management. Check with them.

Are you sending and receiving the document as an attachment in an e-mail? In that case, download the document to your hard drive when you receive it. It will be blocked from editing, which you can turn off by locating the icon for the file (in File Explorer/Windows Explorer), right-clicking it and choosing Properties; in the Properties window, click to Unblock the file.

If you want to, you can turn off the options that refer to Protected View in Trust Center (File | Options | Trust Center | Trust Center Settings | Protected View).

I absolutely HATE read only and I am upset that I cannot turn it OFF!

What genius at Microsoft came up with this idea?

Let me explain.

As a lawyer we draft documents, send them to people get input and they are sent back. Thus we may open a document 10 times, 20 times.  And someone at Microsoft decided that every time we OPEN the document it can ONLY be opened in "read only" mode.

So then we copy and create a new but cannot save it as the "read only document is "open" and we have to give it a new name and then close and delete and as we do this make ^&^&^& sure we do not keep the wrong version.

The fact there is no OFF switch and there is NOTHING I can do about it makes me at time want and/or beg for a competitor who will replace Word as the software engineers seem to be afraid of becoming unemployed unless they can create something different.

Nobody asked me, hey is this a good idea?

IT SUCKS!

I am amazed at all the people out there having problems and do not understand what Microsoft has done here, but it took a good program and made it crap!

Thanks for the follow-up.

For what it is worth, it has been reported earlier that problems may occur when the preview pane is displayed. Best to turn it off in File Explorer entirely. What you can do instead is display large icons which will then include previews of many files.