Word Always Opens Documents In Read-Only Mode / Subscription

We are trying to help you fix the problem But if you ignore our suggestions there is not much we can do.

Your Word installations are not working "normally". Normally files do not get set to read only. But there are a couple of situations where they do, "to protect you from yourself" ... We have to identify one of those places from the information you provide us.

We need you to tell us as much as possible about the problem so that hopefully some point or another will trigger a memory to identify a cause for the problem. But you constantly whining "...just let me control it..." is not going to get you anywhere.

Did you check the "Protected View" setting that Stefan suggested. Although this would cause a slightly different symptom that you could bypass, it is worth checking.

While you are in the Trust Center, also take a look in the File Block Settings option. These settings are intended for older file formats, so I doubt they are your problem.

Also take a look at the "Trusted Locations" option. These are locations that word considers it safe to open files from.

Does the read only problem happen to files that never leave your computer? Is it only associated with files you have passed around for editing by other people?

And do the safe mode test too!

I had a similar problem with Word opening in read-only mode.  I had tried everything I could think of.  It was very frustrating.  It turns out that it was caused by the preview pane in Windows Explorer.  Word picked up the preview as an open version of the file.  After I closed the preview pane, the problem ceased.  Simple solutions are the best.

So far, nothing in this thread has changed or altered Office 2013 (running under Windows 8.1) from opening files in read-only mode. If I open the file from Explorer, it's fine. If I open that same file from Word, 99% of the time, it's read-only. Nothing from any other thread that I've located has helped either.

Here's what I've tried from this thread and others:

Repaired Office 2013 - Files still came up read-only

Started Word in safe mode - Files still came up read-only

Disabled Protected View - Files still came up read-only

Added "My Documents" as a trusted location - Files still came up read-only

There is no "Unblock" option when I right-click on the file

Moved the file to the desktop  - Files still came up read-only

Killed the registry entry for Word/Data - Files still came up read-only

Opening the file using Explorer and then doing the "New Blank Document" thing was 100% pointless - Files still came up read-only

I have wasted so much time with this. I am absolutely sick of the issues that Microsoft has with fixing anything and that we're not hearing from a MS Tech on how to fix this.

Does anyone else have other pointless things for us to try in an effort to fix what Microsoft won't talk about or fix themselves? Should I just give up with all attempts to understand and fix MSWord and instead learn to open my files using Explorer until that work around is broken by the next "fix" implemented by Microsoft?

Yeah, I'm not very happy. I suspect that many of you suffering from this same thing are unhappy too!

I'm working with documents stored on my local drive, and whenever I double-click on one to open and edit it, Word starts up and presents it in read-only mode.  If I close Word and then immediately double-click the document again, it opens up without the read-only indicator.

These are documents which are edited every day.  I'm wondering if the fact that they're stored in a folder which is monitored by a file synchronization application has anything to do with this.

Secondly, when I bought Office 365 Home Premium online, it appeared that my only option was the monthly plan, which ostensibly is more expensive than the yearly plan.  I don't see any way to change my account from monthly to yearly.  Am I missing something?

I find that if you turn the preview pane off it won't open in "read only" mode.  I use my preview pane all the time.  I was always able to open the document in Word fine in Word2010.  If anyone figures out a solution to this, please post!  This is quite irritating!

I had this problem too! For me, it would open normally if I opened it from Windows Explorer, but not if I opened it anywhere within Word (recent items menu and open menu). The first time I opened the document, it came up in compatibility mode (we used to use 2003) AND reading mode. Then the 2nd time I opened it in the ways previously mentioned it would say that last time it was opened in reading mode, do you want to use reading mode again? 

After much time wasted (re-installing Office 2013, then clearing all settings, then re-installing both Office 2013 and Office 2003, none of which worked), here's the solution: 

Open document using Windows Explorer (assuming it opens normally like this). Then go to File --> New Blank Document. Close the old document, then open while in the new document. It should open normally then, and from now on! Wish I thought of this before wasting 3 hours....