How do I turn off READ ONLY permanently???

The problem is with Word, not with every single file on the hard drive!

A few years back, there was a bug with the permissions for the local OneDrive folder which made files read-only.

Presumably, this is a different issue and I recommend that you start a new thread where you explain the specific circumstances in your case. Click the Ask a Question link at the top of the forums page.

I have to disagree Stefan,

There is an error at work here, but there is also the issue that any doc sent by email turns up on the other end as READ ONLY.....and that is Microsoft protecting me when I don't want to be.

Are you using Outlook for e-mail? Outlook (2010, if I remember correctly) removed the ability to edit e-mail attachments without saving them to the local drive first, and for a very good reason, I believe. The reason was that many people used to edit attachments opened directly from an e-mail and then they lost their changes when they closed the attachment. Of course, you could argue that this would only happen to inexperienced users. Anyway, my point is that if you want this to change, you have to post a suggestion in the Outlook section of the Uservoice forum at https://outlook.uservoice.com/forums/322590-outlook-2016-for-windows. Or you could use some other e-mail program, of course.

In the message to which you replied, I specifically commented on the permissions issue only: "Note that when you see a message referring to permission issues, it isn't Microsoft trying to protect you from yourself. On the contrary, you have run into an error, of course."

Really, why can't we have a tick box:

"I'm an adult, I don't need Microsoft to baby sit me, I can make my own decisions. Give me full access to all the documents and settings on my PC"

Note that when you see a message referring to permission issues, it isn't Microsoft trying to protect you from yourself. On the contrary, you have run into an error, of course.