How do I turn off READ ONLY permanently???

Anonymous
2016-10-02T07:44:44+00:00

I'm sick of office locking my files to Read Only.

I have files I use all the time in my one drive folder, I'll open one and word decides it is Read Only and to make a change I need to save it as a new name.

I email a file to my wife to read, she makes changes and emails it back...now its Read Only.

How do disable this frustrating crap interfering with my workflow?  It's making me crazy!!!

Microsoft 365 and Office | Word | For home | Windows

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

0 comments No comments

53 answers

Sort by: Most helpful
  1. Anonymous
    2018-03-26T13:34:08+00:00

    What an awful answer!

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

    Was this answer helpful?

    3 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  2. Anonymous
    2017-12-23T13:32:22+00:00

    certain word files have chosen to open with a message 'this file was opened as read-only, do you want this again?' to which I tick box no. The next time I open the file it still gives the same message. No all files are so infected but I want this nonsense cleared from all files (I do not use OneDrive and keep all files in Word; nor I interested in email attachments. I would like a simple non-techie answer. Your other answers offer no balm to this irritation.

    Was this answer helpful?

    3 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  3. Anonymous
    2017-12-23T01:13:44+00:00

    I agree!

    Was this answer helpful?

    3 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  4. Anonymous
    2017-12-06T10:33:33+00:00

    in short - yes.

    I right click on a single document or a folder, click properties, uncheck read-only and apply.  It fixes the problem until I next try to access a document in that folder or the document I just unchecked.  When I try to open it the next day or later in the day it is read only again.

    All the documents in these folders are saved from within Word.

    Was this answer helpful?

    3 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments
  5. Stefan Blom 353K Reputation points MVP Volunteer Moderator
    2017-12-06T10:22:55+00:00

    If you right-click the icon for a problem document, click Properties on the context menu and, in the Properties window, click Unblock and Apply, does that fix the problem?

    Documents saved to the C: drive shouldn't be read-only. Are you saying that this happens when you re-open a document that was saved from within Word?

    Was this answer helpful?

    2 people found this answer helpful.
    0 comments No comments