All folders are read-only

Hi all!

Problem is as follows: as far as I can discern, all the folders on the PC are read-only. The read-only tickbox under the properties is greyed out under one admin account and appears as a blue square under the other. I can remove the tick/square and hit apply, it will go through the all the files but after the process completes, everything is still read only. Even new folders that I create are read-only, even if I create them on the root folder. Taking ownership of the folders did not help.

The problem I have with this is that a software I use fails to generate content into the designated folder as it does not have the permission to write files. It's got to be the read-only setting that messes the things up.

Any idea what's going on?

What you are seeing is normal. In Windows Explorer the checkbox is used s a convenient way to set or reset the read only attribute of the files contained within the folder. It does not apply to the folder itself. Most likely your problem is due to a permissions issue which is very different. What folder is it? By default even an admin account does not have write access to all folders.

Ah, hmm... the folder in question is in the Documents folder of the user account that's logged in. And the user has admin rights.

Thanks for letting me know it's normal though. At least I can rule that problem out.

LMiller7 said:

In Windows Explorer the checkbox is used s a convenient way to set or reset the read only attribute of the files contained within the folder. It does not apply to the folder itself.

So, in Windoes 7, I can't remove any folder being read-only, period?

So, in Windoes 7, I can't remove any folder being read-only, period?

The checkbox isn't telling you anything about the folder itself. Windows Explorer cannot set or reset the read only attribute or tell you it's current state on folders. It can only do so for files. In any event these attributes are largely obsolete, being maintained primarily for compatibility purposes.

Trax said:

higgins said:

LMiller7 said:

In Windows Explorer the checkbox is used s a convenient way to set or reset the read only attribute of the files contained within the folder. It does not apply to the folder itself.

So, in Windoes 7, I can't remove any folder being read-only, period?

I see it as senseless to defrag a drive that's read only (it won't move them) so I run in the drives root ATTRIB -h -r /s
The -h unhides the files or the remove read only can't see them. the /s is for recursive directories yes I do this to the windows drive as well a list of files it can't touch will be listed mostly chm files.

This of course is done in a CMD window, in the run box, type in: CMD /K
The /K keeps it open or it will just flash.

There is a problem with Win7 as even being admin a lot of areas are blocked from you. I use TAKE OWNERSHIP it's a registry edit, you can put all your trust in me and just copy and paste it or download it: takeownership

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F"

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas]
@="Take Ownership"
"NoWorkingDirectory"=""

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\runas\command]
@="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F /t"
"IsolatedCommand"="cmd.exe /c takeown /f \"%1\" /r /d y && icacls \"%1\" /grant administrators:F /t"

You will then have it in your context menu (right mouse key) to take ownership of what directories you wish.

I use this,

Take Ownership Shortcut

Ah, okay. I tried to take ownership, but the read only tick was still there. Just confusing.