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Question

all my folders are read only

Aug 7, 2018 8:45AM PDT

Hello everyone,

I am having some problems with my folders in windows 10.
I was unable to save game data because, (guessing slightly) that my documents folder for some reason decided to be read only.
I have tried everything to fix this.
In windows 7 all you had to do is take ownership of the folder then you could specify what access each user had to that folder. I have done that but for whatever reason no matter what I do I can't tick that "special permissions" checkbox. Nothing else I have tried will work. I have even tried going up the chain of inheritance to the root and taking ownership of everything but still some folders are read only.

Any help would be appreciated

Discussion is locked

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Clarification Request
Kees-B Your answer was big help; have 2nd Q re OneNote2007
Aug 15, 2018 4:58AM PDT
Answer Re: read only
by Kees_B Forum moderator / August 7, 2018 9:08 AM PDT
In reply to: all my folders are read only
No need to guess if a folder is read only. It's a property you can set or clear, and see both in File Explorer and in the command prompt.


Clarification request: I have never used a forum before so maybe I should be in newbies or start another thread - apologies if not following correct procedure.
July 1st 2018 Win 10 update did NOT save a RESTORE Point on my computer! It caused multiple issues. One problem you just resolved is that it made all the Onenote 2007 files read only and I just fixed that thanks to your note here.

It also converted the ONENOTE 2007 file folder files to OneNote 2016 (requiring of course that I sign up for Office 365 - which I do not want or need.) And yet again, the July 1, 2018 Win Update did NOT save a restore point within the program.

However, thankfully, I had a startup shortcut tile which is still taking me to (I am guessing) some backup version of OneNote 2007 which has always apparently made automatic copies somewhere.

This allows me to still open a duplicate in the old 2007 format and still saves in 2007. I want to save this version to a flash drive but I can't find the file path!!

I am guessing that within a file folder called PANTHER which contains compressed files called PANTHER, that a sub folder all appdata may be where the original files are stored. But I don't want to use Microsoft Store to get their app to try to decompress them. And contacting Microsoft chat employees has not proven worthwhile as I seem to find people who know even less than I do there - which is saying alot! So that's why I am asking here if someone can help me.

Bearing in mind that I am not a power computer user, can you or anyone else who is familiar with the 2007 version of OneNote give me some simple steps to make a copy of the 2007 Onenote file folders?

I am guessing that I may have to put a copy of the OneNote 2007 program onto a flash drive first. I do own the disc. Then copy the pages I want to save one by one by cutting and pasting. Tedious to say the least!!

This is because I can't see the file path anywhere within the open OneNote 2007 version I can still use as 2007.

Any help would be appreciated. I'd like to do this before the August 16th Win 10 update does further damage or wipes the 2007 files completely. I have set the permission for this update for Sunday but think I can reset it to a further date yet.

Thanks. Let me know if I should paste and copy this Q into the newbies forum.

Cheers, "yourHELPisappreciated"
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Re: OneNote
Aug 15, 2018 9:13AM PDT

I don't think you need to do anything. Everything works, isn't it?

But ask some friend or family member to set up a backup of your data or least the part of the data that you don't want to lose.

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Answer
Re: read only
Aug 7, 2018 9:08AM PDT

No need to guess if a folder is read only. It's a property you can set or clear, and see both in File Explorer and in the command prompt.

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I know that
Aug 7, 2018 9:35AM PDT

No I know they are read only. I can't change them in file explorer that's the problem

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There are a few folders that shall remain RO.
Aug 7, 2018 10:07AM PDT

Also I had a person trying to change folders and files on a CD which was read only so you can't change that.

Let's hear more about the folder name and location.

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thanks
Aug 7, 2018 10:13AM PDT

All my folders are read only. even if I create a new folder it it is read only by default.

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(NT) So where is this new folder?
Aug 7, 2018 10:23AM PDT
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Where is this new folder?
Aug 7, 2018 10:24AM PDT
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all folders
Aug 7, 2018 10:45AM PDT

This is the same with all folders. even if I create a new folder it is read only by default and i can't change it. I can't add special permissions to any account.
I created a new user account, gave it administrator privileges and the same problem is present. The one I am most concerned about is my games saves. they keep being deleted from my documents folder and then I can't save. Again I think this is due to the folder becoming read only

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After you get a good backup of your stuff.
Aug 7, 2018 11:01AM PDT
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Answer
PS. DIving deeper. RO for folders is not what it seems.
Aug 7, 2018 11:08AM PDT

"When Windows presents a directory as a folder within the GUI, the +r flag is only used to determine whether that folder has been customized or not, e.g. with a background. Other than that, this flag is ignored by Windows and this flag is not displayed for a folder anywhere in the GUI. Folders can be deleted and written to regardless of this flag because Windows doesn't care about this flag when it comes to deleting or writing to the folder."
More at many other discussions. Read https://superuser.com/questions/866120/cant-remove-read-only-attribute-from-folder-windows-8-1

Look CAREFULLY at this image:


The folders in Windows do NOT have a read only flag. Really can cause confusion.

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okay I see
Aug 7, 2018 11:29AM PDT

So even though it says read only (even on an empty folder) it is not read only. Okay so that's not the issue. I would like to know how I am able to gain special permissions though. There doesn't seem to be anything online about why that is always greyed out. My pc is only a week old so I doubt there is a problem with the hard drive. CHKDSK \f didn't show any issues. I am going to try \x

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If that is not the problem any Idea what is
Aug 7, 2018 11:38AM PDT

If that is not the problem do you have any ideas what could be the issue.
for whatever reason in almost all of my games I cannot save.
I thought it was the read only thing as that would make sense.
The save folders are all owned by administrator and when I try and take ownership it throws the "filed to enumerate objects..." error.

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Never mind
Aug 7, 2018 12:18PM PDT

It was all windows defender. For whatever reason it was preventing my apps accessing my documents folder without even notifying me.

Thanks so much for you help and patience

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The WD folder protection isn't on by default.
Aug 7, 2018 12:53PM PDT
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yep
Aug 7, 2018 3:20PM PDT

I don't know. As with many of the issues with this OS the things that go wrong aren't the problem it's the lack of notification and useful error messages. If it had told me that it was being blocked I would have known what to look for and how to find the info I needed to sort things out. I guess this is just window now

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How do you turn off the exploit guard?
Aug 16, 2018 8:03AM PDT

How does one turn it off? I seem to be having the same problem.

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In the link.
Aug 16, 2018 8:34AM PDT

"Set the switch for Controlled folder access to On."

Seems to me you could also use that to get the right screen to turn it off.

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Set the switch to on
Aug 16, 2018 12:59PM PDT

The switch was on. I can only save to folders if I turn controlled folder access to Off which I guess makes sense. I would like to protect my folders from Ransomware, but this feature makes my life too difficult so I guess I will do without it. It looks like I can now save to my folders so I guess the problem is solved (and hopefully not another created down the line). I am a real novice so thank you for your help!

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The default here was "Off."
Aug 16, 2018 1:10PM PDT

But about the ransomware. Most loss is due to accidents, failed hardware and somewhere down the page is ransomware.

On top of that, all the ransomware we encountered was installed by the PC's owner.

So in parting, practice safe computing, don't install something because a web site told you to install so you can watch their videos and BACKUP what you can't lose.