Print - Why can't I remove the read-only flag from a Windows XP or Windows 2000 folder?

A. If the folder is one that you customized using the Customize This Folder Wizard in Windows Explorer or a standard Windows customized folder (e.g., the Fonts folder), you might not be able to remove the read-only attribute or you might receive an error when you try to write a file to the folder. In either scenario, Windows is preventing you from writing to the folder because the OS is using the read-only flag to determine whether the folder is a system folder.

To work around this problem so that you can modify a folder's read-only status, you can tell Windows to use the system flag instead of the read-only flag to identify customized folders. To configure Windows to use the system flag, perform the following steps:

Start a registry editor (e.g., regedit.exe).
Navigate to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer subkey.
Select New, DWORD Value from the Edit menu.
Enter a name of
UseSystemForSystemFolders
and press Enter.
Double-click the new value, set it to 1, and click OK.
Close the registry editor.
Reboot the machine for the changes to take effect.

I did work with my win2k fileshares i use on my winxp platform, now i can open files from the shares without them being read-only. But some local files are still read-only and i can't change them! HELP!!! nobody seems to be able to fix this MAJOR problem!

I can't get the read only flag to be off on my XP directories. I've tried everything even what this article suggested but it does not help. So I can't copy the file from other machines on my network. Microsoft really has a lot of ugly bugs in XP I wish I had not installed it.

I started having this problem recently. Two possible causes: - Installing .NET Framework 1.1 - One of the recent Windows Updates (those released in the week ending 17-Apr-04)

He-he! at least I see I am not the only one with this problem. The Microsoft solution using attrib does not work for me either on XP pro. I have a whole disk with all directories read-only, and many things do not work on it because of this. Any idea whether SP2 would fix this?

If you check the Sharing tab on any shares you may have the default setting is READ only. this overrides the Security settings (security tab). I changed mine to full control and hey presto my users can now access docs and they are not eread only ...

can someone please help.. . i have tried MS suggested "solution" and those recommended here. Changing the attribute from either the command prompt or Properties has no effect... I'm going crazy here.. every folder is created with the read-only attribute on and it can't be removed.. someone please help!!!! advTHANKance

Right after installing Visual Studio 2003 (.NET Framework 1.1), I had the same problem where I cannot delete or rename any folders (whether there are on a local drive or on the network, it doesn't matter). Even after I applied the service pack, it didn't fix the problem. It's probably a bug with the .NET Framework 1.1. Again, this is NOT a problem where the folders are read-only!

Does the Read-Only flag appear greyish? If so, this means that the folder is not Read-Only and that a file inside the folder may be. My suspicion is that it creates a hidden system file for Indexing or something, marks it as Read-Only which causes the greyish Read-Only flag. Just a suspicion though...

Has anyone found a solution to this? The MS so called solution does nothing. Every single file and folder is marked as read only and nothing seems to be able to change that.

I FIXED IT!!!! The issue (and this is with shares) is that by default Windows 2003 sets the Share Permissions for EVERYONE to READ. This is what causes docs to come up as read-only. Go to Properties on the drive or directory, then Sharing and Security...Click on the Permissions tab and change the EVERYONE permission to Full Control. Then go into the Security tab and make sure that you have to proper permissions set for that folder (i.e.: you do NOT have things like CREATOR OWNER and SYSTEM showing up and its NOT inheriting from the parent.) This worked for me and got us out of a critical jam.

Unfortunatly the above does not work for all users. We are just about to do another rollout at the office and globally we have 7000 staff. Hacking the reg, removing the Creator Owner and modifying permissions does not work. MS, you need to get your sh!t in a pile and get this problem fixed. All I can say is thank you Linux..

What a waste of time..XP is a piece of crap..Taking half a day to figure out why a stupid read only (grayed out) folder property can't be changed to read/write..Stupid tard engineers who designed it should be raked over the coals..This is ridiculous..

Very frustrating problem. Try this for XP: 1. Follow Microsoft's instructions using "attrib -r -s [C:\foldername]" at the command prompt to remove read only and system attributes from the folder you need to access. (see http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326549/) 2. Make sure that in Windows Explorer->Tools->Folder Options\Use Simple File Sharing is UNchecked. 3. For any file you need to modify, open Properties->Security->Advanced and ensure "Inherit from Parent" is checked so the file attributes you have changed are used by the file you need to access.

Was there ever a solution to this problem? I tried all of the above with to avail. Basically, files are ok, but the shared folders on my 2003 server are still are showing as read only

Guys lets just face it.Every MS OS is crap. we'll just have to wait for mac and linux to get mainstream. till then, we suffer.

I GOT IT!!! I was having "access denied" issues in XP Home and nothing worked UNTIL... I went into SAFE MODE as Administrator right clicked on the folder containing the undeletable files, select PROPERTIES. This step may not be needed.. but it worked. Select the SECURITY tab. If your Permission For Administrators is grayed out, click ADVANCED. Click the two boxes at bottom. "Inherit From Parent..." and "Replace Permissions..." Click OK. Then click OK again on Properties. If you open properties back up on the folder, you should have removed either removed the greyed out boxes or they are now all checked. If not continue. Next open the folder and right click on the file you want to delete. click SECURITY tab and note that the boxes are grayed out. Click ADVANCED. go to OWNER tab. Select from the list the administrator, Then click OK. Then OK again on the properties screen. Reopen the properties for the file. The permissions should not be greyed out. Select FULL CONTROL then click OK. Now you can delete this file.

correction... "If you open properties back up on the folder, you should have removed either removed the greyed out boxes or they are now all checked." EITHER WAY "continue to the next step."

microsoft u f**kin a**hol*s try find ur mo**ers a** shaking arround linux systems....try find out where she wonders arround everytime.... u bl**dy dumps do something for this problem....

Have any one got a solution to this? I have done everything I know but I think there is bug in the OS, nothing seem to remove the read only attributes

I tried March 19, 2005's idea but I don't have a Pemissions tab in the Sharing and Security bit - I don't understand. Does anyone speak Muppet who can help one? Cheers

None of these suggestions seem to work. The read only attribute is applied autmatically, even to new files and it's nothing I've tried (including Microsoft's registry fix) seems to work. This is not a "share" issue. It is a file issue.

Problem: Can't delete directories as they refuse to release read-only attribute. What I did: Make sure explorer is closed and delete from command line. This is the only way I could get around it. I don't know what causes the problem and I haven't got the time or the interest to investigate it further - all I know is that it should not be happening What is going on Microsoft? DG

Tried posting this, but don't see it so I'll add it again. I got this working for myself by doing the following. First, I made sure that Windows Explorer was closed. Second, I went into the cmd prompt and used the attrib solution proposed by MS, but included the /S switch so subfolders would be affected and the /D switch so that folders would be affected; not just files. So, if my folder was called TestDir the command would be "attrib -r +s C:\TestDir /S /D". Hope this helps. Brian

This solution might work for a home user, but ther is no chance "Everyone" will get full control on a file server in an organisation. Besides, atm the folder has Everyone set to Full Control and it's still Read Only.

attrib -r +s C:\TestDir /S /D didn't fix the problem for me, I still can't make any folder on my system non-read only. Did you have SP2 installed on your system when you did this? I don't have that sp installed, but I don't know how much difference that makes either.

Holy sh**! None of these combinations worked for me, Windows XP Pro. I can not install applications! Anyone else have any progress? MS WTF!^$%^%#!

hello every body, The solution didnt work for me, Is this problem cannot be handeled by microsoft also. supprising. Hope we get a solution soon. There is always bugs in new software microsoft brings in. god help us susomoy sinha

I have to wonder if this is really a problem at all or rather that PERCEPTION of what is seen manifests it as a problem when in fact it is not. By default we tend to TRUST the screens we see reported back to us which in the case of using Windows should be something we all do with at most %50% trust. In the case of the file attributes reported back to us from a given windows folder property sheet we see that it shows a "BLOCK" (SQUARE) attribute in the checkbox next to the "READ" attribute label, but how do we know for sure that attribute is really applied even though this block is really showing? Ah there is the rub. Examining a folder that displayed the READ attribute as "turned on" (showing the BLOCK inside the checkbox) using the "attrib" cmd in a cmd window showed me that in fact that very same folder DID NOT have an attribute of READ applied on it even though it shows up as such in the PROPERTY sheet in the windows GUI. It seems as though toggling the READ attribute in that checkbox is merely meant to be a clickable checkbox that does NOTHING. The only time the folder REALLY changed attributes was when I enacted the attrib command in the cmd window. Even when I TURNED the READ attribute ON in the windows GUI it STILL did not make the folder TRULY READ ONLY, but merely reflected that this was the case in the properties when in fact that display was FALSE/INCORRECT. What seems to report correctly is what really matters most - THE FILES and not the FOLDERS. Please remember that SHARE permissions do not override the SECURITY (ACL) file permissions. I saw someone say this earlier back in this thread and that is false. SHARE Permissions don't mean squat if the SECURITY (ACL or NTFS whatever you want to call it) permissions are not granted as high as the level that which the SHARE permissions are set to. Think of the SHARE as permissions ON TOP OF (NTFS/ACL) permissions. My NTFS permissions can be Full Control - Everyone while the Share can say READ ONLY - Everyone.

I was chugging along fine, backing up data from my Win XP Pro laptop to a Win XP Home edition desktop, up until about June 24. Then I started having the "Access is denied" errors. I tried much of what was suggested here and elsewhere and this is what finally worked: Setting guest account to be ON as suggested in this suspiciously recently updated support article: http://support.microsoft.com/default.aspx?scid=kb;en-us;281248 I think they altered something in a recent update to Windows that caused the problem on my machine. BTW the read-only flags are still on but I'm able to write to the folders anyway.

I am having the same problem. Does anyone has the solution? i am going crazy. ******ing Microsoft

Yep, this is ridiculous beyond belief. I've tried every solution here, to no avail. WTF? Is there some third-party file-shredding utility that can do what Windows apparently cannot?

I have found another way around the problem. I used a third party process viewer to locate which process was causing the problem (no guesses, explorer.exe). I located the handle that explorer.exe had on the file /folder in question, removed the handle and I was able to delete the file without any dramas at all. Evidently not the best solution, but it save booting into safe mode, chaning security permissions and the sorts. One thing that I have also noticed is that the fixes relating to the change of advanced file security and ownership permissions will only work on a NTFS file system as fat32 (which I've also had the problem on). Hope it helps.

Similar problem to other readers on this thread. I was not able to make inserts or updates to a database in a read-only folder. HTTP Error page said that the database was read-only. Faced the same problem of not being able to uncheck the Read-Only box. Tried: from command prompt "attrib -r +s c:\inetpub /s /d" and on subdirectories. Nothing worked. Reference URLs: http://www.windowsitpro.com/Articles/Print.cfm?ArticleID=24940 (this thread); and http://support.microsoft.com/kb/326549/ (Microsoft solution...which didn't work) What I did: In Windows Explorer, went to the directory containing the database and right-clicked on that directory. Accessed its Properties. Selected the Sharing tab. Checked the box next to "Share this folder on the network". The Share name defaulted to the name of the directory. Whatever. Also checked the box next to "Allow network users to change my files". Pretty drastic, but it works now. System: Windows XP Pro, on a Tablet PC. Non-networked.

searcherrr: it seems to me that your analysis is correct. If I run "attrib -r foldername" on a folder, it does not show the 'R' flag anymore when checking it again with "attrib foldername". The Windows GUI should be ignored. Also, remember that Q326549 says: "Unlike the Read-only attribute for a file, the Read-only attribute for a folder is typically ignored by Windows, Windows components and accessories, and other programs. For example, you can delete, rename, and change a folder with the Read-only attribute by using Windows Explorer."

Open explorer, select Tools/Folder Options/View, then unselect "display simple folder view". Then right click on the folder you want to give write privledges, select Properties then the Security tab. In the "group or usernames" box highlight the first line usually the "administrator" and check full control. It might all ready be shaded out and saying full control. Then go to the next user and do the same. You have to do this to every user or group listed (usually about 7 groups). Hit apply and OK. Now when you do a properties on the folder, it will still say it has read only privledges. Just ignore this because you now have write permissions.