Documents and Pictures set to Read Only shortly after installation.

[J Russ]

All my documents and pictures get set to Read Only sometime after installation. There is no way I can set them back to normal. I have tried every way that is suppose to correct the problem.
Right after installation everything works like it should. After some normal use all files are set to Read Only.

Not positive of this but it appeared the files were set to Read Only when I tried to use Xbox after the recent installation.
I'm now back to Windows 7 for the third time.
The following will not correct my problem. I get a message I need admin permission even when I'm signed in as admiistrator.

CMD
attrib -r D:\my-folders
and the files
attrib -r D:\my-folder *.*

Properties/advanced/change also will not work.

 

[J Russ]

I'm back to Windows 7 and plan to stay there on my Desktop. After three tries at installing Windows 10 and all three eventually locking my files at READ ONLY I'm done. I t appears at his time there is no fix for this problem.

 

[Michael A]

Had the same problem. right click on "Documents" then to properties, then open sharing tab, click on "share", then change users or homegroup (depending on your setup) from Read to Read/write. Should change every folder and file under your docs

 

[KayKayeInDBQ]

Sorry, Michael, in theory this should work, and in previous versions of Windows it does, but with Windows 10, it does not.

 

[Michael A]

It worked for me and two other people responded that it worked for them. One of them made it faster by clicking on Documents folder and it changed every sub folder and files.

 

[Trouble]

There is absolutely no reason to adjust or alter or even concern yourself with "Share" Permissions under the Sharing tab of a particular Container / Directory / Folder or file.
As a matter of fact, unless your intent is to actually share the item across the network to another network node.... involving Sharing permissions can complicate your problem unless you set it to Full Control to the Everyone Group, as when both Share Permissions and NTFS (Security) permissions are involved, the most restrictive will always win.

This seems to be an issue after an upgrade, especially (apparently) for the "Home" version of Windows 10.
It involves a particular group called "HomeUsers".
You need to examine the settings and adjust them to include that particular group as well as your specific UserName.
Right click the container (directory). We'll use your "Documents" folder for example.
Go to C:\Users\YourUserName\
Select then right click "Documents"
Choose "Properties"
Select the "Security" tab
Now first....
Click the "Advanced" button
Look at the second line at the top and confirm that "You" (your user account name) are in fact the "Owner" of said folder.
If that is set properly then just click the "Cancel" button.
If not you will have to use the "Change" link and set it to your UserName and cascade that change down to all sub folders and files by checking the box near the bottom of your edit page.
And then OK your way back out.

If it was set properly and you clicked the "Cancel" button you are back to the "Documents Properties" windows.
Now look at the box containing "Group or user names"
Is your "UserName" in there? If so click it to highlight and examine the "allow" column at the bottom where it says "Permissions for YourUsername.
The value "check mark" to the right of "Full Control" must be checked.
I'll assume that it is and everything has gone swimmingly up to this point.

Now click the "Edit" button.
Next click the "Add" button.
Next click the "Advanced" button
Next click the "Find now button"
Scroll down in the bottom box and find "HomeUsers" group
Select it and click the "OK" button.
That will take you back one page
Click the "OK" button again on that page.

Now
Take a look at the
"Permissions for HomeUsers" that you just added.
Click (check) "Full Control"
Click OK.

That should do it although we might have to take one more additional step in order to cascade that down to subfolders and files.

If you have done all of the above and are still getting an error message relating to Access Denied
Post back and we'll do the extra little bit that needs doing.

 

[Michael A]

Thanks for you comments. Went through every step you mentioned and everything was already checked exactly as you suggested to do. Probably why everything is working OK. The error message I got said access denied, Read Only. That is why I changed the setting to Read/write. Haven't had any problem since.

 

[Gift of the Magi]

There is absolutely no reason to adjust or alter or even concern yourself with "Share" Permissions under the Sharing tab of a particular Container / Directory / Folder or file.
As a matter of fact, unless your intent is to actually share the item across the network to another network node.... involving Sharing permissions can complicate your problem unless you set it to Full Control to the Everyone Group, as when both Share Permissions and NTFS (Security) permissions are involved, the most restrictive will always win.

This seems to be an issue after an upgrade, especially (apparently) for the "Home" version of Windows 10.
It involves a particular group called "HomeUsers".
You need to examine the settings and adjust them to include that particular group as well as your specific UserName.
Right click the container (directory). We'll use your "Documents" folder for example.
Go to C:\Users\YourUserName\
Select then right click "Documents"
Choose "Properties"
Select the "Security" tab
Now first....
Click the "Advanced" button
Look at the second line at the top and confirm that "You" (your user account name) are in fact the "Owner" of said folder.
If that is set properly then just click the "Cancel" button.
If not you will have to use the "Change" link and set it to your UserName and cascade that change down to all sub folders and files by checking the box near the bottom of your edit page.
And then OK your way back out.

If it was set properly and you clicked the "Cancel" button you are back to the "Documents Properties" windows.
Now look at the box containing "Group or user names"
Is your "UserName" in there? If so click it to highlight and examine the "allow" column at the bottom where it says "Permissions for YourUsername.
The value "check mark" to the right of "Full Control" must be checked.
I'll assume that it is and everything has gone swimmingly up to this point.

Now click the "Edit" button.
Next click the "Add" button.
Next click the "Advanced" button
Next click the "Find now button"
Scroll down in the bottom box and find "HomeUsers" group
Select it and click the "OK" button.
That will take you back one page
Click the "OK" button again on that page.

Now
Take a look at the
"Permissions for HomeUsers" that you just added.
Click (check) "Full Control"
Click OK.

That should do it although we might have to take one more additional step in order to cascade that down to subfolders and files.

If you have done all of the above and are still getting an error message relating to Access Denied
Post back and we'll do the extra little bit that needs doing.

I have the same issue as listed about and tried this, but I do not have a 'HomeUsers' group. Anywhere. There is a 'Users' entry however. I tried using that, and got Access Denied notes and STILL cannot remove Read Only, despite that group having Full Access.

 

[Trouble]

Follow the steps outlined in my post here https://www.windows10forums.com/threads/unable-to-gain-access-to-files.3998/#post-17004
See if that helps with your issue.

 

[Gift of the Magi]

I'm sorry, but it has had zero effect. It took no time at all after I clicked that last box, and I still cannot change the read-only box. I can click it off and hit Apply, but if I pop the window up again, it is back on. I also noticed that every time I tried to change that Read-Only box now, another icon for Documents appears in the side-bar. At one point I had 6. I tried removing the Read Only from my User File, but if I click the window off and then bring it back up the Read-Only is back on.

I still do not have HomeUsers. Also, I do not know if this affects it or not, but my name in the Users file on C: is not the same as the User Name on the User List. In other words, the File in the OS is my real name, and on the User list is my email account name and address. I have no idea if this could affect it or not.

 

[Trouble]

Ignore the read only attribute and focus on a single file or a single directory.
Use the TakeOwnership tool that I linked to in my other post.
Then again, focusing on a single file or a single directory add your user name explicitly with full control of that file. If it is a directory, disable inheritance and force the changes to all subfolder and files (child objects of the parent container).

 

[Gift of the Magi]

Ignore the read only attribute and focus on a single file or a single directory.
Use the TakeOwnership tool that I linked to in my other post.
Then again, focusing on a single file or a single directory add your user name explicitly with full control of that file. If it is a directory, disable inheritance and force the changes to all subfolder and files (child objects of the parent container).

Ok done that. I did it to the folders and to the files within the folders of the program I am trying to get to work. The files save one (the one containing my profile) are no longer Read-Only, but everything else is. I have not tried to remove it again, but shall I at this point?

And before I continue, I should mention why I am trying to do this. I am attempting to launch a game called XCOM: Enemy Unknown. It worked prior to getting Win 10 and just afterward (but with serious frame rate drop), but suddenly stopped working after a Windows Update. That was at the end of August. I have updated everything, tried reloading the game several times, and finally found a post saying that the Read-Only attribute in the Documents Folders can prevent the game launching. This game is through Steam. I also have the 3 DLC packages if that matters.

It was during this that I noticed EVERYTHING was Read Only and several other files and folders could no longer be used or accessed save to read or delete. Considering that I have work-related sensitive files on my computer that require modification at time, and that my only major form of entertainment is gaming (I don't even own a TV), this is rather important to me.

If I cannot get this working, I am seriously considering going to Win 7 and staying there for good(even though I had Win 8.1, but apparently I no longer have the option to return to that either.)