Windows 10: Changing read-only folder attributes troubleshooting

Hello.I recently did a clean uninstall of my Windows 10 64 bit OS and thought I had backed all of my programs and data to DVD-RW. After doing so, I realized I had not. I have used my all in one Canon printer to scan printed documents and had hoped to convert them using online converters to Word format, as most are as such.I then noticed after I could not permanently change the attributes of any of the folders following the clean install. I did research on a number of sites and tried various fixes, including the Command Prompt to no avail. When trying to convert any file, it does not show

:)

 

Read Only Attribute in Win 10

Hi Alexandru,

Thank you for posting on Microsoft Communities.

I will be glad to help you with the issue you have with the computer. I understand the frustration when things don't work the way it should.

You may experience any of the following symptoms:

• You cannot view or change the Read-only or System attributes of a folder by using the
  Properties dialog box for the folder. For example, you may experience the following symptoms:
  • When you view the General tab of a folder's Properties dialog box, the
    Read-only check box is not available, and there is no check box to change the System attribute.
    
  • You click to clear or click to select the Read-only check box on the
    General tab of a folder's Properties dialog box. When you click
    OK or Apply, you receive the following message:
    Confirm Attribute Changes
    
    You have chosen to make the following attribute changes:
    
    unset read-only
    
    Do you want to apply this change to this folder only, or do you want to apply it to all subfolders and files as well?
    If you click Apply changes to this folder only, the Read-only attribute is changed for all the files in the folder. However, the Read-only attribute is not changed for the folder, its subfolders, or any files in its subfolders. If you click
    Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files, the Read-only attribute is changed for all files in the folder and all files in the subfolders. However, the Read-only attribute is not changed for the folder or its subfolders.
• Some programs may display error messages when you try to save files to a folder that uses the Read-only or System attribute. As a result, these programs may not be able to save files to the folder.

To work around this problem, use the Attrib command at a command prompt (Cmd.exe) to view or to remove the Read-only or the System attributes of folders. To view or to remove the Read-only or the System attributes of folders
Warning If you remove the Read-only or System attribute from a folder, it may appear as a ordinary folder and some customizations may be lost. For example, Windows customizes the Fonts folder and provides a special folder view that permits you
to hide variations, such as bold and italic. It also permits you to change the folder's view settings in ways that are specific to fonts. If you remove the Read-only and System attributes of the Fonts folder, these customized view settings are not available.
For folders that you have customized by using the Customize tab of the folder's
Properties dialog box, the folder icon and other other customizations may be lost when you remove the Read-only attribute.

If a program cannot save files to a folder with the Read-only attribute, such as My Documents, change the Read-only attribute to System by using the Attrib command at a command prompt.

Note If the Run command is not listed on the
Start menu, do the following: Click Start, click
All Programs, click Accessories, and then click
Run.

To remove the Read-only attribute and to set the System attribute, use the following command:

attrib -r +s drive:\<path>\<foldername>
For example, to remove the Read-only attribute and to set the System attribute for the C:\Test folder, use the following command:
attrib -r +s c:\test
Be aware that some programs may not operate correctly with folders for which the System attribute and the Read-only attribute are set. Therefore, use the following command to remove these attributes:
attrib -r -s c:\test

Hope this information is helpful. Please post in case you have any further issues, we will be glad to help you further.

Thank you.

 

changing file and folder attributes

Continuing the theme of changing attributes....
i now realise that certain file attributes can’t be user defund, as they are read only....
But it seems gilders are even worse.....I have 12 folders January to December.......but windows list these alphabetically......such that April is first followed by August.

cant see any way of changing the sort order, although there may be a way to sort by an attribute, but it seems that It is NOT possible to assign ANY folder attributes......nothing much has changed in this matter since XP....

unless anyone one knows differently

 

change read only attribute

Update: I just re-checked the Documents folder after following the process described and waiting 10 mins for Win10 to changes all the attributes of all the files in Documents. 2 seconds after Win10 had finished, I re-checked the attributes of the Documents
folder and it had changed back to 'read only'!!

Request urgent advice as the 'Documents' folder is - surprise, surprise - used quite often!