Windows 10: Every folder on every disk is set to read only

It's not my computer but I am essentially my parents' tech support. According to my mother, she booted up the computer this morning and was checking her email, but when she tried to send an email she got an error message about issues accessing the folder it was installed in. As far as I can tell, every folder on all three drives attached to the system has been set to read only and is continually being set that way as newly created folders are set to read only and trying to change the setting results in it being read only again as soon as I re-open the properties window. Further adding to the oddity of this, the individual files are fine, it's just the folders that are impacted. I ran an anti-virus scan and while it did detect and fix a few things, none of it had any effect. Not even changing to ownership of folders seemed to stop it.

:)

 

Read only folder

Hi Jim,

We appreciate you for being part of Windows 10.

Before proceeding, we need more information to help you better.

• 
  Do you want to change the permissions to certain program/folder?
  
• 
  Have you signed in through Microsoft/Local account?
  

A read-only file is protected from accidental deletion and changes to its content.

Step 1: What is a read-only file or folder?

A read-only file is protected from accidental deletion and changes to its content. To change a file to read-only, right-click the file, and then click
Properties. In the Properties dialog box, click the
General tab, and then select the
Read-only check box. To make changes to a read-only file, clear the
Read-only check box, or save the file with a different name.

Step 2: Prevent changes to a file or folder (read-only)

Setting your important or personal files to read-only can help protect them from unintentional or unauthorized changes. When a file is set to read-only, it cannot be changed.

• Right-click the file or folder you want to set to read-only, and then click
  Properties.
• Click the General tab, select the Read-only check box, and then click
  OK.

If you need to make changes to the file or folder later, you can turn off the read-only setting by clearing the
Read-only check box.

I hope the above information helps. Kindly let us know if you need any further assistance with this issue. We are glad to assist you.

Thank you.

 

?? How do I PW protect Folders in windows

hmmm?
Sharing files and folders overview You can share the files and folders stored on your computer, on a network, and on the Web. The method you choose depends on whom you want to share files with, and what computer they will use to access the files.

When you share files or folders, they are not as protected as they are when you do not share them. People with access to your computer or your network might be able to read, copy, or change files that are in a shared folder. You should always be aware that the files and folders that you share are available to other people and be sure to monitor your shared files and folders on a regular basis.

Important

If your computer is not joined to a domain, you can use the Network Setup Wizard to automatically turn file and printer sharing on or off. To start the Network Setup Wizard, click Start, click Control Panel, click Network and Internet Connections, and then click Network Setup Wizard.
If you both use the same computer

You can put the files you want to share in the Shared Documents folder. Files stored in the Shared Documents folder or its subfolders are always available to other users on your computer.

Step-by-step procedure
Note

If you are connected to a network domain, the Shared Documents, Shared Pictures, and Shared Music folders are not available.
If both computers are on the same network

You can share a folder or drive on your computer with others on the network. You can also control whether the files in the shared folder can be modified by other users.

If your computer is connected to a network domain, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure
If your computer is connected to a workgroup, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure
Note

If you are connected to a network domain, you will need to set the Access control for the folder or drive after sharing it. For more information, go to To set, view, change, or remove file and folder permissions.
If you want to share your files online

You can publish pictures and documents on the Web using the Web Publishing Wizard. The files will be stored in a private, online folder that you manage.

Step-by-step procedure

If you don't want others to access your files

You can prevent other users from accessing your folders and the files they contain. When your computer is connected to a domain, this is called setting permissions for your file or folder. When your computer is connected to a workgroup, this is called making your folders private.

If your computer is connected to a network domain, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure
If your computer is connected to a workgroup, use this procedure:

Step-by-step procedure

'HELP' it can be your friend *Smile

 

Downloads folder is the Documents folder

Hi Chris,

Thank you for posting your query on Microsoft Community.

I suggest you to Restore to Default the folders and document settings and see if it helps.

Step 1:

Please follow below steps and check if it helps.

• Go to Download folder.
• Right click on the Download Folder and go to Properties.
• In Properties go to Location tab.
• In location Tab Click on Restore Default.

Step 2:

Please follow below steps and check if it helps.

• Go to Documents folder.
• Right click on the Document folder and go to Properties.
• In Properties go to Location tab.
• In location Tab Click on Restore Default.

After performing above steps change the settings as you required and check if it helps.

Hope these information helps, please get back to us for future support, we’ll be glad to assist you further.

Thank you.