Read-only is a file or folder attribute that permits only a particular group of users to edit these files and folders. This feature avoids events others from editing these read-only files/folders without your explicit permission permitting them to do so. You may select to keep some files in system mode & others in read-only mode, as per your requirement. You can also enable/disable this feature whenever you guys want. In this article, we are going to talk about Can’t Remove Read Only From Folder in Windows 10. Let’s begin!
Unfortunately, a lot of users reported that when they upgraded to Windows 10. Then their files and folders keep reverting to read-only. The most generic reasons for this issue are as follows, have a look:
- Windows upgrade: If the computer Operating System was recently upgraded to Windows 10, then your account permissions might have been altered, hence, causing the said issue.
- Account Permissions: The error could be due to account permissions that have changed without even your knowledge.
Contents
Can’t Remove Read Only From Folder In Windows 10
Turn off Controlled Access
Before we try the other technical solutions, we will first try to turn off the Controlled Folder Access in your settings. This is a hotfix and you may proceed along with other solutions if this doesn’t work for you.
- Tap and hold the “Windows Key + I” button to open the Windows Settings.
- When the Settings are opened, navigate to Update & Security and then tap on Windows Security.
- Now, under the Virus & threat protection settings, you have to tap on Manage settings
- Under Controlled folder access, just choose Manage Controlled folder access and switch the access to Off.
- Restart your computer completely and then check if the issue is resolved or not.
Log in as an Administrator
If multiple user accounts have been created on your PC, then you will have to sign in as an administrator and as a guest. This will enable you to access all files or folders & also make any changes as you please. You have to follow these steps to do so:
- Search for Command Prompt in the search bar actually. In the search results, you have to right-click on it and select Run as administrator.
- In the Command Prompt window, just type the following command and hit Enter:
net user administrator /active:yes
- When the command has been executed successfully, then you will be logged in along with the administrator account, by default.
Now, try to access the folder and see if the solution helped fix the folder that keeps reverting to read-only on Windows 10 issue as well.
Change Drive Permissions
If you are experiencing such difficulties after upgrading to Windows 10 OS, and then you can change drive permissions that will most likely fix the folder that keeps reverting to the read-only issue.
- Right-tap on the file or folder that keeps reverting to read-only. Then, just choose Properties.
- Then, click on the Security tab. Select your username and then tap on Edit as shown below.
- Now in the new window that pops up titled Permissions for <folder name>, then check the box next to Full control to grant permission to see, modify & write the said file/folder.
- Tap on OK in order to save these settings.
How can you Enable Inheritance
If there is more than one user account created on the system, then you will have to enable inheritance via following these steps:
- Head to C drive, where Windows is installed.
- Next, open the Users folder as well.
- Now, right-tap on your username and then choose Properties.
- Navigate to the Security tab, and then tap on Advanced.
- At last, click on Enable Inheritance.
Turning on this setting will allow other users access to the files and folders on your computer. If you guys can’t remove read-only from a folder in your Windows 10 laptop, then try the succeeding methods.
Turn off Third-Party Antivirus Software | can’t remove read only
Third-party antivirus software might detect files on the computer as a threat, every time you restart your PC. This may be why the folders keep reverting to read-only. To fix this issue, you need to disable third-party antivirus installed on your system:
- Click on the antivirus icon and then go to Settings.
- Disable the antivirus software.
- Now, follow any of the above-mentioned methods and then, restart your computer.
Check if the files or folders are reverting to read-only even now or not.
Change Folder Attribute
If you guys have logged in as an administrator and are still unable to access some files, the file or folder attribute is to blame. Follow these steps in order to remove the read-only attribute from the folder command line via Command Prompt:
- Open Command Prompt with administrator privileges, as instructed in the previous method.
- In the Command Prompt window, then type the following command and hit Enter:
attrib -r +s drive:\<path>\<foldername>
Such as the command will look like this for a specific file called Test.txt:
attrib -r +s C:\Users\Vik\Pictures\New folder\Test.txt
- After the command has been executed successfully, the read-only attribute of the file will also change to a system attribute.
- Then Access the file to check if the file keeps reverting to read-only on Windows 10 issue has been resolved as well.
- If the file or the folder for which you have changed the attribute does not function properly, then just remove the system attribute via typing the following into Command Prompt & hitting Enter thereafter:
attrib -r -s drive:\<path>\<foldername
- This will revert back all the changes made in Step 2 as well.
If removing the read-only attribute from the folder command line didn’t help, then try modifying drive permissions as explained in the next method as well.
Run SFC and DSIM Scans | can’t remove read only
If there are any corrupt files on the system, then you need to run SFC and DSIM scans in order to check and repair such files. Follow the steps given below in order to run the scans:
- You have to search Command Prompt to run as administrator.
- Next, just run the SFC command by typing SFC /scannow in the Command Prompt window en, tapping the Enter key.
- When the scan is complete, now run the DISM scan as explained in the next step.
- Then just copy-paste the following three commands one-by-one into Command Prompt and tap on the Enter key each time, in order to execute these:
DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Scanhealth DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /startcomponentcleanup
Conclusion
Alright, That was all Folks! I hope you guys like this article and also find it helpful to you. Give us your feedback on it. Also if you guys have further queries and issues related to this article. Then let us know in the comments section below. We will get back to you shortly.
Have a Great Day!
Also see: How to Clean Your Mac Manually to Free Up Disk Space
