I'm having trouble setting a folder to read-only on my Windows 11 PC. Every time I apply the setting, it keeps reverting back to its original state. I've tried everything I could find online, including using the command prompt to remove attributes, but nothing seems to work. This was functioning correctly before, and I haven't made any significant changes to my system. Any ideas on what I can do to fix this?
3 Answers
It’s pretty common for the Read-only checkbox in folder properties not to work as expected in Windows. It’s used more as a flag for Explorer rather than actual protection. If you really want to prevent changes, you should adjust folder permissions using the Security tab in Properties. Just deny Write/Modify access for your user, and that should help!
You might want to try using the command line to change the attributes with the 'attrib' command. It’s not as simple as just clicking a checkbox, but it can work. Just search online for the exact usage, and you should find plenty of guides!
Is the folder located in a cloud service? If nothing else works, you could try moving the folder to another computer, stripping all permissions except for the admin account, and then moving it back and changing ownership. It seems like a hassle, but it might solve your problem!
That’s such a good point! I had no idea the Read-only setting was mostly just for Explorer.