Read-only File and Folder Attribute

How to Set and Unset the Read-only File and Folder Attribute in Vista

information   Information
By default in Vista, folders do not have a read-only attribute. Only files have a read-only attribute. Any changes to the folder's read-only box will only affect the files inside the folder, then the read-only box will default back to blue when you check it again.


This will show you how to set and unset the read-only attribute of a file or folder in Vista.
Note   Note
Read-only files cannot be modified. They can only be copied, moved, renamed, or deleted.
  • Read-only box blue = File or folder is not read-only. Default setting.
  • Read-only box checked = File or folder is set as read-only.
  • Read-only box empty = File or folder is currently being set as not read-only.
warning   Warning





METHOD ONE
Through the File or Folder Properties Page




OPTION ONE
Through a Folder Properties Page
1. Right click on a folder that you want to make the files inside of it read-only, and click on Properties.​
NOTE: The read-only box will always default back to being filled in with blue. A undetermined state of not being read-only. This is not read-only.​
2. Click the General tab. (See screenshot below)​
Folder_Properties1.jpg

3. To Set Files in Folder as Read-only -
A) Check the Read-only box and click OK. (See screenshot below)​
NOTE: This will only set the read-only attribute for all of the files in this folder and it's subfolders. It does not affect the folder itself. See: Microsoft Help and Support: KB326549
Folder_Properties2.jpg

B) Click on OK to confirm changes. (See screenshot below)​
Confirm_Set_Changes.jpg


4. To Unset Files in the Folder as Read-only -
NOTE: If the folder is a system folder, then you may need to use METHOD TWO below to remove the read-only attribute of the files in the folder instead.​
A) Click on the Read-only box until it is blank without the blue square. (See screenshot below)​
NOTE: This will unset the read-only attribute for all of the files in this folder and it's subfolders. It does not affect the folder itself.
Unset_Folder_Properties.jpg

B) Click on OK. (See screenshot above)​
C) Click on OK to confirm changes. (See screenshot below)​
NOTE: If this is a system folder, then you will have to approve the other pop-ups as well.​
Confirm_Unset_Changes.jpg






OPTION TWO
Through a File Properties Page
1. Right click on the file you want to make read-only, and click on Properties.​
2. Click on the General tab. (See screenshots below)​
3. To Set a File as Read-only -
A) Check the Read-only box. (See right screenshot below step 4)​
B) Go to step 5.​

4. To Unset a File as Read-only -
NOTE: If this was a system file, then you may need to use METHOD TWO below to remove the read-only attribute instead.​
A) Uncheck the Read-only box. (See left screenshot below)​
NOTE: To unset read-only for all files in a folder, see step 4 in the above section.
File_Properties1.jpgFile_Properties2.jpg


5. Click on OK to apply. (See screenshots above)​
NOTE: If this is a system file, then you will have to approve the other pop-ups as well.​





METHOD TWO
Through a Command Prompt with the ATTRIB Command




OPTION ONE
For a File
NOTE: This options is if you want to set or unset a file as read-only.​
2. To Set a File as Read-only -
A) In the command prompt, type attrib +r "Full path of file" and press Enter. (See screenshot below)​
NOTE: Substitute "Full path of file" for the actual full path of the file.
For example, attrib +r "C:\Users\Moderator\Desktop\Test.txt"
B) Go to step 4.​
CMD-1 - Copy.jpg


3. To Unset a File as Read-only -
A) In the command prompt, type attrib -r "Full path of file" and press Enter. (See screenshot below)​
NOTE: Substitute "Full path of file" for the actual full path of the file.
For example, attrib -r "C:\Users\Moderator\Desktop\Test.txt"
CMD-2 - Copy.jpg


4. Close the elevated command prompt.​
5. You can verify the read-only status of the file using METHOD ONE (Option Two) above.​




OPTION TWO
For a Folder
NOTE: This option is if you want to set or unset all files in a folder as read-only.​
2. To Set All Files in a Folder as Read-only -
A) In the command prompt, type the command below and press Enter. (see screenshot below)​
NOTE: Substitute Full path of folder for the actual full path of the folder.
Code:
attrib +r "[B][COLOR=red]Full path of folder[/COLOR][/B]\*.*" /S /D
FOR EXAMPLE: I would type this command exactly as below for a folder on my desktop.​
Code:
attrib +r "C:\Users\UserName\Desktop\Folder\*.*" /S /D


3. To Unset All Files in Folder as Read-only -
A) In the command prompt, type the command below and press Enter. (see screenshot below)​
NOTE: Substitute Full path of folder for the actual full path of the folder.
Code:
attrib -r "[B][COLOR=red]Full path of folder[/COLOR][/B]\*.*" /S /D
FOR EXAMPLE: I would type this command exactly as below for a folder on my desktop.​
Code:
attrib -r "C:\Users\UserName\Desktop\Folder\*.*" /S /D


That's it,
Shawn




 

Attachments

  • thumb_Restricted.png
    thumb_Restricted.png
    4.2 KB · Views: 350
Last edited by a moderator:
Got a question, Shawn.

I've wondered and wondered how I can save and print a list of the songs I have in my "Music" folder. Can I do that by designating them as "Read-Only Files" and if I do so, will it adversely affect the music files themselves?

And can I then change the file extension from txt to mp3 or wav?
 

My Computer

Hi Sooner1938,

I do not see how setting it to Read-only would affect how you can print, but you will not be able to change the music file with it set as this.

I have changed WMA to WAV with success. I'm not sure about the success with the other formats. TXT would not be a music file, and would not work wen changed to MP3 or WAV.


This will show you how to make a TXT file with a list of your Music file directory in the command prompt. You can then print the TXT in Notepad or Wordpad. See:

How to Save and Print a File and Folder Directory List in Vista

Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Thanks for the suggestions, Shawn.

I think I'll do it the second way you suggested, since I'm still not comfortable trying anything that involves the directory.
 

My Computer

Your welcome Sooner1938,

Ok, that would most likely be the easiet way. I hope it gets you what you wanted.

Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Hi Ninja,

I agree. I just wanted to keep it simple for everyone.

This discusses using the attrib command for people that are interested:

PROBLEM: You Cannot View or Change the Read-Only or System Attribute of Folders
See: Microsoft Help and Support: KB326549

Thank you, :geek:
Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
I have a similar problem: I run Vista home premium 32bit. All new folders I created have read-only blue box and I can't rename them or delete them. Are there any way I can set the default to 'NO BLUE BOX' on ready-only when a new folder is created? In other word, make the default new folder attribute to be r/w/delete/rename/all whatever. After all, it's the folder I created, I want to be able to do any way I want without going thru reseting the attributes. At times, I had to reset many levels of the folder above before a folder can be renamed or deleted. Oh, yes. After the Property==> unccheck the read-only==>Apply changes to folder subfolders files etc.==> Apply==> OK, I had to close the folder one level above of it and re-open to make the the attribute change to take effect. It's annoying to say the least.

Jku00v.
 

My Computer

Hi jku00v,

The blue box in the read-only for a folder does not mean it is read-only. A folder in Vista cannot be set as read-only. It will always default back to the blue box. Checking read-only on a folder will only make every file in it read only, not the folder.

Where is the folder located? You may need to temporarily move the folder to the desktop or in a user folder to rename it.

If that does not help, then you can try taking ownership of the folder.

How to Take Ownership of a Item in Vista

Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Updated 2-10-2008 to include METHOD TWO for the ATTRIB command option.

Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Hi jku00v,

The blue box in the read-only for a folder does not mean it is read-only. A folder in Vista cannot be set as read-only. It will always default back to the blue box. Checking read-only on a folder will only make every file in it read only, not the folder.

Where is the folder located? You may need to temporarily move the folder to the desktop or in a user folder to rename it.

If that does not help, then you can try taking ownership of the folder.

How to Take Ownership of a Item in Vista

Shawn

A followup question - after a folder has been set to be read-only (via METHOD ONE above, in my case), would every document newly added into or created inside that folder also be read-only automatically?
 

My Computer

Emarell,

No, the new added files will not be read-only automatically. They would have to be manually set to read-only.

Sorry,
Shawn
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
This does not help, I change the read only for the folder, and do include sub directory. I close my explorer, re-open and the folder is tagged read-only again.
 

My Computer

Hello MCharland, and welcome to Vista Forums.

If you are seeing a blue square for "Read only", then it is not marked as read-only by default. The blue just stands for a undetermined blank state. Only if it had a check mark in the box would it be marked as read-only.

Are you seeing a check mark or blue square?
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Shawn, I have been a windows user since the early days and a Windows 7 user since it was released.

I only recently started having this issue after an update. It does make all the files and folders flag as read only. It may show up as a blue box or undetermined state but when it comes to certain programs wanting to write into that folder or files being saved within an error occurs saying that it cannot be done because the folder is READ ONLY.

No offense to you, in most cases your solution should work. But in this situation they do not. I have been to several forums on this issue as well and none have solutions that work. Tried the attrib, tried permissions, tried making it read only and switching it to non-read only and it automatically switches right back. I have ownership of said folder and files as I am also the administrator

Something is amiss and things are not working as they should.
 

My Computer

Hello Neodrath, and welcome to Vista Forums.

To be safe, I would recommend that you do a full scan of your system with Malwarebytes free to see if you may have been infected with malware or a virus.

What's the full path of the folder that is having this issue? Please also post a screenshot showing this folder highlighted in Windows Explorer to see if anything may stand out.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Hi Shawn, I don't know if I can get some help for my Vista system, since most comments on this page date back a few years it could be that you guys don't offer any support anymore... hence my question if I could get some help?

I turned to this page because I assumed that my problem was caused by the blue Read-only box of a folder, but after reading & testing everything on this thread, also in the link to the Microsoft database: You cannot view or change the Read-only or the System attributes of folders in Windows Server 2003, in Windows XP, in Windows Vista or in Windows 7 my problem persisted, so I may be posing my question in the wrong thread... Nonetheless, here goes:

I have a data partition E:\ and basically all folders have that blue Read-only box, no problem here but I wanted to rename an .mp3 file and a while later the name of that file returned to its previous name, automatically. Very weird! Do you know what causes this?

PS I addressed to Shawn, but anyone with sufficient knowledge can help me out.

Thanks in advance!
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion m9480
    CPU
    Intel core 2 quad 2.50GHz
    Motherboard
    American Megatrends 5.43 16/09/2010
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 120
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG
    Screen Resolution
    1360-768
    Hard Drives
    2 Seagate disks.
    Internal 1 TeraByte and external USB 1 TeraByte.
    Keyboard
    Microsoft eHome Remote Control
    Mouse
    HID - compliant mouse
    Internet Speed
    10475 kbps dwnld and 488 kbps upld
Hello Carlo,

Since you are able to rename the file, it wouldn't be read-only.

As a test, move the .mp3 file to your desktop and rename it to see if the new name stays. I'm thinking that something that uses that file may be auto saving/changing it with the original name.
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Hi Shawn, thanks for your reply!

I copied the mp3 file to my Desktop, changed its name... waited a while & it stayed the same.
So you were right buddy, some other program must have had control over my music files.

I use Windows Media Player and I installed Windows Media Player Plus a few weeks ago, so that must be it.
As a mere test I uninstalled Windows Media Player Plus, renamed the file on E:\ & now I'm waiting for the result...

Tick tock ;)

... still waiting...

Ok... I waited a half hour and the file I renamed remains that way. Problem solved!

Thanks alot Shawn!
 

My Computer

System One

  • Manufacturer/Model
    HP Pavilion m9480
    CPU
    Intel core 2 quad 2.50GHz
    Motherboard
    American Megatrends 5.43 16/09/2010
    Memory
    6 GB
    Graphics Card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce GT 120
    Sound Card
    Realtek High Definition Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    LG
    Screen Resolution
    1360-768
    Hard Drives
    2 Seagate disks.
    Internal 1 TeraByte and external USB 1 TeraByte.
    Keyboard
    Microsoft eHome Remote Control
    Mouse
    HID - compliant mouse
    Internet Speed
    10475 kbps dwnld and 488 kbps upld
Great news. :party:
 

My Computers

System One System Two

  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro 64-bit
    Manufacturer/Model
    Custom
    CPU
    Intel i7-8700K 5 GHz
    Motherboard
    ASUS ROG Maximus XI Formula Z390
    Memory
    64 GB (4x16GB) G.SKILL TridentZ RGB DDR4 3600 MHz (F4-3600C18D-32GTZR)
    Graphics Card(s)
    ASUS ROG-STRIX-GTX1080TI-O11G-GAMING
    Sound Card
    Integrated Digital Audio (S/PDIF)
    Monitor(s) Displays
    2 x Samsung Odyssey G7 27"
    Screen Resolution
    2560x1440
    Hard Drives
    1TB Samsung 990 PRO M.2,
    4TB Samsung 990 PRO PRO M.2,
    8TB WD MyCloudEX2Ultra NAS
    PSU
    Seasonic Prime Titanium 850W
    Case
    Thermaltake Core P3
    Cooling
    Corsair Hydro H115i
    Keyboard
    Logitech wireless K800
    Mouse
    Logitech MX Master 3
    Internet Speed
    1 Gb/s Download and 35 Mb/s Upload
    Other Info
    Logitech Z625 speaker system,
    Logitech BRIO 4K Pro webcam,
    HP Color LaserJet Pro MFP M477fdn,
    APC SMART-UPS RT 1000 XL - SURT1000XLI,
    Galaxy S23 Plus phone
  • Operating System
    Windows 10 Pro
    Manufacturer/Model
    HP Envy Y0F94AV
    CPU
    i7-7500U @ 2.70 GHz
    Memory
    16 GB DDR4-2133
    Graphics card(s)
    NVIDIA GeForce 940MX
    Sound Card
    Conexant ISST Audio
    Monitor(s) Displays
    17.3" UHD IPS touch
    Screen Resolution
    3480 x 2160
    Hard Drives
    512 GB M.2 SSD
Back
Top