Windows 7 Windows 7 x 32: ALL FOLDERS set to READ ONLY - Can't be reset

[JayOh]

I realise that this question has been asked before but I don't see anything recently so am not quite sure whether to add to a thread start a new one. I decided to post a new one so forgive me if I have posted badly.

I am running Windows 7 x 32b

Recently, and all of a sudden, ALL of the folders on our system , regardless of whether system or data, have been set to read only.

I have data only on drive d: and on an external NAS SL3620-2S-LB2 network drive. This data, both personal and work accumulated over many years, amounts to 25,168 folders totalling some 498Gb. I came across the seriousness of the problem when starting to re-order the data. I found that I was unable to delete any folders, with or without data.

I can create a folder, I can add data, but I can't delete. Its there forever.

I have tried all the usual things, plus many that have been mentioned in various forums. I have tried the command prompt method on a single test folder without success. Thankfully in a way, I do not fancy going through that for each individual folder - I doubt I'll live that long.

I have also tried 'Unlocker' and 'LockHunter', without any programs running, and they find no locks on data folders.

I can understand Sytem Folders and files being protected, it makes perfect sense, but ALL FOLDERS??? What is the point? How can anybody administer their data with blanket security like this, if that is the Microsift excuse? It makes no sense whatsoever.

So, the BIG questions.

Is there a way to set these folder to the useable status that they should have or not? If yes, then How?
Are the gods at Microsoft going to sort the problem out anytime soon?
​

While not being totally ignorant, I am not a computer nerd. I am a user with a life and I do not have the time nor the energy to deal with needless problems. And, I cannot afford to upgrade to a new version, if that is the ploy. If I sound a little teasy, well I apollogise but I am, this thing is driving me scatty and I doubt I am the only one.

Computers are supposed to help not hinder.

Can anyone please help to restore my sanity?

All the best, with hope.

 

[Saltgrass]

What you seem to be describing, is certainly a normal condition. Something or some series of events must have been involved. Possibly a virus or something about the history of the files.

Is D: and independent drive, or a partition on another drive?

If you open Computer and right click one of these drives and select properties-security, what permissions are showing for you? A NAS probably has an independent set of security setting that need to be handled through its interface.

If you create a folder, does it behave normally, or does it also go into a read only state?

 

[Veegertx]

BEST:> run from a Admin command prompt each of these commands

echo y| icacls "D:\*" /grant Administrators:F /T
attrib -R -A -S -H "D:\*" /S /D

where Administrators is the name of Administrators in your language
Set to Read only is normal even after you change it it still appears that way

 

[JayOh]

What you seem to be describing, is certainly a normal condition. Something or some series of events must have been involved. Possibly a virus or something about the history of the files.

Is D: and independent drive, or a partition on another drive?

If you open Computer and right click one of these drives and select properties-security, what permissions are showing for you? A NAS probably has an independent set of security setting that need to be handled through its interface.

If you create a folder, does it behave normally, or does it also go into a read only state?

Thank you Saltgrass for your reply,

I confess, I don't really understand your normal condition. This is the first time I have come across it and I have had computers since 1986 - Oh the good old days of DR-DOS, bless em.

I have very good anti-virus control and nothing is showing up.

D: is a partition. Permissions are: Read & Execute; List Folder Contents; Read; Write.
Cannot change permissions even though I am administrator. Full Control is forbidden - and change ownership doesn't work.
Cannot delete any folder.

NAS is set up with full access permissions to do anything with anything. NAS is being over ruled by Windows.

If a folder is created it does not behave normally, well not my normal, ability to delete etc, anyway. It is immediately set to read only and, again, it can't be deleted. --- I have a load of test folders to get rid as well as my planned re-ordering task.

As I say, I have tried all the normal moves, plus a few, with no success.

What ever I do I get "Access Denied" etc etc etc.

Thoughts anybody?

 

[JayOh]

Sorry Veegertx,

Same applies - Read Only and Access Denied - No change all the way

 

[Veegertx]

Have you tried Takeownership?
Link Removed

 

[Saltgrass]

On your primary drive, all security functions seem to be normal, it is just the other drives that are having a problem? You user account stilll allows you to open administrative command prompts and other admin jobs. A few months ago, some folks were having problems with their admin accounts loosing it admin privileges.

Have you ever used bitlocker, or any other encryption software. If the data has been collected over years, perhaps something was done in the past?

Can you copy a folder or file to another location and access it?

Can you get us a picture of the Disk Management window? Use the snipping tool to take it and attach using the paperclip on the advanced replies.

There is a Real Administrator account you might try. Maybe it will have more access.

And lastly, is there anything you can think of that might be related to the data stored on those two locations, or anything in common with them? Have you tried accessing your NAS from another system?

 

[helpifIcan]

Also I may have missed it but did you try it in safe mode?

 

[Pauli]

Deleted by poster.

 

[Jojetsan]

I have similiar situation...moving network share to another solves it but till now i dont have a root cause

 

[Fixer1234]

Sorry Veegertx,

Same applies - Read Only and Access Denied - No change all the way

Windows is behaving like it thinks you are a different user. If you have not recently done anything relating to user accounts, it would point to some kind of corruption. Unfortunately, Windows is pretty robust in protecting you from intruders such as yourself. If you can't find and cleanup the underlying problem, your best choices might be a work-around like setting up the built-in administrator account (will be like starting a new user account from scratch, but it will give you access to everything), or using one of the methods previously described to copy and save everything and then do a clean re-install.