[Solved+Issue] Writer Document "Read only"

[oskar270]

I have a 6 years old HP laptop with Apache 4.1.1 and a 1 year old Dell Laptop with Apache 4.1.3. Last week I copied a Writer document from the HP to Dell via a USB and the document on Dell has the attributes set to read only and nothing I did can change that. The Edit Menu has all commands greyed out.

I’m the admin on both laptops

Searching the web I noticed this is a common problem and I wonder if a solution has been found or am I wasting my time?

[acknak]

Look on the main toolbar for the "Edit File" button (it may have a picture of a pencil). Click that, choose a location/folder/path that you have permission to write in, and Calc will make a new copy of the file in that location and then allow you to edit it.

[oskar270]

Thanks for the help, I'm away from my laptops right now and sometimes this week I will give it a try and post back with the results

[oskar270]

I had a chance to try what you said but it didn’t work. On the Dell when I click the Edit icon there in not any menu coming up to choose an action. So I tried the File Menu and choose Save As which then it asked me for my password etc. Then I went to the new directory where I saved the file, open it and again it’s Read Only.

The directory I saved the file is a directory where I save many work related files. Perhaps I did something wrong?

[RusselB]

Are you saving the file using the default Open Document format? (.odt extension for Writer, .ods extension for Calc)
If not, try saving in that format. Also try saving without a password.
I seem to recall a few topics regarding passworded files opening up as Read Only and the password not being accepted to put the file into edit mode.
If that describes or sounds similar to your situation, you might find this topic to be of use.

[oskar270]

Yes I save the file with .odt extension for the Writer. If I don’t put password it does not allow to save the file which make sense otherwise it defeats the purpose of the password.

I don’t think there is a solution on this problem because I have searched similar threads on the web and I see no solutions. Last thing I will do is to install the same Apache version on the HP laptop and change the admin accounts to be the same on both laptops.

[Villeroy]

Copy everything (Ctrl+A)
Paste into a new document.

[Bill]

I had a chance to try what you said but it didn’t work. On the Dell when I click the Edit icon there in not any menu coming up to choose an action. So I tried the File Menu and choose Save As which then it asked me for my password etc.

When the Save As dialog opens, uncheck the "Save with password" option. You should be asked for a password only if the "Save with password" option is checked when you click "Save".

[oskar270]

Copy everything (Ctrl+A)
Paste into a new document.

It does not work, the paste command is greyed out (not functioning

[oskar270]

I had a chance to try what you said but it didn’t work. On the Dell when I click the Edit icon there in not any menu coming up to choose an action. So I tried the File Menu and choose Save As which then it asked me for my password etc.

When the Save As dialog opens, uncheck the "Save with password" option. You should be asked for a password only if the "Save with password" option is checked when you click "Save".

Does not work either, never thought it will work but had to give it a try

[oskar270]

Final try was to re install Apache but the same problem persists. However when I try to edit the document now I get this message: “This document can’t be edited possibly due to missing access rights”

Looking at the tools menu / options, I can’t find any access rights setting.

Anyone knows how this setting can be set?

[Hagar Delest]

Have you tried to change the rights or owner of the files on a system level with the file explorer?

[Villeroy]

Final try was to re install Apache but the same problem persists. However when I try to edit the document now I get this message: “This document can’t be edited possibly due to missing access rights”

Looking at the tools menu / options, I can’t find any access rights setting.

Anyone knows how this setting can be set?

Read-only flags are set either on your file system or within the document. When you re-install the office suite you get the exact same bytes on your hard disk as before.
menu:File>Properties... tab [Security] shows if there is a read-only flag set for this document. Within a document there may be locked parts (e.g. read-only frames).

On Linux I can open any kind of read-only file and save it with no password under some name in my home directory in order to get an editable copy.
Right-click the file icon and choose "Properties". In the properties dialog there is a read-only check box which is a heritage from DOS and seems to work independently from the NTFS file system privileges.

[John_Ha]

See this thread Re: Prevent document going into read-only mode? and especially these questions:

Have you found out why the file is opening in RO Mode?

Is it the file RO attribute is set?

Is it the setting in the .swx file under File > Properties > Security ...?

Is it because the user has not been given Write access to the file as a W7 ownership problem (r-click the file > Properties > Security > Permissions ...?

Is it because the file needs to be unblocked( r-click the file > General > click Unblock?

Could it be because the file has an embedded macro and some security setting is protecting the user from the macro?

[oskar270]

Looks like this problem is unsolved! I have done all stated here and the result is the same

“Is it because the file needs to be unblocked (r-click the file > General > click unblock?”

The above is not what I have. When I r-click the file name on the windows explorer the only applicable options is Properties and there is nothing related to Unblock (I have the read only box which unchecked and the security tab with all permission enabled

When I open the file, in the File Menu / Properties I have the General tab, security etc. but I see nothing to click to Unblock

BTW I uninstalled Apache 4.1.3 and re installed 4.1.1 which is the same version as the HP laptop but again the result is the same

[RoryOF]

Because of translation variations, "unblock" may be represented on your computer by some other word of equivalent meaning.

[oskar270]

I see nothing related to "Unblock". In any case when I right click the file and the Read ONLY box is unchecked the file should NOT be read only anymore. There are no macros or anything else on this file, just 3 lines of text and therefore I assume there is flaw somewhere in the code.

[RoryOF]

If it is a flaw in the code it should affect everyone. Upload the file, either to Forum or via a file sharing site, so that it can be examined.

[oskar270]

Well here is something new which fixed the problem

After opening the file, I went to the File Manu / Properties and I clicked on the Security tab. There are 2 check boxes in there, Open File Read Only and Record Changes.

Never thought before to click the Open File Read Only but I did it now, closed the file and said save changes and after re opening, now the file is editable.

Definitely something wrong with the code (on my Apache download)but it worked for me

Thanks to all for the help

[RoryOF]

By clicking on the Open File Read Only check box you presumably removed a checkmark there, which you may not have noticed. Prove this by reclicking that check box - the file will once again become Read only.

[oskar270]

Something wrong here, I open and closed the file twice and I was able to edit it. Now went back again and removed the check mark from the box Open File Read Only and now the file became read only again and that box is now greyed out (not clicable). Let me do some work to see whats going on and I will be back

[RoryOF]

The box may be greyed out because there are two instances of that window open (perhaps on top of each other), and the second instance cannot change properties because they are in use by the first instance.

[oskar270]

I think I figured it out. To be able to edit the Security tab items I must be in Edit mode otherwise the check boxes are greyed out. In addition when i edit the file and exit by saving the changes when I re open the file is again Read Only. Then I re do the changes on the security tab and the file becames editable for once! At least I can highlight the text and copy paste to a new document and I'm all set

[Bill]

...when i edit the file and exit by saving the changes when I re open the file is again Read Only.

The document should open in Read-only mode any time it has been saved, closed and reopened with the "Open file read-only" option checked. If the "Open file read-only" option is unchecked before saving, then the file should open in Edit mode.

There may be some confusion because the (read-only) status shown in the Title Bar doesn't disappear immediately when the Edit icon is clicked. It disappears only after the document has been changed. That change could be to the document content or the "Open file read-only" option or possibly some other option.

[Bill]

Here is a bug report about (read only) not disappearing from the Title Bar when the Edit icon is clicked:

Issue 118932 - read-only file have a lazy to change status

[deeaar]

I tried saving as but after changing the file names back to the originals (other spreadsheets linked to this sheet) I found the permissions/locked issue recurring.
I cured the issue by copying to a new folder. Everything opened as normal so then I deleted the original folder and renamed the new folder.

[Bill]

I tried saving as but after changing the file names back to the originals (other spreadsheets linked to this sheet) I found the permissions/locked issue recurring.
I cured the issue by copying to a new folder. Everything opened as normal so then I deleted the original folder and renamed the new folder.

The OP had a problem caused by a security setting in the file. Your problem was caused by a lock file in the original folder. That is evident because the problem returned only after renaming the file back to the original name.The usual solution for that problem is to delete the lock file.

[deeaar]

aaa of course, I should have turned on 'View Hidden Files' and I might have realised that. Thank you.

[mystical_atheist]

One of the first things I do when I get a new computer is "unhide" the system files. I know how to delete obsolete lock files. That is not the issue.
I never password protect my files. Also not the issue.
Why is file locking (not of open files, but of files being opened across media) even a problem? Is there an article somewhere that explains why this was implemented? I can perform any of these work-arounds (new folders not needed, just put the file in the system directory somewhere, like the desktop), but I am trying to edit a file on my own thumbdrive and I want it to be normal. Why is it when I open OO and select a file to edit, I am not allowed, and I have to make a new file? Is this a system issue about using removable media, or is it some sort of security feature built into Open Office? I eventually copied the file from the thumbdrive to my desktop, edited it, then copied it back to the thumbdrive. Which works. Maybe I should learn how to write a script to automate the process. So how does this lock feature increase security? I don't get it.
Is there anyone who is involved in programming Open Office listening? Word doesn't do this to me. I can come and go as I please on my own thumbdrive, with word. Why not Open Office?
Thanks for the work done writing this software.

[Villeroy]

OpenOffice is unable to change the writability of any file on your file system. It simply can't do that. Whatever the reaon may be, the edit button on the standard toolbar (near the PDF button) should handle the situation in most situations unless the document author implemented some in-document locking.
No, there are no developers reading here. OpenOffice is almost dead. Install LibreOffice if you want a free office suite under active development. LibreOffice shows a blue bar with an edit button on top of a read-only document. WIth OpenOffice you need to know the button on the standard toolbar.