Windows 7 / 64 bit: Folder stays write protected after change

I really dont understand that: I have a folder, on which I want to REMOVE write protection, so that every application can write inside that folder. When I click on properties I can uncheck the checkbox "write-protected". When I click on "apply" there is a lot of processing done, because all child-folders will also be changed.

The wiered thing is, that when I click on properties again, the checkbox "write-protected" is again checked! What am I missing??

Solution 1:

This is just a case of a bad user interface. Note that the dialog says "Read-only (Only applies to files in folder)" and that the checkbox state is "indeterminate", not checked or unchecked. Note how the checkbox square is filled.

If you then click the checkbox you change it from indeterminate to off, click again to on, click again to off, etc. Clicking OK then iterates the folder content to apply the ReadOnly file attribute as selected. Bringing up the dialog again puts the checkbox into indeterminate state, allowing you to do this all over again.

You are not the first to be confuzzled by this. Ask more questions about it at superuser.com