Help with PowerShell, changing from read-only

Question

Help with PowerShell, changing from read-only

Ian Hook 1

I've tried pretty much everything I could find about fixing the Windows 10 "read-only" reversion issue. I've had no luck. I decided to just try it through PowerShell. So I looked up the command, put in the command and then got this message:

"PS C:\Windows\system32> attrib -r +s C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\Spit.Perc
Parameter format not correct -"

Then I put help in and got this:

"PS C:\Windows\system32> HELP attrib -r +s C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\Spit.Perc
help : A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument 'C:\Program'.
At line:1 char:1

HELP attrib -r +s C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\Spit.Perc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [help], ParameterBindingException
FullyQualifiedErrorId : PositionalParameterNotFound,help"

I tried it without spaces and got this:

"PS C:\Windows\system32> attrib -r +s C:\ProgramFiles\CommonFiles\VST3\Spit.Perc
Path not found - C:\ProgramFiles\CommonFiles\VST3"

and then this:

"PS C:\Windows\system32> HELP attrib -r +s C:\ProgramFiles\CommonFiles\VST3\Spit.Perc
help : A positional parameter cannot be found that accepts argument 'C:\ProgramFiles\CommonFiles\VST3\Spit.Perc'.
At line:1 char:1

HELP attrib -r +s C:\ProgramFiles\CommonFiles\VST3\Spit.Perc
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~
CategoryInfo : InvalidArgument: (:) [help], ParameterBindingException
FullyQualifiedErrorId : PositionalParameterNotFound,help"

Thanks in Advance,

Ian Hook

Running Win10, 64bit

3 answers

Your answer

Answer 1

MotoX80 37,156

You have to put quotes around the folder name since it has a space in it. That is true for both Powershell and a command prompt.

attrib -r +s "C:\Program Files\Common Files\VST3\Spit.Perc"

Having said that, what is the real problem that you are trying to solve? Windows is not going to arbitrarily set a file/folder to read only just to annoy users. For "Program Files" folders, the Windows Installer is going to try to maintain the folder permissions that were defined by the software developer when they built the .MSI to install the software. Normally you would need to modify the NTFS permissions and not a file/folder attribute in order to enable update. You really shouldn't need to touch "Program Files" because your data files should be in C:\ProgramData or C:\Users\YourID\somewhere.

Again, I would recommend that you explain the problem that you are trying to solve because I don't think that running attrib is the correct solution.

Ian Hook 1 Reputation point

2021-09-02T13:01:35.593+00:00

VSTs are virtual instruments, Steinberg's VSTs automatically are placed in the program files, I want to have all of my VSTs together so I put my non-Steinberg VSTs in the same folder. The non-Steinberg VSTs can't be used in the program I need to use them in because they are set to "read-only." This isn't an issue with Steinberg VSTs.
Ian Hook 1 Reputation point

2021-09-02T13:07:17.997+00:00

Putting quotations didn't give me an error prompt but also didn't fix the "read-only" issue.

Answer 2

MotoX80 37,156

Putting quotations didn't give me an error prompt but also didn't fix the "read-only" issue.

Like I said: Normally you would need to modify the NTFS permissions and not a file/folder attribute in order to enable update.

Right click the folder and select Properties. Example:

Ian Hook 1 Reputation point

2021-09-02T13:58:32.273+00:00

Unfortunately, while I would love to say that this fixed it, it didn't.
MotoX80 37,156 Reputation points

2021-09-02T14:04:30.373+00:00

What are you doing? Are you trying to copy/paste a file into that directory? What error are you getting?

If you open up that folder and right click, can you create a new folder or text document? That would verify that you have write access.
Ian Hook 1 Reputation point

2021-09-02T14:09:20.063+00:00

No error within Windows, it keeps reverting to read only and I need it to not do that.
MotoX80 37,156 Reputation points

2021-09-02T14:22:09.2+00:00

In the image that you posted, the Spit.Perc folder is inheriting "Users:Full Control" from the VST3 parent folder. That's what the light gray check marks mean. Is that what you did? Grant full control at the VST3 folder? If so, try setting the update access only on the Spit.Perc folder. The check marks should show up with a darker black color.

Answer 3

MotoX80 37,156

Is this what you are looking at? Note the "I just created this file.txt".

Ignore that and set the permissions. Then try to copy your files to the folder.

Ian Hook 1 Reputation point

2021-09-02T15:09:18.267+00:00

Yes, Precisely.
Ian Hook 1 Reputation point

2021-09-02T15:30:16.457+00:00

I need it to not say read only for this specific reason
MotoX80 37,156 Reputation points

2021-09-02T15:30:37.19+00:00

Huh? Yes precisely what? The square box in the readonly setting means that it is not set. You should not have to do anything.

What error do you get when you try to copy your files to that folder?
Ian Hook 1 Reputation point

2021-09-02T15:37:18.41+00:00

That is precisely what I'm looking at. The square box means it is set. I dont get an error when copying files in, I get an error in Kontakt because the folder is set to read-only.
MotoX80 37,156 Reputation points

2021-09-02T18:16:08.96+00:00

Read that again. "Only applies to files in folder" If you were able to copy files into the folder, then it is not read only.

This explains the icons.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/85640-set-unset-read-only-attribute-files-folders-windows-10-a.html
MotoX80 37,156 Reputation points

2021-09-02T19:06:24.493+00:00

Note that in this reply the attrib example shows that the attribute is being removed from the file.

https://audiosex.pro/threads/cant-change-read-only-attribute-to-fix-kontakt-libraries.44215/
MotoX80 37,156 Reputation points

2021-09-02T23:23:05.073+00:00

Is Kontakt able to process any other folder? Look at that folder and if it looks like this...

Then the attribute of the folder is not the problem. I would suggest that you compare NTFS file permissions between a folder that works and one that doesn't.

You may have better luck asking other Kontakt users in a Kontakt forum for specific instructions on how to fix or troubleshoot your problem.

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Help with PowerShell, changing from read-only

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