remove read only from excel file in outlook attachment.

Question

In PowerAutomate, I am trying to take an Excel attachment from Outlook and create a table from the file. How can I either disable the read only or make it so that "create table" can read the Excel spreadsheet?

Answer 1

Hi @Rusk, Hal 001, 

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Answer 2

Power Automate cannot change an attachment’s read-only status inside Outlook; the Excel file must be writable at the file system or connection level before the Create table action can edit it.

Use these approaches:

1. Ensure the Excel file itself is not read-only
   If the attachment is saved to disk (for example by a prior Power Automate step or manually), clear the read-only attribute so it is writable:
   • In Windows File Explorer, right-click the saved .xlsx file > Properties.
   • In the General tab, make sure Read-only is unchecked, then select OK.
     This aligns with the requirement that “the file is not writable” and that the read-only attribute must be removed before changes can be made.
2. Avoid opening/saving the workbook as read-only in your connection
   When Excel is accessed programmatically (for example via ODBC or similar), read-only is often the default and prevents updates:
   • The Excel driver’s default is ReadOnly for connections; to edit, the connection must explicitly allow writes.
   • Ensure any connection string or connector configuration does not force read-only. For example, when using an ODBC-style connection, include an option equivalent to ReadOnly=0 so the workbook is open for updates.
3. Check for security/Protected View scenarios
   If the attachment originates from email or the internet, it may be opened in a protected or read-only mode for security reasons. In those cases, the file must be:
   • Saved to a trusted location (such as a SharePoint or OneDrive library where the account has edit rights), and
   • Opened there by Power Automate so that it is not in Protected View or otherwise locked.

Once the file is stored in a location where it is not marked read-only and the connection does not enforce read-only, the Create table action can read and write to the Excel spreadsheet.

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References:

• File is read-only
• Error "Operation must use an updateable query" When you access Excel through ODBC
• Why did my file open read-only?