Fix 1: Modify File Properties
If the issue in question is limited to a select few Word documents, the read-only file attribute may be enabled for those files. Here’s how to fix it.
Step 1: Right-click on the Word file > select Properties.
Step 2: Under the General tab, uncheck the Read-only box in the Attributes section. Then, click Apply > OK.
Fix 2: Disable Preview Pane in File Explorer
The Preview pane feature in File Explorer lets you preview your files without opening them. For this to work, File Explorer may set your files to read-only mode. To avoid this, disable the Preview pane feature in File Explorer.
Step 1: Press the Windows key + E to open File Explorer.
Step 2: Click the View menu at the top > go to Show > uncheck Preview pane.
Fix 3: Disable Editing Restrictions for Password-Protected Files
Microsoft Word may open a document in read-only mode if the document owner has imposed editing restrictions. If you have the password for the file, you can easily remove the read-only restriction for that document by following the steps below.
Step 1: Open the password-protected document in Word.
Step 2: On the Review tab, click Restrict Editing in the Protect group.
Step 3: On the Restrict Editing pane on the right, click the Stop Protection button.
Step 4: Enter the password for the file and click OK.
Fix 4: Turn off Open Email Attachments in Reading View
Another reason Word may open your documents in read-only mode is if you’ve previously configured it to open all your email attachments in reading view. Here’s how to change that.
Step 1: Open Microsoft Word and click the File menu at the top left.
Step 2: Select Options from the left pane.
Step 3: In the General tab, scroll to the Start up options section in the right pane. Uncheck Open e-mail attachments and other uneditable files in reading view and hit OK.
Fix 5: Disable Protected View in Word
Protected View is a security feature in Word that keeps your PC safe from malicious files. When enabled, Word will open any suspicious files in read-only mode. However, if you’re confident about the legitimacy of your Word document, you can temporarily disable the Protected View feature.
Step 1: In the Microsoft Word window, click File > Options.
Step 2: In the Word Options window, switch to the Trust Center tab from the left column and click on Trust Center Settings.
Step 3: By default, all three options in the Protected View tab are checked. To disable Protected View, uncheck all three checkboxes and click OK to save changes.
Fix 6: Repair Microsoft Office
Microsoft provides a handy repair tool for the Office suite. It can automatically detect and resolve any problems with your Office programs, including Word. You can run this tool as a last resort if Microsoft Word still opens your files in read-only mode.
Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon and select Installed apps from the list.
Step 2: Scroll down to locate the Microsoft Office product on the list. Click the three-dot menu icon next to it > select Modify.
Step 3: Select Online Repair and click Repair.
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Last updated on 16 August, 2024
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