Document in "Read-only" mode all the time

[Miroslav Novák]

Hi, I tried to find a solution here but I was not successful. I have SharePoint library and when we want edit word document in desktop application, document is opened as a "Read-only". Do you have any idea what to do with it? I just found that there is problem with OneDrive and synchronization. We have own Content type on this library but I just try to edit document directly from library and it is not possible.

[#2]

@Miroslav Novák 

Hi, I know this problem from a SharePoint 2016 on Prem environment.
Temporarily (at our environment)  the problem can be solved by completely resetting the Internet Explorer settings (important when resetting - select the check box "Delete personal settings").

Unfortunately I haven't found a reason for this yet. I can exclude OneDrive from my list because it affects users who have not even configured it. My previous assumption was that the whole thing happens when users jump back and forth between different WIFIs (it usually hits users who don't have a fixed workstation).

And there is something else. The SharePoint can be reached via https as well as via http (https is the default). If the problem occurs and the user opens the document with http instead of https, the user can edit the document again.

[#3]

@Miroslav Novák Our issue was on SPO where we had given access directly to a library but not the site.

Limited Access Lockdown site collection feature was the culprit - disabling this allowed users to open excel documents as expected.

[#4]

I was getting the same issue, all documents and spreadsheets were opening read only with no option to change to edit.

Strangely what worked for me was: Close the OneDrive app, go to the SharePoint Online and open a document from there (but choose to open it in the app not the webpage), it should open fine.

Then close that file and open OneDrive again, all documents now opening fine!

hope this helps! 

Arron

[#5]

@Kangee 

@Miroslav Novák 

after looking at the network communication protocol I see only one difference between a client where is working and where is working not. at the client where the documents are only opened read-only/write protected I see that the _vti_bin/cellstorage.svc/CellStorageService is never called there. I think this is because a HTTP OPTIONS  was send from word/excel to the lib before and HTTP 401 was returned.

[#6]

@Hilla_Mantyomena 

Thanks for the solution, It reduces my headache.

[#7]

Hi @Kangee,

thank you for your results of analysis. Do you have any tips how to avoid it or what to do in this case as a workaround?

Thank you,

Mirek

[#8]

@Miroslav Novák 

No I have unfortunately no tips the only thing which has brought us something further is this article:

https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/help/3203432/descriptionofthesecurityupdateforsharepointserver20...

However, our property was already $true and we simply set it to $false. After that it went everywhere with the Office 2013 users who had problems so far. However, a few colleagues simply installed Office 2016 and now we have problems again with these office 2016 user.

[#9]

@Colm Counihan 

I am also experiencing the same issue and remove the Office credentials.

User is required to sign into the office app again but the issue remains.

File is still read-only in Office app.

[#10]

@apkoh18 I was able to solve this issue by disabling the "File Check Out" feature on the sharepoint site/library

[#11]

All-

I had this issue for all documents stored in SharePoint / Teams, opening in the desktop applications always opened files in read only.  On other computers it was fine, and in the browser apps it was fine, just the desktop applications / thick clients.  If you navigate to the Info menu from the File tab, the error message is something to the tune of "something went wrong, file has been opened in read only mode".

The issue occurred after a laptop refresh, and after working with our IT department we determined the issue was due to some sort of corruption with my user profile. re-building my user profile (via the registry) fixed it.  

Just thought I'd pass along for anyone else experiencing the same symptoms as me.

[#12]

@fakhrula Thank you!

This fixed an issue that has been annoying me for some time.

[#13]

@Hilla_MantyomenaSame over here. I kept having issues with read-only, unsynced from OneDrive, and now this is no longer an issue.

[#14]

@Hilla_Mantyomenaas far as I know, the read only mode in the file explorer is set, when the synced list is set to have mandatory file tags. The explorer can't deal with it.

[#15]

@fakhrula Thank you.  I have no idea how my Sharepoint locations had been added to my OneDrive Synchronisation.  I have recently started using O365, and created some sites.  Actually, I think I used Teams to create Channels.  Maybe Microsoft integration (in this regard) has gone too far.   It appear that the creation may have resulted in the addition of Sync, which I do not want (the whole point of Sharepoint for me, is that I don't have local copies).  That said, what is the logic that allows me to have a local copy, that I can't update (only save as yet another copy)???? Surely it should update/overwrite regardless!

Anyway, as I say, I don't want a local copy, and so your suggestion works for me.

Onedrive Desktop App (right click cloud in systay) > Settings > Account tab > Stop sync (against the folder of interest)

[#16]

@David Isaac  you were right on the money. When I Synchronised the Library to my local desktop as part of the OneDrive for Business tool, I lost the ability to check out or check in documents using the Word App on my PC.

As soon as I removed the synchronisation SharePoint began to work as normal.

[#17]

@Miroslav Novák  I have had the same experience after a colleague did some experiments with Content Approval. In Libray Settings > Versioning Settings, I set the "Require content Approval for submitted items" to "No".

My colleague is working on some document Flow and I need to look into what causes the "Read only" issue.

[#18]

Just wanted to mention I went through a bunch of the steps on this thread and none worked. I found that the user's Excel was signed in with two accounts: one was our admin 365 account and one was the user's. Our admin only has read permissions on the Sharepoint library, so I believe that's what was causing the issue. I opened Excel, clicked on the login on the top right and signed out our profile, then signed the user out and back in and the issue was resolved. 

[#19]

My manager had an issue with our team document folder - everything opened as read-only and saving meant uploading from a local copy. After scanning this thread, I found a lot of mentions about versioning and syncing with OneDrive - She was syncing our SharePoint documents with OneDrive and the versioning was set to Major and Minor.  As soon as I updated versioning to Major only, she got a pop up about now being able to save.  Issue disappeared.  Thank you to all the responses.  (PS:  I do not require check out and had no required fields on the document library)

[#20]

@ChrizK Replying to myself as the instructions are correct.  Coincidently, I have been struggling again with Read Only.  More of a coincidence, someone added to this thread which triggered my email.  This is fortunate, as it made me read my own instructions.  As I had a vague recollection of this problem, I thought I had stopped the OneDrive app during my investigation of the current problem, but Read Only persisted.  This morning, I read the email and my own reply again.  I checked OneDrive and found that there was a Sharepoint folder added to sync, but with zero bytes usage.  Again, I have absolutely no idea how it was added, and I don't think it was even related to the folder I had the problem with (other than being the same Teams Channel, which means it shares the same Sharepoint Document folder).

Anyway, I removed this from OneDrive sync, and my document now allows me to turn on AutoSave once more (I still have major/minor checkout enabled).

[#21]

@Miroslav Novák, this solved the problem for me:

I figured out how to fix it (per my related question at https://docs.microsoft.com/en-us/answers/questions/748329/sharepoint-files-open-in-read-only-mode.ht... and Idodero's post above suggesting a variation on this same approach). Seems the account connection can be corrupted, especially if using more than one account, so as with many things in Windows, this can be fixed by removing and re-adding the account. Specifically, in the offending Office app where the document appears as Read Only (this will make the changes to all Office apps), remove BOTH the Connected Services AND the account sign-in. Then re-add just the Connected Service.

Steps:

1. Click on File tab
2. Click on Account in the lower left
3. Under "Connected Services," click Remove next to all of the AD-connected accounts
4. Repeat steps 2-3 for all AD-connected accounts (at least for me, it was OK to leave the personal account)
5. In the Upper right (in the Title Bar), click on the Avatar icon (may just appear as initials) for your User Account
6. Click the 3 dots to the right of each AD-connected account and select "Sign out"
7. Repeat steps 5-6 for all AD-connected accounts (at least for me, it was OK to leave the personal account)
8. Close the Office application

I'm not sure if it's needed, but possibly also remove the Work Account from Windows:

1. Click on Settings
2. Click on Accounts
3. Click on "Access work or school" on the left
4. Select the problem Work account and click on "Disconnect"
5. To be safe or if this process fails otherwise, remove all Work accounts (easy to add back later)

With those done, you have removed the problem service. Now you can add them back safely:

1. Open the Office App
2. Click on File tab
3. Click on Account in the lower left
4. Click on "Add a Service" -> Storage -> One Drive for Business
5. Enter your email address for the AD account for the SharePoint/OneDrive folders you wish to access

This will also add the account to your Account menu, so no need to also add it there. If you selected to allow the account to also manage its settings, then this will also add it as a Work or School account in Windows Settings Accounts.