Specified folder is read only error

[Mo Jonez]

Getting the classic "specified folder is read only, please choose another folder" when trying to save project files... actually when doing a "save as" w/ diff name to the same folder as the original file.  I can't recall the fix for this and I know I've seen posts on this several times but don't see any in the search results here so feel free to point me to one if there is one.

[JnTuneTech]

Not sure if there is an easier method, -I forget those old posts too...  -But: If you are confident with your Windows system, disk stability, file management skills & all that, and I also highly recommend offline backups already done and stored close by, you can create a new folder for the project files in question, and then move (or copy, your choice), all the data inside the original project folder (the one that "won't" let you save!) to the new folder. -Then once you open the project from that new folder, you should have full access to work normally again. -You can even rename things & thusly "swap back" the new to the original folder name if you want.

I do also know it has something to do with the way Windows File Explorer handles its view preferences - I usually have the issue when I have copied an old project folder from backup, and then open the folder and do a sort on the view options Windows File Explorer automatically assigns most folders containing audio files. -Annoying!

[Mo Jonez]

2 hours ago, JnTuneTech said:

Not sure if there is an easier method, -I forget those old posts too...  -But: If you are confident with your Windows system, disk stability, file management skills & all that, and I also highly recommend offline backups already done and stored close by, you can create a new folder for the project files in question, and then move (or copy, your choice), all the data inside the original project folder (the one that "won't" let you save!) to the new folder. -Then once you open the project from that new folder, you should have full access to work normally again. -You can even rename things & thusly "swap back" the new to the original folder name if you want.

I do also know it has something to do with the way Windows File Explorer handles its view preferences - I usually have the issue when I have copied an old project folder from backup, and then open the folder and do a sort on the view options Windows File Explorer automatically assigns most folders containing audio files. -Annoying!

Thanks for the idea, did not work unfortunately, same read only issue with the new files also.  It's weird as I can resave the file - i.e. click save in CW and it does update the file then reopens fine.  It's just the Save As function that seems to be the issue.  Problem only with Cakewalk project files as I tested a few other files (Word, txt) and the Save As function works fine.  The mystery continues...

[JnTuneTech]

@Mo Jonez- Well, perhaps you have different settings on your system, and there are all kinds setups!  I answered you right after having done what I just said on my own system, with a Cakewalk file save giving the message you quote, and when I have left "Copy all audio with project" selected ... It doesn't happen if I only save the file by itself with a different name, or as you mention, just saving normally without renaming. You might try saving without that selection (below the file name dialog) checked, then it doesn't try to create a new attached Audio subfolder. -And, don't change anything about the new folder you create (if you use the new folder method) before saving your newly-named version, except of course the folder name itself.

[Lord Tim]

Is this folder indexed by OneDrive or anything like that? Sometimes that can make a file lock that appears as a read-only folder to Cakewalk.

[scook]

it is a generic write failure.

Assuming the hardware is OK and there is no other software blocking the write (such as AV, anti-malware or the OS itself), try a simple name for the file such as one containing only letters and numbers.

[Mo Jonez]

On 3/2/2023 at 2:01 PM, Lord Tim said:

Is this folder indexed by OneDrive or anything like that? Sometimes that can make a file lock that appears as a read-only folder to Cakewalk.

I think this is the case LT.  I'm running Google Drive to back up all my CW files.  Google assures me their Drive would never cause this problem, but after 3 diff Google support chats that provided me very little detail I don't trust the big G on this.  

[msmcleod]

14 hours ago, Mo Jonez said:

I think this is the case LT.  I'm running Google Drive to back up all my CW files.  Google assures me their Drive would never cause this problem, but after 3 diff Google support chats that provided me very little detail I don't trust the big G on this.  

FWIW, I use Mega to backup my project files to the cloud... however the Mega sync app is never backing up directly from my project folders.

Instead, I have a "mirror" directory which I copy the project files to/from,  and Mega syncs from this directory instead.

I've got two batch files:  CopyToMega.bat  and CopyFromMega.bat  (for which I have shortcuts on my desktop ), which copy the project files to and from the sync directory.

CopyToMega.bat looks like this:
 

ROBOCOPY F:\SEQUENCE F:\Projects\SEQUENCE *.* /XO /E /COPYALL /DCOPY:DAT 
ROBOCOPY F:\PICTURE F:\Projects\PICTURE *.* /XO /E /COPYALL /DCOPY:DAT 
ROBOCOPY F:\WAVEDATA F:\Projects\WAVEDATA *.* /XO /E /COPYALL /DCOPY:DAT

 

CopyFromMega.bat looks like this:

ROBOCOPY F:\Projects\SEQUENCE F:\SEQUENCE *.* /XO /E /COPYALL /DCOPY:DAT 
ROBOCOPY F:\Projects\PICTURE F:\PICTURE *.* /XO /E /COPYALL /DCOPY:DAT 
ROBOCOPY F:\Projects\WAVEDATA F:\WAVEDATA *.* /XO /E /COPYALL /DCOPY:DAT

 

Where:
F:\Projects is my mirror directory
F:\SEQUENCE is my Cakewalk projects folder
F:\PICTURE is Cakewalk's picture cache folder
F:\WAVEDATA is Cakewalk's global audio folder

 

The /XO option in ROBOCOPY ensures only newer/different sized files are copied over... so it's very quick.