LibreOffice 7.3.0.3
I use “Save As” “With Password” to save a new document. Later, when I open the dcoument to edit it, it is “read-only”.
How can I prevent it being saved as “read-only”?
Don’t tick and have a password for Open file read-only
Or to change an existing file, open with normal Password and then click Edit > Edit mode (Ctrl+Shift+M) in the next password box enter the Edit password. Save As [another filename] with just a password to open.
@EarnestAl “Don’t tick and have a password for Open file read-only” I don’t understand. I only get the set password if I do tick the “save password” when saving. So what do you mean “Don’t tick”. Then on the set password screen, I have to tick under options to get the open read-only set password, but I don’t want that anyway. I want it open edit mode.
Trying your Ctrl-Shift-M asks me to type in a password to edit the document (as it has wrongly somehow been saved open read only) but it won’t accept the file open password and obviously I have no idea what the edit password is as I didn’t set one. If I do set an open read only password it won’t save the file, I get
Error saving the document temp3:
Write Error.
The document was opened as read-only.
I’ve tried uninstalling and re-installing Libreoffice. I am beginning to think this is a bug as nothing I do works. All I want is a file password, and I can’t do it without it saving as open read only.
You have lost the Edit password. Copy everything to a new file and save that with just the one password.
Additional: consider getting a password manager.
@EarnestAl I haven’t lost the edit password. I have never set one. I never saved anything with an open-read-only password.
Also, copying to a new file and saving with password saves it open read-only. That’s the problem in a nutshell. Nothing I do works.
It is easier to see by example. In the attached document the Open password is test the Edit password is test1
First open the document using the Open password, then edit the document by pressing Ctrl+Shift+M and entering the Edit password
TestPasswordReadOnly.odt (13.7 KB)
If you think someone else can open the file for you, then please read the warning on the screenshot I gave earlier
Yes, that works. But I can’t do it on any of my saved with password documents. Because I have never set an edit password.
@EarnestAl In all the years I’ve been using Libreoffice I have never set an edit password.
As I said, if I use “save as” with “Save with password” and then type in the save file password but not an open read only password which is what I have always done it is now setting the file open read only. How do I stop it saving the file open read only with a password that it seems to choose for itself and which I don’t know? That is my question. How do I save edit mode?
This is new behaviour. In earlier versions I have always saved with password and the files open in edit mode. Now they don’t.
There is something you are not understanding. There is no edit password. There has never ever been one. I can open the files with the saved file password, but it opens read only rather than edit mode. This is new behaviour.
If you save a file without password to the same directory, does it open Read-only?
Are you using AVG or Avast anti-virus with ransomware protection enabled? Add LibreOffice to the Allowed list (navigate to and select soffice.bin)
You could also check this out [Solved+Issue] Writer Document "Read only" (View topic) • Apache OpenOffice Community Forum
@EarnestAl
If I save a file without a password in the same directory, then close and re-open it, it opens in edit mode.
I am using Kaspersky and as far as I can see the correct version of Libreoffice is specified, so I don’t think this is a problem.
I checked the thread you suggested and it applies to OpenOffice not LibreOffice - it is very similar though. It doesn’t resolve my problem. It did lead to me looking in File->Properties->Security. The read only box for files not yet saved ie. new files is clear. If saved no password it remains clear. If I save with file password but no read-only password, it changes to a greyed out tick which I can’t change.
The more I look at this, the more I think it is a bug.
If you open Writer in LibreOffice safe mode (Help > Restart in safe mode > Continue in Safe Mode) can you save a sample file, password protected, close and reopen with password in edit mode?
@EarnestAl In safe mode, saving a new document with password but no read-only ticked, close and re-open, it re-opens in read only. So no I can’t.
I have upgraded to v.7.3.1 and this has resolved the problem. It was a bug.
I was testing using 7.3.0.3 and didn’t encounter the problem. I suspect an installation problem.
Version: 7.3.0.3 (x64) / LibreOffice Community
Build ID: 0f246aa12d0eee4a0f7adcefbf7c878fc2238db3
CPU threads: 8; OS: Windows 10.0 Build 22000; UI render: default; VCL: win
Locale: en-NZ (en_NZ); UI: en-GB
Calc: CL
You are probably right. I was using the same version as you (but on Windows 11). Although I did uninstall my v.7.3.0.3 and re-install so goodness knows what as it didn’t cure it.