Excel Spreadsheet Read-only in Vista

I have excell spread sheets that advise read only when I try to update and save them. When I try to remove the check from read only, it says only an administrator can do it. This all happened when I loaded the spread sheets into the new computer with vista. Any suggestions?

Just to make sure I understand: you open up your excel file ok, but when it comes time to save it the program complains that it's "read only" and that you have you do a "save as". is that is what's going on? If so it may be caused by how vista is handling security on that file. If you are opening the file directly from an external hard drive, try this and see if it works: copy the file to your desktop and open up that copy, do some changes, and see if you can save that.

I'm not using the external hard drive copy to change and save. I'm using the copy on the "C" drive. I get the same message on both. I've tried pulling down the external drive copy and the same thing happens. It appears all my spread sheets show read onle since I installed vista. If you look at the help menu' it shows how to clear it. I tried it and it doesn't work.

Three questions for you:

1. As an example, what is the name of the folder that one of the read-only excel files are located in? Hint: After double-clicking into that folder, click on the address bar at the top of the window and it will read something like - c:\users\(your name)\documents?

2. Open up a new excel file and type in some gibberish and try to save it in that location. Let me know the result. Perhaps new files are ok but only existing files are affected?

3. Does this read-only problem occur with other file types like Word files, or even if you just try to create a new folder in this location?