How to Make a File ReadOnly using Excel VBA

How to Create ReadOnly Files using VBA - Excel VBA ReadOnly Function

There are many occassions where you want to save the file as Readonly (at times with a Password protection) after you complete the process. We have talked about SetAttr that changes the file attributes. Now let us see how to do this using FileSystemObject

Please refer How to iterate through all Subdirectories till the last directory in VBA to know how to include the references if you are using Early binding.

The following snippet uses late binding and shows how to set the file as read-only

Function MakeFileReadOnly(ByVal sFile As String)

Dim strSaveFilename As String

Dim oFSO As Object      'Scripting.FileSystemObject
Dim oFile As Object     'Scripting.File


    ' Create Objects
    ' Uses Late Binding
    Set oFSO = CreateObject("Scripting.FileSystemObject")
    Set oFile = oFSO.GetFile(FilePath:=sFile)

    ' Set file to be read-only
    oFile.Attributes = 1
 
    ' Releasing Objects
    If Not oFSO Is Nothing Then Set oFSO = Nothing
    If Not oFile Is Nothing Then Set oFile = Nothing

End Function

The function is not restricted to Excel files alone and can be used for any kind of files

Once You are done you can  Check Workbook Attributes to confirm if the Workbook is ReadOnly