Trouble loading v1.6.3

Get the message that "Arduino cannot run because it could not create a folder to store your sketchbook." when trying to open the arduino program.

Have windows 7 and tried to change attributes of read-only on folders but setting doesn't change after applying. Anyone have any ideas for a fix?

Thinking about upgrading to windows 10 on this computer but have liked win7 so far.

That seems to suggest that you don't have permissions to modify files in your own documents folder (the sketchbook folder is a folder called Arduino in your documents folder)... Can you create folders in your documents folder manually?

Is there anything weird about the configuration of your documents folder or user folder?

Windows 10 is a huge improvement over Windows 8.1, but still a step down for Windows 7 desktop users.
I would not recommend users of Windows 7 update to Windows 10. There are no meaningful feature additions for a desktop user, and several significant caveats. Updates become much more intrusive, and it will now reboot for updates while you're not at the computer, force closing any applications with unsaved data, and it is nearly impossible to get control over this. I have lost hours of work to this because Eagle doesn't autosave. The interface is still awkward, with a mix of "modern style" and "classic style" settings apps, often one of each for each group of settings - with different options on each (normally the classic style ones have far more options, while the modern ones are dumbed down to uselessness - but in a few cases, the setting is a new one that isn't handled by the old control panel apps)

I can save to documents folder from any other program, but just installed arduino software and I can't get past this problem. Frustrating when all you want to do is load the software and start writing sketchs.

How do you set the sketchbook folder before running the program?

" I have lost hours of work to this because Eagle doesn't autosave. "
I thought so too and had recreated quite a few design changes, when Eagle was crashing on me in 6.3 or something, with pretty complex designs. I complained to cadsoft about it. They told me to open the latest autosave file. Where's that? Look at all the .sc# and .br# (I think, need to look) files in the folder you are working in - those are the autosaved files. Rename the latest pair to .sch and .brd and you're back in business, with only a few minutes of effort lost.

Think I'll stick with Win7 Pro for a while more yet 8). Very similar to Win7 Enterprise at work. MrsCrossroads had 8.1 for a while and hated it, says 10 is much better.

File:Preferences, enter the sketchbook path (in 1.0.6, don't know if 1.6.x is different).

I can't even get the program to load at all, so no way to get into preferences. I can either Right Click on Arduino program and get the missing sketchbook message or just double click it and get the splash screen that never goes away. Either way, i am unable to get it to load at all.

Right click and choose what? Right-clicking doesn't run a program.

Did you ever have v 1.5.x on that computer? That can leave behind debris that interferes with new installations...

You right click on the arduino.exe file and choose run as administrator. This way it shows you each step it calls instead of just hanging there forever if it gets stuck.

No, never installed 1.5

Have only installed 1.6.6 and 1.6.3, neither will let me get past the sketchbook error message.

Going to try and download version 1.0.6, and see if that one will load.