Thank you rich I'll read that properly soon. I have just downloaded the 2.10.22 version. I am wondering if it has anything to do with the gimp because it is only gimp, that is not exporting. I have been able to save a couple of notepads.

Good to see Rich helping on this problem. He is the best person for this kind of problems.
But, IMHO, if the problem is ONLY ON SPECIFIC FOLDERS, the problem is likely in the folder properties.

Alas, no expert on MS, read recently about access problems, all about ransomeware protection. From that MS document.

Controlled folder access requires enabling Microsoft Defender Antivirus real-time protection.
If you do not have that enabled then not the problem.

Windows system folders are protected by default, along with several other folders:
c:\Users\<username>\Documents
c:\Users\Public\Documents
c:\Users\<username>\Pictures
c:\Users\Public\Pictures
......

If that is the problem, then have a search around for 'white-listing' applications (ie. Gimp)

Unless it was enabled by default I have not done it

Think I found the problem. Irfanview is saving pictures to their original folders.I think I may have a corrupt Gimp.
It's not the Gimp. Can anyone with windows tell me what the problem might be and how to go about fixing it.

Have found a couple of things through Google. Question was first asked back in March 2018.
I still haven't found a fix but am able to edit in gimp, copy visible, paste into Irfanview the save to original folder

Finally, it was my anti virus program blocking gimp. I did a system restore last night. Uninstalled Avast and had to install Gimp again and Avast again today. When I just tried to export something from Gimp, Avast just gave a pop-up to say "we have just blocked an app on your computer - do you want to allow it?" I clicked on allow and now it seems to be ok . Has nothing to do with the folders being read only as that seems to be a default on windows computers now - has been for a while