Folders become read/only when transfered to windows

Question

I find that when I transfer a folder from my Mac to a PC windows reports the folder (and contents) as read only. Ownership is transferable, but try as I might, I cannot change the status to be not read only on windows. However, I can read, write, and modify the folders and files most of the time.
Recently, I transfered a very large folder hierarchy from my Mac to a PC and ran into an additional problem. When I add or modify any document in the hierarchy, the containing folder is duplicated by windows in the same location with the same name but empty of contents. Of course this causes a world of trouble, since there are now two identically named folders in the same location (one of which is empty).
How can this happen and where can I get information on how to prevent it? BTW, I am a Mac user by nature and only use the PC when I have to, that is why I try to find answers here!
Thanks in advance for any help.

Answer 1

I am posting back here because I discovered the cause of the second problem mentioned in the above post. IE: the problem of misbehaving folders in windows.
First, some background. The folder structure is rather large and complex, so I created it using applescript and a text file with outline levels. Unfortunately, some of the outline titles (which became folder titles) ended in a space.
Apparently windows does not like folders (files too?) to end with a space. While this never affected my Mac, when I transfered the data and structure to the PC it went haywire. I did notice that the duplicate folders were not identical as I first thought, but rather were generated without the trailing space(s). Now it is just a matter of removing all the trailing spaces and it appears that windows can handle the folders.
However, every folder I put on the PC still says it is read only and I can't seem to change that. Any help?