How to Enable Write Protection on a USB Drive? 2024 Ultimate Guide

Have you ever encountered issues with adding or modifying files on a USB device? This is often due to write protection. A write-protected USB drive acts like a barrier, preventing you from altering existing data, adding new files, or deleting old ones.

There may be times when you want to set this protection to make the drive read-only for extra security for your data. While this is done with good intentions, it can be frustrating when you need to modify files or urgently transfer new data to the flash drive.

How to Add Write Protection to a USB? 5 Recommended Methods

Ready to get rid of that annoying read-only status on your USB drive? If you're looking for a simple way to learn how to disable write protection on a USB, then this guide is for you. It'll teach you five different ways to enable write protection on a USB drive.

Let's get started! Note that some of these methods may require administrative privileges, while others may require formatting the drive, which will delete all files on the flash drive. Here are five ways to make your USB drive read-only:

• USB Write Protection Software: The easiest and simplest solution, especially for beginner Windows users.
• Diskpart: A built-in Windows tool with granular management options (use with caution).
• Windows Registry: For users comfortable with modifying registry entries.
• Properties: Change drive permissions directly.
• Enable BitLocker: A Windows feature that adds a write protection layer to your encrypted drive.

Note that the USB Write Protect software offers a simplified experience for Windows users who are not tech-savvy. The other methods require more caution, especially Diskpart, since a small mistake can lead to data corruption.

Let's delve into these methods and learn how to protect your USB data!

#1. USB Write Protection Software

Anyone can use specialized software to manage write protection on USB drives; it is a simple and effective solution. These tools come with robust data safety features and a user-friendly interface.

A very efficient and user-friendly tool to protect USB write permissions and manage disk partitions is the Partition Master Tool. Its renowned “Write Protection” feature provides a simple solution for safeguarding private information on your USB drives.

Download the tool Partition Master, and then follow these simple steps:

Step 1. Launch AOMEI Partition Assistant, go to the "Toolbox" area, and click "Write Protection".

Step 2. Select the device you want to protect and click Enable to confirm.

This is how Partition Master tool can help you:

• Simple Write Protection: Enable or disable write protection on your USB drive with just one click. This helps prevent accidental deletion or modification of files.
• Data Safety: Ensure your valuable files remain intact, giving you peace of mind.
• Wide Compatibility: Supports various USB brands and file systems, providing flexibility.

Other important features:

• Ease of use for system migrations and disk cloning
• Comprehensive partition management tools (resize, create, format, etc.)

If you find this simple tool useful to add write protection to your USB drive with one click, please share online to help more friends protect their devices effectively:

#2. Diskpart

Diskpart is an inbuilt utility to browse and resolve disk-related issues. It can also help you enable write protection on a USB flash drive. The process involves a lot of manual work and can seem tedious. Well, let's make the process seamless with detailed explanations.

Step 1: Press the "Windows + R" keys to open the "Run" search box.

Step 2: Type “diskpart,” and press “Enter.”

Step 3: If prompted, click Yes to grant User Account Control permissions.

Step 4: Type the following commands in the DISKPART window, pressing Enter after each:

1. list disk
2. select disk 1 (Replace '1' with the number of the USB disk you want to add write protection to)
3. attributes disk
4. attributes disk set readonly

5. Type “exit” and press “Enter” to close the Disk Management window and exit the process.

If you like this manual method, share it online to help more friends around you protect their storage devices:

#3. The Windows Registry

We recommend that beginners skip this method, as it can lead to data loss. If you still want to use the Registry Editor, consider backing up your data first. Then, follow these steps:

1. Press the Windows key + R to open the "Run" dialog box.

Step 2: Type “regedit” and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

Step 3: In the Registry Editor window, paste the following path: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control.

4. Right-click on “Control,” and select “New” > “Key.”

Step 5: Type StorageDevicePolicies as the new name, and press Enter.

Step 6: In the new key, enter the right protection value. To do this, right-click the StorageDevicePolicies key, and then choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value, and name it WriteProtect.

Step 7: Double-click the WriteProtect value and change it from 1 to .

#4. Properties

You might be able to change the permissions of the USB drive so that it becomes writable. Let's give that a shot.

Step 1: Open File Explorer and go to This PC.

Step 2: Select the USB drive from the list, and then right-click on it.

Step 3: Click Properties in the list.

Step 4: Under the General tab, select File System to check the drive's format.

For example, if your USB drive uses the NTFS file system, follow these steps to make it writable.

Step 1: Select the "Security" tab from the top menu.

Step 2: Click "Edit" under "Groups" or "User Name."

Step 3: Deselect “Read” and “Write” in the Permissions window.

Step 4: Click "OK" to save your changes and close the window.

Add write protection to a USB device through File Explorer

#5. Turn on BitLocker

BitLocker is a powerful Windows feature that can encrypt your drives for increased data security. If you want to add this protection to your USB drive, here's how to enable it:

Step 1: Press "Win + E" to open File Explorer.

Step 2: Click on "This PC" in the left pane. Locate your flash drive.

Step 3: Right-click the drive and select Manage BitLocker.

Step 4:  Select your drive, then click the “Turn on BitLocker” option.

Step 5: Follow the on-screen instructions to choose how you want to save your BitLocker recovery key. You'll need this if you forget your password.

• Insert the BitLocker recovery key to enable BitLocker.
• Close the window, and check if you can write data to the flash drive.

Step 6: Click “Start Encryption” to begin encrypting your USB drive.

Conclusions

Now, you can use the flexible methods from this guide to make your USB drive write-protected. Whether you lean towards user-friendly software, registry edits, permission tweaks, or BitLocker Drive Encryption, there are multiple levels of protection to suit your needs.

"Partition Master is the ideal choice for non-technical computer users. It offers automated features that enable write protection with just a few clicks. When it comes to safeguarding valuable data on USB devices, this solution provides the highest level of flexibility and security."

Also, exercise caution when using these utilities, especially Diskpart, to avoid accidental data loss.

Frequently Asked Questions about Adding Write Protection to USB

Let's answer some common questions about enabling and fixing write protection issues on your USB drive.

1. How do I remove write protection from a USB?

First, check for a physical switch. If you don't have one, try formatting the drive (warning: this will delete everything on it) or adjust the read-only attribute in File Explorer.

Why can't I remove the write protection from my USB?

This can be due to hardware failure, incorrect formatting, or file system errors. Sometimes, specialized third-party software can help resolve the issue.

3. How can I add write protection to a USB drive without a switch?

You can use the command-line tool Diskpart on Windows:

1. Open Command Prompt as an administrator.
2. Type “diskpart” and hit Enter.
3. Use the “list disk”, “select disk #” (replace # with your USB drive's number), and “attributes disk set readonly” commands.