5 Ways | Remove Write Protection From External Hard Drive

The perplexing write protection issue prohibits you from altering the contents of your storage device, effectively making it read-only. Fear not, for you have discovered the ultimate guide to regaining control over your external hard drive. In the subsequent sections, we will explore various efficient methods to remove write protection from external hard drives, enabling you to manage your data with ease.

These comprehensive guidelines offered by tools serve as your ultimate resource for addressing the issues related to write protection. Not only will you understand the underlying causes of this problem, but you'll also gain multiple strategies to resolve it. Therefore, let's explore how to remove write protection from an external hard drive using six efficient methods.

How to Remove Write Protection from an External Hard Drive?

In this section, we will explore five methods for removing write protection from an external hard drive. Before attempting these remedies, make sure you have a thorough understanding of your device's specifications and have backed up your important data to avoid unintended data loss. Carefully read through the general information for these six methods outlined in the table below to disable write protection on your external hard drive:

Method 1: Remove Write Protection with Tool - Partition Master

Tools Partition Master stands out as an efficient and user-friendly solution. This method involves leveraging the tool's advanced features to overcome write protection. Not only does Tools Partition Master assist you in removing the write protection, but it also provides other valuable features for managing your storage devices.

This software has some standout features: high efficiency in removing write protection, an intuitive user interface, and additional storage management tools.

Follow these steps to disable write protection on an external hard drive:

Step 1. Download and install Partition Master. Go to the Toolkit section and click "Write Protection".

Click Remove write protection

Step 2. Select your write protected USB, USB external disk or SD card, and click "Disable".

Additional Features of Partition Master Tools:

• Format a write-protected USB flash drive.
• Format a write-protected SD card.
• Fix a pen drive that is write-protected.
• Solve the "disk is write-protected" issue in Windows 11.

So, what are you waiting for? Just give it a try to remove write protection from your external drive quickly.

Method 2: Turn Off the Physical Switch

You need to check if your external drive has a physical switch, and if it's on, your drive might be locked. Most external hard drives come with a physical button to lock and unlock. Follow these simple steps:

Step 1. Just slide the physical switch to remove the lock.

Step 2. After flipping the physical switch, plug it into your computer to see if the write protection has been disabled.

Method 3: Disable Write Protection via Diskpart

The Diskpart utility can be used to override the read-only status on your external hard drive. If your external hard drive is set to read-only, you can employ the Diskpart tool to remove the read-only attribute. By following the steps outlined below, you can learn how to remove write protection: 1. Open the Command Prompt as an administrator. 2. Type "diskpart" and press Enter. 3. Type "list disk" and press Enter to view all available disks. 4. Identify your external hard drive by its size or other characteristics, then type "select disk X" (replace X with the disk number). 5. Type "attributes disk clear readonly" and press Enter to remove the read-only attribute. 6. Type "exit" twice to close Diskpart and the Command Prompt. By completing these steps, the read-only protection on your external hard drive should be removed.

Step 1. Search for "Diskpart" in the Windows search box on the taskbar. Once it appears in the search results, click on it to open it.

Step 2. Type the commands given below, pressing "Enter" after each one.

Translate the following commands into English: ```markdown
• list disk
• select disk P (where "P" is the disk number of your hard drive.)
• attributes disk clear readonly
``` Translation: ```markdown
• List Disk
• Select Disk P (where "P" represents the disk number of your hard drive.)
• Attributes Disk Clear ReadOnly
```

Step 3. Wait a few moments, and let it remove the read-only attributes. Once done, type exit and press "Enter."

Method 4: Disable Write Protection with Windows Registry

You can use the Windows Registry to disable write protection on an external hard drive. However, modifying the registry without proper guidance can cause serious issues with your Windows system. Therefore, carefully learn and follow these steps:

Step 1. Type "regedit" in the "Run" box and hit "Enter."

Type “regedit” in the Run box

Step 2. When a popup appears, choose "Yes."

Step 3. Expand the list of HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE by clicking the > greater than sign.

Step 4. Expand the “System” list and then “Current Control Set.”

Step 5. Click "Control" and select "Storage Drive Policies."

Step 6. Assign the digit within the DWORD box a value of 0, then click "OK."

Step 7. Close the Windows Registry and restart the system to implement the changes.

Method 5: Use Antivirus Software

Occasionally, viruses and malware can infect your external hard drive, resulting in write protection. To resolve this issue, you can use reliable antivirus software to remove the write protection viruses. For a trustworthy antivirus solution, you can consider TotalAV, which provides real-time protection against virus infections, malware, and online threats:

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Antivirus Protection Activated

You can follow these steps to attempt removing the write protection using the fifth method:

Step 1. First, download and install a reliable antivirus software, such as TotalAV, Norton Anti-virus, McAfee, ESET NOD32, Avira, Avast, AVG, and so on.

Step 2. Connect the target external hard drive to your laptop or PC.

Step 3. Scan the external hard drive using an antivirus to clean up and remove the write protection virus.

I hope this post assists you in successfully removing the write protection from your external hard drive. If it does, kindly share it with those in need on social media platforms:

What Causes Write Protection on an External Hard Drive?

Are you aware of why the write protection issue occurs on external hard drives? The reason it's so frustrating is that it limits our ability to manage our external hard drives effectively. Worry not, as we'll uncover some common reasons so you can take preventive measures against this annoyance in the future. To give you a clearer picture, here are some typical causes or reasons:

Infected with Unknown Viruses or Malware

External hard drives can become vulnerable to virus or malware infections, which can lead to unexpected write protection. These malicious elements infiltrate the files on the drive, enabling unauthorized access and preventing writing functions.

Incompatible Disk Format

Write protection may occur when the file system of the external hard drive does not match the system's requirements. This often happens due to incompatibilities between different operating systems or issues during the formatting process.

Physically Turned On By Mistake

Many external hard drives have a physical switch to prevent accidental data overwriting. However, inadvertently flipping this switch can unintentionally enable write protection.

Limited Write Times

Certain external hard drives, especially Solid State Drives (SSDs), have a limited number of write cycles. Once this limit is reached, the drive may enable write protection to prolong its lifespan.

Conclusion

Navigating the intricacies of external hard drive write protection might seem daunting, but fear not – employ the above efficient methods to remove write protection. Utilize the user-friendly capabilities of tools like Partition Master, the simplicity of turning off the physical lock, the power of Diskpart's command-line wizardry, or the protective shield of antivirus software.

So, whether it's a lurking virus, an accidental hardware switch, or a compatibility issue, this guide equips you with the knowledge to tackle each hurdle. No more letting write protection keep your data captive.

Among these solutions, one tool stands out - Partition Master. Its simplicity and efficiency have established it as a preferred choice. This powerful software eliminates write protection and provides a range of storage management functions. Why not make Partition Master your first line of defense against the write protection issue? Give it a shot!

Frequently Asked Questions About Removing Write Protection from External Hard Drive

If you have any questions regarding removing write protection from an external hard drive, please find the solutions here:

1. How to enable write protection on a USB drive?

There are several methods to enable write protection on a USB drive. We'll guide you through using DiskPart. Follow these steps to activate write protection on your USB: 1. **Open Command Prompt as Administrator:** - Press the Windows key + X on your keyboard and select "Command Prompt (Admin)" or "Windows PowerShell (Admin)" from the menu. 2. **Identify the USB Drive Letter:** - In the Command Prompt, type `diskpart` and press Enter. - Next, type `list disk` and press Enter. This will display a list of available disks, including your USB drive. Note the number assigned to your USB drive (usually Disk 1 or Disk 2). 3. **Select the USB Drive:** - Type `select disk [number]`, replacing `[number]` with the disk number you identified in the previous step, and press Enter. 4. **Create a New Partition:** - Type `create partition primary` and press Enter. This will create a new partition on your USB drive. 5. **Format the Partition:** - Type `format fs=fat32 quick` and press Enter. If you need a different file system, like NTFS, replace `fat32` with `ntfs`. The `quick` option formats the drive quickly. 6. **Enable Write Protection:** - Unfortunately, there's no direct command in DiskPart to enable write protection. However, you can use a registry edit for this purpose. Close the Command Prompt and follow the next steps. 7. **Edit the Registry:** - Press the Windows key + R, type `regedit` in the Run dialog box, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor. - Navigate to `HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies`. - If the "StorageDevicePolicies" key doesn't exist, right-click on "Control", select "New", then "Key", and name it "StorageDevicePolicies". - Inside "StorageDevicePolicies", create a new DWORD (32-bit) Value named "WriteProtect" by right-clicking, selecting "New", then "DWORD (32-bit) Value". - Set the value of "WriteProtect" to 1 by double-clicking it and entering 1 in the "Value data" field, then clicking "OK". 8. **Restart Your Computer:** - Restart your computer for the changes to take effect. After following these steps, your USB drive should now be write-protected. Remember that modifying the registry can be risky, so make sure to create a backup before making any changes.

Step 1. Launch DiskPart, type list disk, and hit Enter.

Step 2. Use the “select disk” command to choose your USB flash drive; if it's disk 1, type “select disk 1”.

Step 3. Use the command "attributes disk" to display the disk's attributes.

2. How to make an external hard drive write-protected?

To make your external hard drive write-protected, follow the steps outlined in the first question above. Plug in your external hard drive to your computer and proceed with using DiskPart. For a detailed walkthrough, kindly refer to the instructions provided in the initial query.

3. How to format a write-protected external hard drive?

If your external hard drive is write-protected, you'll need to disable the write protection before proceeding with either the Registry Editor or Command Prompt methods. We've outlined five different approaches in detail. Choose the one that best suits you and remove the write protection first. Formatting won't be possible without disabling the write protection. Here's how to format a write-protected external hard drive:

Step 1. After removing the write protection using the above methods, you need to launch File Explorer.

Step 2. Locate the external hard drive, right-click on it, and select "Format" from the drop-down menu.