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Free Image Format ConversionWhen your USB/SD card, internal or external hard drive is write-protected, you can't access the saved data, nor make any changes to the device. So, how do you unwrite protect it? There's a 99.9% chance that the write protection issue is due to a physical problem with the device, but you can still try these methods.
How to Disable Write Protection on Windows 11, 10, 8, or 7
Have you ever encountered the "disk is write protected" error while trying to format a removable disk such as a USB flash drive, SD card, CD, or portable hard drive? Learn how to fix the "disk is write protected, remove the write protection or use another removable disk" issue step by step.
Please share this complete six-step troubleshooting guide with users searching for workable solutions online.
Solution 1: Utilize a Professional Tool - Partition Master When dealing with hard disk partition issues or managing disk space, using a professional tool like "Partition Master" can be highly beneficial. Here are the steps to follow: 1. Firstly, download and install the Partition Master software. Ensure you acquire it from the official website or a trusted source for safety. 2. Once installed, launch the Partition Master application. The tool will automatically detect and display all available hard disks and partition information on your computer. 3. In the main interface, locate the partition you wish to adjust and select the appropriate operation. For instance, if you need to expand a partition, right-click on it and choose the "Extend Partition" option. 4. The software will guide you through the subsequent steps, which may involve selecting the additional space to allocate to the target partition. This usually comes from adjacent unallocated space. 5. After confirming all settings are correct, click on "Execute Operation" or a similar button to commence the partition adjustment. The software might prompt you to create a system restore point in case any issues arise during the process. 6. Wait for the tool to complete the partition adjustment process. This may take some time, depending on the size of your hard drive and system performance. 7. Afterward, restart your computer. Partition Master will apply the changes, and now your partition should have been adjusted as intended. Please note that while Partition Master is user-friendly, it's always advisable to back up important data before performing any disk operations to avoid unexpected situations.
The "disk is write protected" error in Windows 11/10/8/7 will prevent you from formatting and writing data, i.e., copying and pasting files to a generic USB flash drive. The drive must be unchecked as write-protected. However, with just a few clicks, the Partition Master Professional tool can directly solve the issue of removing write protection from a USB, external USB disk, or SD card.
Step 1: Download and install Partition Master, then go to “Toolbox” and click on “Write Protection.”
Step 2: Select your read-only USB, flash drive, or SD card and click “Disable.”
Solution 2: Turn off the physical switch (for SD card/USB)
We often use removable storage devices on Windows, and some people may encounter disk error issues, mainly "disk is write protected." When Windows starts to write protect your disk, such as SanDisk 4GB USB Flash Drive, you can no longer use it unless you remove the write protection. But if you have a physical switch, this issue is easy to solve.
Some USB flash drives and SD cards have a physical switch on the side that can lock the data. If the switch on your USB drive or SD card is locked, the device may appear as read-only on all PCs or devices. You can resolve this by flipping the switch.
Step 1. Locate the physical switch on your USB drive or SD card.
Step 2. Turn the physical switch from On to Off, and then unlock your device.
- Unlock SD card using a physical switch
- Unlocking USB with a Physical Switch
This is the easiest way to remove write protection from your SD card. Share this article to let more users know about it.
Solution 3: Remove Write Protection by Getting Rid of a Virus
Second, scan and kill viruses on USB flash drives, SD cards, or hard disks. When you connect a storage device to your computer, it's easy for the device to get infected or attacked by viruses. After downloading from illegal websites, an SD card can be locked or get attacked. Your data will be locked or become inaccessible, leading to a "disk write protected" error.
This is the time when you need to get a reliable antivirus to scan and remove the virus. If you don't have one, you can download or transfer antivirus to computer to accomplish this task. To illustrate, let's take Avira as an example:
Step 1: Download and install Avira
Step 2: Launch the software and click “Quick Scan”.
Step 3: Wait for the process to complete.
Solution 4: Remove Read-Only Status
Occasionally, a single file might upset this balance. If you want to change a single file but can't, it might be read-only. You'll need to make sure that the Read-only option isn't checked.
Step 1: Right-click the file that is read-only, and select Properties.
Step 2: Make sure that the "Read only" option at the bottom is not checked. Click "Apply" to make the changes take effect.
Fix 5: Run CMD
Another effective way to unprotect and resolve the "disk is write-protected" error is by using the Command Prompt. If you're familiar with CMD, follow these steps:
Step 1: Press Windows + R keys simultaneously, type cmd, and run the Command Prompt as an administrator.
Step 2. Enter each of the following commands, pressing Enter after each one.
- Here are the translations of the sentences into American English:
1. **diskpart**: A command-line tool for disk management in Windows
2. **list disk**: Lists the available disks
3. **select disk #**: Selects the disk with the number #
4. **attributes disk clear readonly**: Clears the read-only attribute from the disk
# is the number of the write-protected flash drive or memory card.
Step 3: Close the Command Prompt.
Run cmd to remove the write protection 
The Chinese text "" translates to "Section 5" or "5.0" in English. This typically refers to the numbering of a section or chapter in a document.
Fix 6: Edit the Registry
In Windows, there are several methods to remove the write protection from a USB drive. One popular method is by editing the Registry. Here's how you can go about removing the write protection from your USB drive. Before you start, connect your write-protected USB drive to your computer.
Step 1: Press Win+R, type Regedit, and open the Registry Editor.
Step 2. Navigate to the following key and look for a key named WriteProtect:
This string represents a path to a registry key in the Windows operating system. In American English, it would remain the same: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies It's important to note that the Registry Editor is a sensitive part of the system, and improper modifications can cause issues. If you need to alter this path, it's advised to back up your registry or consult a professional first.
Step 3: If it exists, right-click on it and select "Modify," and change the value from 1 to 0.
Extra Tip: Format USB Flash Drive/SD Card
After trying all the above six solutions, you should have fixed the “disk is write protected” error. To avoid this issue and ensure your external devices work properly, you can format them. If none of the above helps, try formatting the device to resolve the problem.
To address your issue, we recommend using a powerful USB drive formatting tool called AOMEI Partition Assistant. This utility can format your HDD, SSD, USB, memory card, or SD card, or you can delete partitions to make them reusable. Follow the steps below to format your USB drive:
Please refer to the video tutorial on how to format SD card/USB to FAT32/NTFS:
Step 1: Select the USB drive to format.
Plug your USB drive or flash drive into your computer. Download and launch a partitioning software. Right-click the USB drive that you want to format, then select “Format.”
Step 2. Assign a drive letter and file system to the USB drive.
Assign a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and cluster size for the selected partition, then hit OK.
Step 3: Select “Yes” to confirm the formatting of the USB drive.
If any warning windows appear, click “Yes.” If you have important data on the hard drive, make sure to back it up first.
Step 4: Apply the changes.
First, click on “Execute 1 Task(s)” and then hit “Apply” to format the USB drive.
If you have lost data after formatting, run a data recovery tool. It can recover data from an SD card, recycle bin, hard drive, USB flash drive, and more. You can get your files back with simple steps, no matter how you lost them.
Conclusions
Hope we've found the solution for you. Any of the above solutions should effectively fix the “disk is write protected” error. Now it's your turn to try them out and start accessing and modifying data on your storage device. For me, Solution 1 works most of the time since most write protection issues are caused by a physical problem. I'd appreciate it if you contacted us via email or sent feedback on Facebook.
"Frequently Asked Questions about 'The disk is write-protected'"
There are some common issues with disk write protection, and if you need more help, read on.
"What does 'write-protected' mean?" "Write-protected" refers to a state or setting that prevents data from being modified or deleted. Typically, on storage devices such as USB drives, CDs, DVDs, or old-fashioned floppy disks, there is a write protection switch or indicator. When activated, it stops users from writing to, modifying, or deleting files on the device. This safeguards important data from accidental changes or virus infections. In computer file systems, certain files or folders can also be set as read-only, serving a similar purpose.
Write protection is the ability of a hardware device or software program to prevent new information from being written to it or existing information from being altered.
Why has my micro SD card suddenly become read-only?
The lock switch is usually located on the top-left corner of the SD card or its adapter. If it's broken, you won't be able to see it. By default, the SD card will become “read-only.”
How do I remove the write protection from a USB drive?
You can fix this by turning off the switch.
- Locate the physical switch on your USB flash drive.
Slide the physical switch from the locked to the unlocked position.
How do I remove the write protection from a micro SD card?
You can fix this by turning off the switch.
- Locate the physical switch on the SD card.
Slide the physical switch from ON to OFF to unlock the SD card.