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Free Image Format ConversionAre you looking for a reliable way to unprotect write protected SD card, USB, hard drive, SSD, or external hard drive and format it for reuse? Don't worry when you encounter the "The disk is write protected" error while formatting an SD card.
Follow the instructions on this page to learn how to remove write protection from an SD card and how to format a write protected SD card using a free SD card formatting tool.
"Disk is Write Protected" Error on SD Card Formatting - Solutions
Do you know what it means when your SD card is read-only? The "disk is write-protected" error message means that your SD card or other storage device is in write-protected mode, which prevents you from modifying or deleting important data on it. When your SD card is write-protected, it's in read-only mode, so you can't add new data to the card, delete files, or format a write-protected SD card.
Is your SD card really locked for good? Not necessarily. You can remove the write protection from an SD card and format the card to use it again for storing files. Try these quick fixes first.
Solution to Quickly Remove Write Protection from SD Card:
- Unplug and reinsert the SD card.
- Try a different USB port and SD card adapter.
- Connect the SD card to a different, newer computer.
- Check if the SD card is readable.
If your SD card is no longer locked, congratulations! If it's still locked, try the six fixes from the first part of this article – you'll get it working eventually.
How to Remove Write Protection from an SD Card – 6 Ways
Hopefully, one of these 6 methods will help you to remove write protection from your SD card and successfully save files on Windows 10/8/7:
Note: If the SD card is accessible at this point, back up all data first. Then format it in the safe state in Part 2.
If any of these solutions work for you in removing the write protection on your SD card, share this guide to help others around you!
Fix 1: Use a Physical Switch
If your SD card has a physical write-protection switch on its side or bottom, you can use this switch to un-lock the write-protection on the SD card.
Here are the steps to unlock a write-protected SD card:
Step 1: Eject the SD card from your computer and locate the physical switch.
If the switch is on the locked side, flip it from “On” to “Off” to unlock the SD card.
It should then be closed for writing.
Step 3: Reconnect the SD card to your computer and see if you can access the files on it.
If your SD card doesn't have a switch, or it's still write-protected after unlocking it, try the fixes below.
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Learn how to fix the SD card write issue on Windows 10, 8, and 7. If you can't write to your SD card, find effective solutions here. Dive in if you encounter a similar error.
Fix 2: Use an antivirus scanner
An unknown virus or malware might encrypt your device and add a write protection to it, preventing you from accessing the saved data.
The most effective solution is to run an antivirus software to remove the write protection virus from your memory SD card. Here are the steps:
Step 1: Download and run an antivirus program on your computer.
Recommended antivirus software includes Norton Antivirus, McAfee, ESET NOD32, Avira, Avast, AVG, and others.
Step 2. Insert or connect the SD card to your computer.
Step 3: Run a virus scan on the SD card with antivirus software to clean and remove the write protection virus.
Fix 3: Use a Write Protection Removal Tool
tools Partition Master Free can help you remove write protection from USB, external hard drive or SD card with simple steps. Here are the steps:
Step 1. Download and install Partition Master, go to Toolbox, and click “Write Protect.”
Step 2: Select the USB drive, external USB hard drive, or SD card that you want to remove the write protection from, and then click on “Remove Write Protection.”
Fix 4: Use CMD Commands
When a storage device becomes read-only, it's usually due to a write-protected error state. The only solution is to use the command line to clear the read-only status and make the device writable again.
Please follow these steps carefully to remove the write protection from the device:
Step 1: First, connect your SD card to the computer.
2. Press ⊞ Win+R, type cmd into the Run dialog box, and press "OK".
Step 3: Type diskpart, and press Enter.
Step 4. Type each of the following commands and press Enter after each one:
- list disk
- select disk # （Replace # with the number of your write-protected SD card）
- attributes disk clear readonly
Wait for the process to complete, then close “Disk Management.” You should now be able to access your data again.
Read more:
Note that CMD is one of the most popular methods to remove write protection from a storage device. You can follow the tutorial below and apply this method to other types of storage devices to fix the "disk is write protected" error.
Fix 5: Use the Registry Editor
The Registry Editor can also be used to remove write protection from a device, but incorrect manipulation can cause the operating system to crash.
Follow the steps detailed below carefully to remove the write protection from your SD card using the Registry Editor:
1. Type regedit in the search bar and press Enter. Click "Yes" to open the Registry Editor.
Step 2. Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies.
Step 3. Locate the StorageDevicePolicies key.
If the StorageDevicePolicies folder is not there, you will need to create it.
Right-click on “Control” > click on “New” > “Key”, and name it “StorageDevicePolicies”.
Create a new key in the registry to remove write protection
Step 5: Right-click on StorageDevicePolicies and then click New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it WriteProtect.
Step 6: Double-click on “WriteProtect”, change the “Value data” to “0”, and then click “OK”.
Step 7. Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.
After that, reinsert the memory stick into your computer, and you should be able to access the card.
Solution 6: Use decryption software or take it for repair
When your SD card gets encrypted or locked by third-party software, or is physically damaged, you can try either of these two methods:
- 1. Run the decryption software on your computer.
2. Select the SD card you want to unlock from Write Protection.
3. Take your inaccessible or physically damaged SD card to a local repair center.
How to Format a Write Protected SD Card
After removing the write protection from your SD card, you should do two things:
- 1. Access your SD card and back up any important files to another location. If you can't access it, use a data recovery software for assistance.
2. Format the write-protected SD card to provide a secure environment for storing data.
This is where you'll need a professional SD card formatter to help you out. The free Partition Master with its powerful disk management functions can help.
With it, you can format a read-only SD card, memory card, and even format a write protected USB flash drive, HDD/SSD, and external hard drive in a few simple steps after removing the write protection.
Step 1: Right-click on the SD card's partition that you want to format and select “Format…”
Step 2: Set the new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT) and cluster size for the selected disk partition, and then click “OK”.
Step 3: Click “Yes” in the window that pops up to continue.
Step 4. Click the "Do It Now" button on the toolbar, and then click "Apply" to begin formatting the SD card.
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After formatting, you can use the SD card again to save or transfer files.
Why does the SD card write protection error occur?
According to Wikipedia, write protection is a physical mechanism that prevents users from modifying or erasing critical data on a storage device. In simple terms, when a storage device is set to be write-protected, any attempt to modify it will be denied.
Some of you might also want to know the reasons behind the SD card write protection error. Here are the main causes for the same:
- - The SD card or memory card is locked
- The SD card is encrypted by viruses or malware
- The SD card has bad sectors or a corrupted internal file system
- The SD card is locked by third-party write protection software
- Physical damage
With the cause identified, you can also try protecting your storage device from these errors in the future. For example, by turning off write protection, running antivirus software, or setting the correct file system.
The disk is write-protected! Fix it now!
This page offers six solutions to help you remove the write protection from your SD card yourself. These methods also work to remove write protection from USB drives, internal or external hard drives.
Note that after you uncheck the box, you should format your SD card, USB, or HDD with an appropriate file system – FAT32 for SD cards below 32 GB and exFAT for those above 64 GB. You can do this with AOMEI Partition Assistant.
With it, you can easily manage your SD card on your own, like resize and move partition, format SD card to FAT32, convert RAW to NTFS, etc. It's also possible to fix and format write protected SD card. Start the process now.
Frequently Asked Questions About SD Card Write Protection and Removal
This page covers the complete solution and explains why your SD card becomes read-only. Here, we've gathered some questions that you may have in mind as well. Follow and check if you can find the answers here.
How do I disable the write protection on an SD card?
If your SD card has a lock switch, slide it from the “locked” side to the “unlocked” side. This will directly remove write protection on your SD card. If the write protection remains, proceed with the CMD and write protection removal solutions from this page.
< strong > 2. Why does my SD card show as write protected?
When an SD card is showing as write protected, you won't be able to modify any content on the card. This can be due to a virus, the card being manually locked, or encryption done through software.
How do I remove write protection from my SanDisk Micro SD card?
When your Micro SD card is write-protected and you can't unlock it via its lock switch because it doesn't have one, you can use the Diskpart command-line command attributes disk clear readonly to successfully remove the write protection.