A flash drive is a universal and very convenient means of storing information. However, questions may arise when working with it. Surely many users have encountered the fact that it is not possible to write anything to a flash drive, since it is protected. So, from this article you will learn how to format a flash drive if it is write-protected.
But before you take any serious action, make sure that the problem is write protection. It is also possible that the computer refuses to write information to the media due to damage to the USB port or the flash drive itself. In addition, there are external drives that have a special write-protect switch on the case. It’s also worth checking, just in case, whether there are any viruses on the media. If this is not the case, there are several ways to remove write protection.
One of the simplest and most frequently used methods. To work with diskpart you do not need to download third party programs, it is already installed on computers running Windows XP and later. Procedure:
- Open the command line as administrator;
- Enter “diskpart”;
- Enter “list disk”;
- We are shown a list of connected media (which are displayed as Disk 0, Disk 1, etc.). With its help, we determine the number of the Disk we need. It is very important not to confuse the numbers, as you risk losing all data from other media, for example, hard drive. To eliminate the error, you need to know exactly the size of the memory on the flash drive.
- Enter “attributes disk clear readonly”. If the operation is successful, a disk cleanup message appears. On at this stage It’s worth a stop for those who just want to remove write protection and not format the data right away;
- For complete cleaning flash drives, enter “clean”;
- Enter “create partition primary” «;
- To format in FAT32, enter the command “format fs=fat32”, for NTFS - “format fs=ntfs”;
- We exit the utility using the “exit” command.
Accessing the Windows Local Group Policy Editor
To launch it, press the Win and R keys simultaneously and enter “gpedit.msc” in the window that appears. Open the branch: Computer Configuration/Administrative Templates/System/Access to Removable Storage Devices. Here at the top there is an item “Removable drives: prohibit writing/reading”. Check the box next to “Disable”. Now you can try formatting the media again. If the “Disable” option was already there, it means that the problem is not in system limitations, but in the flash drive itself, and you need to try another method.
Checking the Windows registry
Sometimes formatting restrictions may be due to incorrect settings registry To verify this, open the command line as an administrator and type “regedit”. The Registry Editor window opens. Select the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE folder, from there we go down to System and then to CurrentControlSet, there we click on Services and then on USBSTOR. Several parameters will be displayed to us at once, but we are only interested in Start. Its value (indicated in parentheses after the code) should be 3. If there is any other number, then you need to correct it. To do this, click on the parameter right click mouse, select the function change and in the panel that opens, type 3 (the selected number system does not matter). If the registry value was initially correct, then you will have to try to remove the protection from the flash drive using another method.
You can also try another way to solve the problem without leaving the registry. Using the path already described above, we get to the CurrentControlSet folder, but from there we go to the Control folder. It should have a StorageDevicePolicies section. Here we are interested in the WriteProtect parameter. Its value must be 0 in hexadecimal. If the parameter is specified incorrectly, we forward it. If the value is correct initially, feel free to exit the registry and try to remove the protection in a different way.
Using the diskmgmt.msc utility
This utility is already installed on the system. Open the command line and enter “diskmgmt.msc”. We find the Disk that we want to format. Right-click on it and click on “Delete Volume” and confirm. Now in the context menu we find the “Create volume” option, select “primary partition”. We leave all the settings in it as default.
Using Apacer USB3.0 Repair Tool
This is a fairly effective and extremely simple application, which, however, will have to be downloaded from the Internet. There are only two functions in the application menu: Format and Restore. The first function will completely delete all data from the flash drive, and the second will return the factory settings (that is, it will remove write protection).
Access to the manufacturer's website
Some large manufacturers create websites for their customers where they can get free consultation or even replacing faulty media. You can also find special formatting software on them.
How to remove write protection from a flash drive - instructions! The “disk is write-protected” or “flash drive is write-protected” error usually happens at the most inopportune moment. If you started reading this article, then you turned out to be one of those “lucky” people who at one point decided to put something on your flash drive, but in the end received a message from the system that you cannot write data to the disk and now this very protection needs to be removed. A person who has encountered something like this for the first time reasonably appears completely bewildered. Let's try to find out the reasons why we can't write files to a flash drive and figure out how to fix this problem.
Content:
Causes of the error “The disk is write-protected. Remove protection or use another disk."
It is quite logical that such a problem arises if the operating system queries the disk, but does not receive write rights. In this case, it is not possible to write files, although at the same time data can be read without any problems. The reasons for this behavior vary, but clearly fall into two groups:
- Software glitch.
- Hardware failure.
It is important to understand that both types of problems can happen both on the flash drive and on your computer.
Types of write protection
By analogy with the reasons for the “media is write-protected” error, write protection methods can also be divided. A classic example of hardware protection would be the presence of a special switch (on the body of a flash drive) that turns on and off the ability to write to a flash drive.
Software protection consists of various types of software systems designed to prevent unauthorized use of the drive.
When deciding how to remove the protection if “The disk is write protected”, first of all check if there is a special small switch on the case. It is always present on SD cards, and is somewhat less common on regular USB drives. Accidental switching is not uncommon when a flash drive is carried in a pocket.
Also, be sure to check the functionality of the flash drive in other USB ports, or even better, on another computer. If you are the owner desktop computer with the system unit, it is preferable to check the flash drive by connecting to the ports on the back wall system unit. The problem may lie in poor contact, poor-quality wires, or failure of the USB controller.
Software removal of write protection
After making sure that there is no mechanical protection problem, we proceed to checking the software.
As a standard, a flash drive is formatted using file system FAT32. A small number of users are aware of the limitation in this file system to the maximum file size of 4Gb. This results in a twofold situation: formally there is permission to write, but a message about the impossibility of doing so appears. If you need to transfer large files, format the drive using NTFS - a system where there are no such restrictions. To do this, open “My Computer,” right-click on your removable drive and select “Format.” In the window that appears, in the “File system” line, select NTFS, click “Start”.
Important! Before removing the flash drive from the connector, it is always better to use " safe removal" Due to some features regarding flash drives formatted in NTFS, this should be a mandatory rule.
Blocking can be set to Windows registry. The Windows key combination + R will open the Run window, type regedit and click OK.
In the editor window, go to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies section, where you will see the WriteProtect parameter on the right. Double-click on the parameter to bring up a dialog for changing the parameter, set the value to 0. The StorageDevicePolicies section may be missing and you will have to create it. To create, right-click the previous Control section, select “New > Section”, the name should be StorageDevicePolicies. In the empty area on the right side of the window of the newly created section, right-click again, select “New > DWORD Value” in the menu, select 64 or 32 bits, depending on the bitness of your system. Name the parameter WriteProtect and set the value to 0 as described above. Be sure to reboot and check the result.
Make sure that recording to removable devices is not prohibited by group policy. Similarly to launching the Registry Editor, execute gpedit.msc, which will bring up “Local Editor group policy" Follow the branches “Computer Configuration - Administrative Templates - System - Access to Removable Storage Devices”. On the right, check the “Removable drives: Deny writing” option. It should be disabled or not set. If the option is enabled, double-click on it, select Disable, and apply the selection. Don't forget to reboot before checking.
Check the system good antivirus with fresh databases. There are a number of malicious programs that block the ability to work normally with connected portable storage devices.
Significant amount Windows users give preference file manager Total Commander, offering extensive features and ease of use. It is important to understand that Total Commander is essentially just a convenient add-on for Windows, so everything described in the article applies to it. However, there are nuances. Try copying your files in Windows Explorer, if there are no problems with copying in Explorer, open “Configuration > Settings: File Operations” and select “Automatically select copy method”. The authors of some builds of this manager set settings that cause such failures.
Remove write protection in the command line (cmd)
How to remove protection from a write-protected flash drive using the command line. The method is a little more complicated. Find the Command Prompt application in the Start menu and run it with administrator rights. Next, enter the following commands one by one, confirming each entry by pressing Enter.
Attention! All contents of the flash drive will be deleted permanently!
- Diskpart– launches the disk management utility;
- list disk– will display all disks connected to the system, you need to determine which of them is your flash drive, for which you can use the size of the disk;
- select disk X– targets the program to a disk; instead of X, specify the number of the desired disk;
- detail disk- will show detailed information about the selected disk to ensure that the choice is correct;
- attributes disk clear readonly– resets the read-only attribute;
- clean– all volumes and partitions on the disk will be deleted;
- create partition primary– re-creates the main partition;
- formatfs=fat32– formats the partition using the FAT32 file system (you can select the NTFS file system with the commandfs=ntfs);
- exit– terminates the program.
Programs for removing write protection
Flash drive manufacturers take care of solving various types of problems that arise with their products, releasing proprietary utilities for restoring problematic devices. Do not forget that you must run any of these utilities with administrator rights. These useful programs can be freely downloaded from the respective manufacturers' websites. Transcend calls it , Silicon Power calls it , Adata calls it , Kingston calls it . Their use is quite simple and does not cause difficulties even for beginners.
The programs listed below are designed for advanced users and you should read the documentation before using them. Independent developers release their own universal programs, not tied to any vendor, but with similar functionality.
Popular representatives:,AlcorMP.
The latter only works with drives on the controller of the same name, but all have the same task - to help restore the problematic device. When faced with finding a solution to how to remove protection from a flash drive, as a last resort, you should try to reflash it. Full information Flash Drive Information Extractor will tell you about the type of controller, the memory used and even the production date
Kingston Format Utility is a utility for improving the performance of a flash drive and eliminating all common problems with it...
MiniTool Power Data Recovery - will recover flash drives quickly and easily
MiniTool Power Data Recovery is a specialized program for recovering external storage media, such as flash cards,…
Messages:
“My flash drive started saying: “The disk is write-protected. Remove protection or use another disk." What to do?"
quite often found on various computer forums.
In this small collection of tips, I will share own experience solving the problem.
So, practice shows that owners of problematic USB drives, when such a message appears, usually lose the opportunity to:
Access to information on the media;
Recording and deleting data on storage media;
Media formatting.
What can be done in such cases?
Step 1: Check the mechanical write lock switch.
Almost all SD memory cards, which are defined by Windows as removable drives, have hardware write protection in the form of an inconspicuous switch on the side of the case.
Remove the device from the computer and check the position of the switch. If it is in the write-enable position, or the device does not have a write-block switch at all, proceed to the next steps.
Step 2: Check system registry.
The cause of a write error in some cases may be a change/damage to the system registry settings.
Open regedit.exe and go to the section
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR
On the right side of the window, double-click the option Start. The default Start parameter is 3 (recording allowed):
If this step does not resolve the issue, go to Step 3.
Step 3: Format the USB drive.
There are several ways to format disks, for example, in the graphical interface familiar to most users.
From context menu Windows Explorer:
From Windows snap-in “Disk Management”:
For various reasons, we may be faced with the impossibility of formatting a disk using the methods listed above. In this case, it remains to resort to the option using the console command line.
To do this, I advise you to boot into Safe Mode (selecting Windows boot modes is done by pressing F8 at the beginning of system startup). Then open a command prompt (cmd.exe) on behalf of the administrator.
Enter the command:
FORMAT G: /q /fs:fat32
Where G:– letter assigned by the system to the USB disk (flash drive), /q- parameter quick formatting, A /fs:fat32– parameter of the specified file system.
In principle, the parameter of specifying the file system type when formatting flash drives is optional, since the FORMAT command by default formats the disk into the FS that was originally defined for the disk. As for formatting external USB drives that are supposed to be used for installing an operating system, or for storing a large amount of data, then in these cases the parameter must be used /fs:ntfs, since the NTFS file system allows you to work with files larger than 4 GB. The full list of parameters (keys) of the format command can be found by typing in the command line format help.
Step 4: recover data from USB drives using special programs.
Successful formatting of the flash drive allows us to begin the data recovery operation. Many manufacturers of USB drives offer proprietary utilities to solve problems with devices (formatting, unlocking, data recovery), for example Kingston DataTraveler. But you can also use universal ones: HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool, R.saver, PhotoRec (restores photos well). To recover information, try also using these utilities. They successfully return data even after formatting and subsequent overwriting of the drive, but they can only help if the file system is not damaged.
If you use other tools to solve problems with USB drives, share your experience in the comments.
I wish you successful application!
Good day.
Recently, several users have contacted me with the same type of problem - when copying information to a flash drive, an error occurred with something like the following: " The disc is write protected. Remove protection or use another drive".
This can happen for various reasons and there is no single solution. In this article I will give the main reasons why this error appears and their solution. In most cases, the recommendations from the article will return your drive to normal operation. Let's get started...
1) Mechanical write protection on the flash drive is enabled
The most common reason why a security-related error appears is the switch on the flash drive itself (Lock). Previously, there was something similar on floppy disks: you wrote down something you needed, switched it to read-only mode - and you don’t worry about forgetting and accidentally erasing the data. Such switches are usually found on MicroSD flash drives.
In Fig. 1 shows such a flash drive, if the switch is set to Lock mode, then you can only copy files from the flash drive, it will be impossible to write or format it!
Rice. 1. MicroSD with write protection.
By the way, sometimes you can also find such a switch on some USB flash drives (see Fig. 2). It is worth noting that it is extremely rare and only at little-known Chinese companies.
Fig.2. RiData flash drive with write protection.
In general, by default, Windows does not prohibit copying and writing information to flash drives. But in the event of virus activity (and indeed any malware), or, for example, when using and installing various assemblies from different authors, it is possible that some settings in the registry have been changed.
Therefore, the advice is simple:
- first check your PC (laptop) for viruses ();
- check further registry settings And local access policies(more on this later in the article).
1. Checking registry settings
How to enter the registry:
- press the WIN+R button combination;
- then in the Run window that appears, enter regedit;
- press Enter (see Fig. 3.).
By the way, in Windows 7 you can open the Registry Editor through the START menu.
Note. Chapter Control you will have, but the section StorageDevicePolicies- it may not exist... If it doesn’t exist, you need to create it, to do this, just right-click on the section Control and select a section from the drop-down menu, then give it a name - StorageDevicePolicies. Working with partitions is reminiscent of regular work with folders in Explorer (see Fig. 4).
Further in the section StorageDevicePolicies create a parameter DWORD 32 bits: To do this, just click on the section StorageDevicePolicies right-click and select the appropriate item from the drop-down menu.
By the way, such a 32-bit DWORD parameter can already be created in this section (if you had one, of course).
Rice. 5. Registry - creating a DWORD 32 parameter (clickable).
Now open this parameter and set it to 0 (as in Figure 6). If you have the parameter DWORD 32 bits has already been created previously, change its value to 0 . Next, close the editor and restart your computer.
Rice. 6. Set the parameter
After restarting the computer, if the reason was in the registry, you can easily write the necessary files to the flash drive.
2. Local access policies
Also, local access policies may limit the writing of information to connected drives (including flash drives). To open editor local politics access- just press the buttons Win+R and in the execute line enter gpedit.msc, then the Enter key (see Fig. 7).
Then, on the right, pay attention to the parameter " Removable drives: disable writing". Open this setting and disable it (or set it to Not Configured).
Actually, after the specified parameters, restart your computer and try to write files to the USB flash drive.
3) Low-level formatting of a flash drive/disk
In some cases, for example, with certain types of viruses, there is nothing left to do but format the drive in order to completely get rid of the malware. Low-level formatting will destroy absolutely ALL DATA on the flash drive (you will no longer be able to recover it using various utilities), and at the same time, it helps bring the flash drive (or HDD), on which many have already given up...
What utilities can be used.
In general, there are more than enough utilities for low-level formatting (in addition, on the website of the flash drive manufacturer you can also find 1-2 utilities for “reanimating” the device). Nevertheless, through experience, I came to the conclusion that it is better to use one of the following 2 utilities:
- A simple, installation-free utility for formatting USB-Flash drives (the following file systems are supported: NTFS, FAT, FAT32). Works with devices via USB port 2.0. Developer: http://www.hp.com/
- HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool. An excellent utility with unique algorithms that allows you to easily and quickly format (including problematic drives that other utilities and Windows cannot see) HDDs and Flash cards. The free version has a speed limit of 50 MB/s (not critical for flash drives). I will show my example below in this utility. Official website: http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/
Example of low-level formatting (in HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool)
1. First copy EVERYTHING REQUIRED files from a flash drive to a computer hard drive ( that is, you do backup copy. After formatting, you will no longer be able to recover anything from this flash drive!).
3. You should see a list of all connected disks and flash drives. Find yours in the list (focus on the device model and its capacity).
Rice. 9. Selecting a flash drive
4. Then open the LOW-LEVE FORMAT tab and click the Format This Device button. The program will ask you again and warn you about deleting everything on the flash drive - just answer in the affirmative.
Rice. 10. Start formatting
5. Next, wait while the formatting is done. The time will depend on the state of the formatted media and the version of the program (paid ones work faster). When the operation is completed, the green progress bar will turn yellow. Now you can close the utility and start formatting high level.
Rice. 11. Formatting complete
6. The easiest way is to just go to " This computer" (or " My computer"), select the connected flash drive in the list of devices and right-click on it: select the formatting function in the drop-down list. Next, give the flash drive a name and specify the file system (for example, NTFS, since it supports files larger than 4 GB. See Fig. 12).
Rice. 12. My computer / formatting a flash drive
That's all. After this procedure, your flash drive (in most cases, ~97%) will start working as expected ( The exception is cases when the flash drive is already software methods won't help...).
Why does this error occur, what can I do to prevent it from happening again?
And finally, I’ll give you a few reasons why an error related to write protection appears (using the tips listed below will significantly increase the life of your flash drive).
- Firstly, when disconnecting a flash drive, always use safe shutdown : right-click in the tray next to the clock on the icon of the connected flash drive and select disable from the menu. According to my personal observations, many users never do this. At the same time, such shutdowns can damage the file system (for example);
- Secondly, install an antivirus on the computer on which you are working with a flash drive. Of course, I understand that it is impossible to insert a flash drive into a PC with an antivirus everywhere and everywhere - but after receiving it from a friend where they copied files to it (from an educational institution, etc.), when you connect the flash drive to your PC - just check it ;
- Try not to drop or throw the flash drive. Many people, for example, attach a flash drive to their keys like a keychain. There is nothing special about this - but often the keys are thrown on the table (bedside table) upon arriving home (the keys will do nothing, but the flash drive flies and hits them);
I’ll take my leave for now, if you have anything to add, I’d be grateful. Good luck and fewer mistakes!
Using a drive to edit information on it is not always successful, sometimes The flash drive cannot be formatted and is write protected.. Formatting and any other manipulations associated with changing information on the media will be blocked, and the flash drive will turn into a regular CD/DVD disk. The problem has been known for a long time, so solutions have already been worked out and are reliable.
Note that the only worthy use of write protection for a flash drive is its protection from viruses that, without the user’s knowledge, migrate through the system and infect new areas.
The flash drive is not formatted: what to do?
The very first step in solving a situation where a flash drive is not formatted by Windows is to check the physical condition of the drive. Some flash drives are locked using a movable latch, the same applies to microSD cards. The toggle switch may be located on one of the edges of the carrier. To remove the recording ban, you need to move the lock to the Open or Lock position; this is done with something hard or a fingernail, since the toggle switch is quite small.
Most likely, the lock was turned on accidentally, so before further connecting the drive you should check that it is installed correctly.
Another common problem is software write blocking, which is installed at the drive microcontroller level. For normal operation, you need to unlock the flash drive, which can be done using built-in Windows tools.
The flash drive cannot be formatted - the disk is write-protected. Unlocking via the registry
A more common reason why a flash drive will not format is software related. To remove the ban, you need to perform some manipulations with the registry.
- Press Win + R and enter regedit in the window that opens, the editor will be launched with administrator rights;
The problem with formatting flash drives is not always related to their malfunction; sometimes an error can occur due to write protection. And if on some removable media There are corresponding switches that allow you to allow data to be written to the device, while others do not have them. Be that as it may, from this article you will learn how to format a flash drive if it is write-protected. Even taking into account the fact that there are no switches in sight and the flash drive is write-protected.
Removing write protection using the command line
You don't know what it is and how to use it? No problem. By following our instructions you can easily cope with this task:If for some reason you did not see the long-awaited message with the formatting results, do not despair. It is possible that the flash drive was protected in a different way - we recommend that you try using the following methods for removing write protection.
Local Group Policy Editor, as a way to remove protection from logging and formatting a flash drive
We believe that you are unfamiliar with the local group policy editor, as well as the command line, because it is used tens of times less often. You should not worry about this either, no problems will arise. So let's get started:
Did everything work out for you? Or are you still puzzling over how to format a write-protected flash drive? If nothing works, most likely the problem lies with the storage medium itself.
Writing files to a removable drive is the simplest operation on personal computer, which millions of users perform daily. But not all users understand the true reasons for such an error. In this article we will look at the causes of the error and how to resolve it.
Causes of the “Disk is write-protected” error. Why is the microsd card write protected?
The verbatim text of the notification looks like this: “The disk is write-protected. You need to remove the protection or use a different disk." The appearance of this message is quite logical if the operating system does not have the ability to write to the disk - for one of the reasons it is prohibited.
The causes of failures may be software or hardware. Software and hardware failures occur both in the computer OS and in the file system of the drive. But before deciding what to do, you need to understand the reasons for this phenomenon.
Basic ways to protect a flash drive (memory card) or disk from being written to
Methods for protecting information on a flash drive, as well as types of failures, can be divided into two groups: hardware and system.
One of the options for hardware protection is a mechanical switch on the drive body in the “lock” position.
System protection is a set of programs and utilities specifically designed to ensure data security. For example, a block is set in the Windows registry or a group policy prohibits writing.
The easiest way to remove protection from a flash drive is Total commander
Total Commander is one of the oldest Windows managers, but is still popular among users because it has good functionality and easy to use. You can remove protection in TC using the following algorithm:
- Open "Configuration".
- Open the “File Operations” tab.
- Choose " automatic method copying."
Hardware method. Windows Command Line – Diskpart
Important: You must run the command line as an administrator.
To remove protection using the command line, you need to follow the following algorithm:
- Go to the Start menu.
- Find the “Command Prompt” application (the command line can also be launched using the Win + R key combination).
- Enter Diskpart into the command and press the “Enter” key at the command line, thereby launching the disk manager application on the system.
- Enter Attributes disk clear readonly into the command and press the “Enter” key, thereby disabling the read-only mode.
- Enter Clean in the command and press the “Enter” key, thereby deleting all partitions and volumes of the disk.
- Enter Create Partition Primary in the command and press the “Enter” key, thereby creating the primary disk partition from scratch.
The ability to write to a flash drive is often blocked by numerous malware, entering the computer system through other external media connected to a device or the Internet.
To find and eliminate them, you need to download an antivirus, for example Dr.Web CureIt, and scan the system for malicious code.
Mechanical protection. Switch for recording modes on a flash card
Some flash drives are equipped with special write protection mechanisms. They are located on the device body, on the outside. The device looks like a small switch.
Important: These switches are more common on SD cards, but some USB models also have them.
To activate the ability to write to a disc, just move the switch slider to the desired “OnLock” position.
Windows Tools. Setting up Group Policy (gpedit.msc)
How do I remove protections that have been installed as a result of Local Group Policy settings? This restriction is removed using the following algorithm of actions:
- Activate Windows keys + R command prompt.
- Enter in search bar command Gredit.msc, click OK.
- In the new window, go to the tabs: Configuration>Administrative Templates>System>Access to removable storage devices.
- Go to the “Disable reading” line.
- Double-click on the line.
- In the new window, activate “Apply”>OK.
Registry editor. Removing write protection using regedit
Registry Editor - standard program, built in modern system Windows. The application edits registry keys, sets new default settings, and restores files from backup copies.
To remove protection using the editor, you need to follow the following algorithm:
- Log in to the registry editor program by activating the Win+R keys.
- Type Redegit in the search bar and click OK.
- Find one of the registry branches called: HKey Local Machine
- Select the System branch from the drop-down list.
- From the list that drops down under this branch, select Current Control Set, then Control
- From the list of subsections, select StorageDevicePolicies
- In the program interface, check the WhiteProtect parameter
- Change the parameter value from 1 to 0.
- Close the editor and reboot the OS.
What to do if the disk is write-protected and the flash drive cannot be formatted - Low-level formatting
If the above attempts to remove protection do not bring results, then you should use the method of low-level formatting of the drive to clear and re-create all tables of the file system of the flash card. At the same time, you need to remember that in this case the recorded data will be lost, but the damaged disk memory will be restored. Full formatting will block damaged USB areas and the system will not be able to write data to them in the future.
The Low Level Format Tool program is suitable for this operation. The application clears the partition table, boot sectors, and even manufacturer data - all down to the last byte. Available on the Internet free version program, but it works slower than its paid counterpart.
Not typical causes of the “Disk is write-protected” error
The reasons why writing to a disk is blocked can be divided into common and atypical, more rare ones. The second group includes file system errors, wear and tear or physical damage to the flash drive, microcontroller failures, and USB port malfunctions.
— Fatal errors in the file system of the flash card
If the sequence of storing and naming information in the drive's memory is violated, the structure of the file system is damaged. Logical errors occur after incorrect removal of the flash drive from the connector, memory wear, power surges and other processes. The disk is blocked, and the system reports the need to format it. To correct the situation you need:
- Try to recover data using software suitable for this media.
- Perform a high-level format with file system recovery.
Physical damage to the media is caused by manufacturing defects, cracks, overheating in motherboards and microcircuits. Physical damage is also caused by violations of operating and storage conditions, power surges, and loosening of USB connectors.
— Microcontroller failures or complete wear of the flash drive
Flash memory and the computer “communicate” with each other using a controller chip built into the external drive. The controller is controlled by a microprogram written into the chip. Sometimes, in case of unsafe removal of the flash drive or horse races electric current, arises software glitch controller. A clear sign of such a malfunction: write blocking. Also, blocking occurs due to wear of the memory chip, exceeding the threshold of rewrite cycles. The system goes into information protection mode to stop the process of memory destruction. Reflashing the microcontroller using special programs will help eliminate failures.
It is rare for a USB port to turn off spontaneously on a computer, but this error still happens. To check if the port is working properly, you must first try connecting other devices to it. If the port sees the smartphone, keyboard and other devices unstable or completely refuses to notice them, then it does not function. If the user sees a system message about the disk being write protected, it is not related to a malfunction of the USB ports. But the administrator can disable them intentionally to protect data from downloading. How to remove write protection from a flash drive if the port is disabled?
In this case, you need to enable USB using the following procedure:
- Enter the BIOS by holding down the F2 or F10 keys.
- Find values for USB Controller.
- Set the Enabled parameter for these values.
- Confirm the changes by activating the F10 key.
- Restart your PC.
How to remove protection from excel sheet
If the Excel sheet is not editable, the application toolbar is inactive, and the user does not have access to most functions. When you try to make changes, the program will display a message stating that the sheet is protected. To unlock the sheet, you will need the following steps:
- Click on the “File” item.
- Activating the “Unprotect” link in a new window.
- Enter your password. Without knowing the password, you cannot remove the protection.
IN old version In Excel, to remove the lock you need:
- Activate the “Service” item.
- Select the “Protection” tab from the list.
- Activate the “Unprotect Sheet” command.
- Enter your password.
Programs for eliminating recording errors and formatting protected flash drives
Flash drive manufacturers understand that their products may malfunction for various reasons, so every well-known brand creates utilities to eliminate them. Useful programs available on manufacturers' websites. For example, the program for Kingston is called Kingston Format Utility, Transcend is called JetFlash Recovery. The programs are freely available on the manufacturers' websites.
Flash drives (USB flash) and SD cards (MicroSD) are devices small sizes, capable of storing a significant amount of gigabytes of information, which replaced disks. It would seem that there will be no problems with flash drives and cards, but when recording, it may turn out that the storage device used is simply blocked, and it is impossible to write new information to it.
Installed write protection from a flash drive is quite common problem that ordinary users encounter. Any person who uses it for the first time or who needs to temporarily use a flash drive, for example, dump information onto someone else’s memory card, can encounter this situation. This problem is often quickly resolved, which means there is no reason to panic.
Before considering all the methods that will help you remove the lock, you should pay attention to why this same lock is installed on the flash drive and card.
Important! The main reason for setting a lock is to protect the drive from virus programs. There are viruses that can copy themselves.
To solve this problem, there are 2 main methods - software and hardware.
Disabling the lock by changing the switch position
If you look at the flash drive or SD card, you will see that there is a small switch on the side. They are no more than 5 mm long. and is transferred from one position to another literally with a fingernail. This hardware method blocking.
Some manufacturers make notes next to the switch so that the user can understand whether the lock is on or not. The mark is represented by an image of an open and closed lock. You can change the position of the switch as many times as you like.
Software removal of protection from a flash drive
As for the second method, that is, software, it involves installing and removing the lock using operating system. You will need to install a flash drive or SD card into your computer, and use the registry editor or command line. All methods are worth considering in detail.
Removing protection from a flash drive using changes in the computer registry (Windows settings database)
- 1. First of all, go to “Start”. Enter regedit in the search field. Now you will need to go to the “Run as administrator” item - this is done by clicking on the right mouse button;
- 2. In the registry window that opens, you need to find the “StorageDevicePolicies” section
You can get to it by going to the line at the following address (you can use the registry search, in the “edit” tab): HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies
It is possible that the section may not be available. In such a situation, you will have to create it. This is done simply and quickly. Click on the Control section, then click “Create” and then “Section”. Give the new section a name: StorageDevicePolicies
- 3. Now you need a DWORD parameter (32 bits), which is also created independently in a new registry branch. Give him a name - WriteProtect.
- 4. WriteProtect should have a value of 0. Click on the new parameter, click on “Change”. Most likely, the user will find a “1” in the window that opens. Erase the unit and put “0” in its place. It all ends by pressing the “OK” button.
- 5. You can now close the editor and remove the drive. All that remains is to reboot own computer and reinsert the drive. If everything was done correctly, then files can be written to it without any problems.
Removing protection using the Command Line using the Diskpart parameter
There is a command interpreter called Diskpart, which will also help you unlock your flash drive or SD card. Its purpose is to manage partitions and disks using commands.
- 1. Click “Start”. Write the word cmd on the command line. Right-click and click “Run as administrator.”
The drive may need to be formatted. Specify the command “clean” in the command line, then create the partition “create partition primary“, complete removal data in NTFS “format fs = ntfs” or FAT “format fs = fat”.
Removing protection from a flash drive using the Local Group Policy Editor
- 1. Open the editor - this is easy to do: press two “Win” + “R” keys at the same time. In the line that appears, enter the command gpedit.msc. Enable it to work by clicking “Ok”.
- 2. You will need to be in the “Removable drives: Deny reading” section. This can be done by opening the editor and the branch “Computer Configuration” - “Administrative Templates” - “System” “Access to Removable Storage Devices” and here, on the right, there will be the necessary section. It is possible that the parameter is enabled and you can simply disable it.
3. Right-click on the parameter. A window will open where you will need to click “Disable” and confirm the action.
Each of these methods was used, but it was not possible to achieve the desired result. See who the manufacturer of the product is and go to its official website. There will definitely be utilities for working with a flash drive or SD card.
Unfortunately, the flash drive and card have their own data overwriting resource. If it has been exhausted, then it will be impossible to erase information from it, as well as write it down. You'll have to spend money on a new flash drive or card.
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