How to remove the restriction on writing a flash drive. The flash drive is write protected how to remove protection. Formatting using standard Windows tools

It happens that the data carrier “does not allow itself to be formatted”, and the system reports that it is write-protected, although the card or flash drive does not have a corresponding switch at all (or the protection is disabled). You can read the data stored on the media, but you will not be able to delete it in any way. In other cases, the system supposedly deletes files without problems, but, in fact, they do not disappear.

Below are two methods that should help you unlock the protected media and format it. Keep in mind, however, that they may not bring the expected result.

In the case of damaged media, any formatting attempts may not be effective. Then it remains only to purchase a new medium and copy all the resources to it.

Protected media - unlock via registry

If within the section control there is no "StorageDevicePolicies" subkey, create it by right clicking and select Create → Chapter. Make sure you enter the correct name. Select the created partition with the right mouse button, select the item Create → DWORD parameter. Name the new value WriteProtect and assign it the number 0 in the Value Data. Confirm with the OK button, close the Registry Editor and reboot the system.

If this method doesn't work, try the next tip.

Removing a lock with Diskpart

Connect a USB drive to the USB connector, then call up the console. Enter for this cmd.exe in the start menu search box, right-click the found item and select command Run as administrator. Administrator rights will allow you to avoid the message Access denied.

Then enter the following commands in sequence, confirming each by pressing the Enter key.

diskpart

list disk

select disk x(x is the drive number assigned to the USB memory being used - determine this number from the capacity of the listed media)

attributes disk clear readonly

create partition primary

format fs=fat32(you can use the option ntfs instead of fat32 if you intend to use the media only on Windows computers)

Having a problem with a write-protected flash drive? Don't know how to unlock a flash drive, make it readable? You are trying to write some file to a usb drive or sd card, and in response you get a message: "the flash drive is write-protected." If you urgently need to copy files to a disk or flash drive, I will show you how to remove protection and format (or erase) the storage medium - for further work familiar and correct.

We use programs to format memory cards and usb flash drives

Some flash drives are equipped with proprietary software. It works better than standard tools Windows formatting. These programs - not always, but nevertheless - will help to remove protection. The disadvantage of this approach is that you lose all data on the media. Therefore, if this is unacceptable to you, go to the next chapter.

2. A more universal way to force format a usb flash drive / sd card is to turn to formatting utilities like the Hp Disk Format Tool. Can choose file system and formatting type.

Restoring access to a flash drive through the Registry

The method of removing write protection is quite simple, but requires minimal skill and careful handling of the registry editor. If you are not 100% sure of your actions, back up the Windows Registry using the RegOrganizer program for this.

1. Open the Registry Editor (Start - regedit).

2. Change to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\ directory. If there is no StorageDevicePolicies folder inside this directory, create it. For this:

3. Right click on the current Control directory

4. From the menu, select New - Partition and name it StorageDevicePolicies.

5. Right-click StorageDevicePolicies and select the new DWORD(32-bit) value for 32-bit OS or DWORD(64-bit) for 64-bit OS, respectively.

6. Rename the dword parameter to WriteProtect, double click on the line, set the value to 0 (HEX).

7. Safely remove the flash drive and restart your computer.

8. Connect the flash drive. Format it if necessary.

Video version of the instruction:

Another solution to remove protection from a disk: using the diskpart utility

diskpart is a console utility included with Windows XP and higher that allows you to flexibly manage hard drives, file volumes, and partitions at a deep access level.

We will try to access the problematic flash drive through the console, and then format the write-protected flash drive.

1. Open a command prompt (cmd.exe). Type "diskpart" to open the utility.

2. Type "list disk" to display a list of available disks in the system.

3. Determine where your USB drive is on the list. Enter "SELECT DISK n", where n is your USB flash drive with a write-protected disk.

Be very careful! Choosing the wrong media will result in you losing all data on the selected drive.

4. Type "clean" (you may have to repeat this command twice or thrice). If nothing works, try other ways to unlock the flash drive.

5. Enter "create partition primary" to create a new partition on the USB flash drive.

6. Type "select partition" to select a partition on the disk

7. Type "active" to make the disk active

8. Enter "format fs=ntfs" to format to NTFS (before formatting the flash drive, make sure you have chosen the correct media!).

By the way, the diskpart option is one of best practices format a write-protected flash drive without resorting to third-party tools.

Another way to remove protection from a memory card / flash drive. diskmgmt.msc utility

The protection removal method is suitable for both sd memory cards and usb flash drives. We will need a standard implementation for its implementation. Windows component for disk management - diskmgmt.msc.

Start - Run. Type diskmgmt.msc into the text box and press Enter
Right click on the partition you want to format (the letter and partition will help determine)
Select "Delete volume..." and confirm the operation
AT context menu select "Create Volume"
Select primary partition
Leave all parameters as default
Click ok

Remove protection from a flash drive through the Windows Group Policy Editor

In some cases, access to the flash drive is limited by the rights of the local group policy Windows. We tell you how to remove protection in a similar situation:

Start - Run - .
In the panel that opens, navigate to the next section: "Computer Configuration - Administrative Templates - System - Removable Storage Access".
Next, you need to deactivate the option " Removable drives: Prohibit reading" by switching to the "Disabled" state.

Other Working Methods for Removing File Write Protection

If none of the above recipes helped, well, other methods will probably work, how to remove protection from a flash drive (the list will be updated over time).

Check your flash drive for viruses. Some malicious applications establish their own control over files, as a result, the flash drive is protected from writing data belonging to viruses. How to remove the protection in this case? For scanning, we recommend using the best antiviruses.
Check if there is a hardware button on the flash drive that allows you to physically unlock it (there is a switch on the side that needs to be moved towards the open lock). However, today such usb flash drives and sd cards are very rare - basically, these are old models of devices.
Update the firmware of the flash drive, find it on Google exact model possible by chip vendor and chip vendor model, see Device Manager.

Conclusion. Although it is not always possible to determine why a flash drive is write-protected, of the many methods described, at least one is working. If none of the ways to remove protection from a flash drive helped you, it remains to replace usb drive- in other words, buy a new one.

However, ask questions on the topic - you can do this through the sidebar on our website. We'll try to help.

The media is write-protected: what to do? FAQ

Flash drive 32 gig WANSENDA when formatting. When you try to delete a file, it asks you to remove the write protection from the disk or use another. What to do, how to remove write protection? I can't delete or upload files to a flash drive.

Answer. Try to remove protection from your flash drive through the Registry, using the diskpart or diskmgmt.msc utilities (included with Windows). Format the flash drive special programs- Low level format or Disk format tool (see the beginning of the guide).

All formatting attempts give me one result: remove protection, the card is write-protected. I removed the protection in all sorts of ways, but it comes back, I can’t do anything. The phone gives information about the malfunction of the card and cannot format it in any way. Comp and laptop accept, but formatting fails.

Can you tell me what to do, how to remove protection from the sd card? Other phones and digital camera did not help.

Answer. Try to reset the protection using the methods described in the article and immediately format the memory card in FAT32. Check if there is a switch on the sd card (maybe it is set to wrong position so the memory card is write-protected).

I can't format a SONY 64GB flash drive, copy and delete files on it. The system says the disk is write protected. What to do? I've tried everything you have. Does not help. Flash bought in mvideo, about 3 months ago, worked properly before.

Answer. Some users are helped to remove protection by a proprietary JetFlash utility recovery. It allows you to format a flash drive at a low access level. If it doesn't help, try removing the write protection from the disk through the registry or command line. After that, restart your computer.

I have samsung phone S3600 stopped writing files to the card. The most interesting thing is that there are two photos and one video left on the map - there is NO way to delete them at all. They are deleted from the computer, but then appear again on the map. I can’t write anything on the card - at first everything seems to be there, but there is nothing on the phone ... as if not. I didn’t drop the phone, didn’t drown it, just suddenly the card stopped working, and even so bizarrely. He sees the card, but does not write anything to it and does not delete anything from it ... How to remove write protection on a USB flash drive?

Answer. You can remove write protection on a flash drive through forced formatting. This can be done through the diskpart console utility for Windows or various graphical utilities like SDFormatter or Hp disk format tool.

It is possible that the files are not deleted due to read errors in sectors that contain non-deleted files. You can check the flash drive for errors through Properties - Tools - Check in Explorer.

After the navigator with ADRplayer, I can not delete files from the SD card (including write-protected ones). Recognized by Windows as a 118 MB disk with ADRplayer on it. The files are all played by this program. Formatting is not possible on Windows.

Answer. Since the sd card disk is write-protected, you need to format it to NTFS via the command line (using the diskpart utility) or using the diskmgmt.msc system utility. In addition, there is a wonderful program for sd cards called SDFormatter - it removes write protection.

it’s not clear what happened to the flash card, when you connect the card to the computer, it says “To use the disk in drive J, format it first.” options didn't help.

The way through diskmgmt.msc after right-clicking on the flash drive does not allow "delete volume" and other actions are simply not active. The file system of the flash card is Raw, and the system writes that it is working. What to do, how to remove write protection from a flash drive, reanimate it?

Answer. In addition to diskmgmt.msc, try removing write protection on the flash drive through the Registry or using the diskpart console utility. For formatting, use not standard Windows tools, but, for example, Low level format. If after these manipulations the disk is still write-protected, try opening the USB flash drive in another operating system, use third-party software to manage disks on a flash drive - say, Acronis Disk Director.

I bought a mini sd for a 128gb SanDisk phone. Insert into phone samsung galaxy A5 (2016), it will work for a while and then it will block writing to it. whatever he did: he formatted it through the PC, and through the phone - all to no avail, it will work for a while and then again blocks the recording. How to format a protected flash drive?

Answer. The file table on the memory card may be corrupted, making it impossible to write new data. In such cases, it is recommended to check the disk for errors using the standard chkdsk tool (Start - Run - chkdsk). If that doesn't help, format the sd card using the sd formatter desktop app. Judging by the reviews, the utility has helped many users when formatting a flash drive. You can also format the sd card through the Recovery menu by rebooting the phone in the appropriate mode and selecting the Wipe cache partition option.

I ordered a USB flash drive from the Internet. I initially formatted it, but I didn’t like that she didn’t read and see all the formats. I decided to format completely, without a checkmark, only (table of contents). now a laptop with Windows 10 sees it, but requires it to be formatted. I format, but the flash drive is not formatted - the disk is write-protected. I already tried to do something (download programs), but I don’t understand, I’m still far from it, however.

Answer. In your case, it is desirable to format a USB flash drive not with standard Windows tools, I use specialized software - fortunately, the choice is wide. First of all, look for programs specifically for your flash drive on the manufacturer's website. If not found, use the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool or any disk manager like Acronis Disk Director. Specify NTFS or exFAT as the file system.

1) 16 GB Sandisk ultra USB 3.0 flash drive. Tried everything from renaming letters to cleaning the registry. As soon as you start formatting (including through partition management), a message pops up that Windows cannot do this and the flash drive disappears from view. I also tried HDD Low Level Format Tool v4.40 Final - the same thing happens as described above. How to format a write-protected flash drive?

2) I can't format my micro SD card. Writes: "Windows could not complete formatting." Already tried different programs, and command line. Still not formatted. I can't even delete files. I click "delete", removed the flash drive and put it back. The file that I deleted is there again. I can't delete or format.

Answer. Try other formatting programs: SDFormatter or software available on the developer's website (sometimes you can use them to format a USB flash drive bypassing system errors). In addition to Disk Management, you can use any disk manager like Partition Magic or Acronis Disk Director.

You can also assume that the problem is related to Windows or the computer's configuration. Try to format the flash drive on another computer or in another OS environment (Windows/Mac OS/Linux).

When you try to write files to a USB flash drive, you may encounter the error "The disk is write-protected." This can happen due to many reasons, up to drive failure, but most often the reason is in the security settings.

In some cases, write protection is done by viruses. All the described methods must be performed with administrator rights, and they will not work on your working office computers, where write protection is set by the system administrator.

Some types of flash drives (USB and SD) have physical write protection. Look carefully at the flash drive, it may have a switch labeled Lock, and if you find it, then switch it.

This type of protection is the most reliable for protecting files on a flash drive from viruses. With it, you not only protect files from viruses, but also prevent viruses from spreading.

On some computers, you may find write protection done using the Windows Registry. The fix is very simple:

The StorageDevicePolicies section may be missing and then you will have to create it:

After working with the registry, you must restart the computer for the changes to take effect.

Removing write protection using group policies

As in the case with Windows Registry, this method of write protection, most often, has viral roots. I don’t know why the virus should not write to the disk, most likely just out of harm.

In order for the changes to take effect, you must restart your computer.

Removing write protection using the registry

If the registry method did not help, then it's time to try to remove protection from the disk using console command diskpart:

Done, now the bans for recording the disc have been lifted.

Removing write protection from Transcend flash drives

Transcend has created a free software product that solves many problems with their flash drives, including the ability to fix the “Disk is write-protected” problem.

If nothing helps

If nothing helps and you still see the error "The disk is write-protected", then try to find a specialized recovery program on the flash drive manufacturer's website.

Sometimes flash drives just die with such an error, put up with it and buy a new one, since they cost a penny.

Read what to do if when you try to format a flash drive, memory card or hard drive you get the message: “The disk is write-protected” . And also, how to properly remove protection and unlock any device if you cannot create or copy files to a USB flash drive or memory card, because the device is write-protected.

If you see a message while copying or creating files on your device: You need permission to perform this operation.

Or, when you try to format, you receive a message: You do not have sufficient permissions to perform this operation.

So you need to remove the device's write protection in the Windows Local Group Policy Editor:

Run the execute command, type gpedit.msc and press Enter.
Go to section "Computer Configuration" - "Administrative Templates" - "System" - .
Disable property "Removable drives: disable writing". To do this, double click on it, set the value Disabled and press OK.
Repeat these steps for the section "User Configuration" - "Administrative Templates" - "System" - "Access to Removable Storage Devices".

After the above steps, try to create a file or folder on the USB flash drive. If this guide did not help you, watch our previous videos about fixing errors on a flash drive.

Hello dear readers! Most recently, I ran into one problem, I wanted to reinstall Windows, I found a USB flash drive sandisk cruiser 8gb, recorded the image and just took it out of the computer, everything was as usual, I reinstalled Windows and decided to format the flash drive, but when I tried to format it, I got the error “the disk is write-protected. Remove protection and try again. ”, when copying files from a computer to a usb flash drive, I got an error about nickels “the disk is write-protected”.

I began to look for the cause of this problem, searching the Internet for what the problem of this error could be, I came to the conclusion that the causes of the “write protection” error may be as follows:

file has been violated usb system drive - this just happens due to the fact that we ignore the message about "safely remove the device" (because of this, my flash drive broke, sandisk usb drives become unusable because of this). In my opinion, this is the most common reason.
The flash drive was infected with viruses.
Damage to the usb drive itself. She fell somewhere, got wet and shorted out, or you hit her hard, etc.
Also, the most common reason is a special switch on the flash card, which protects against unauthorized writing to your usb drive.

So we figured out the reasons, now I will describe the methods that will help you remove write protection. Before starting, inspect your flash drive for a switch. If you find such a switch, then move it up or down, depending on the model of the flash drive, on usb flash drives usually an open lock is drawn, if not drawn then logically, just move it in the opposite direction. On flash cards that use adapters, this is usually micro-sd, then move the slider to the very top of the adapter or in the opposite direction from the "Lock" inscription.

How to Remove Write Protection from a SanDisk Flash Drive

I repeat a little if you have a sandisk flash drive, and especially cruzer models, then by no means will you be able to restore your flash drive. Unless, of course, it is not a 2016 model, and then it will not be possible to restore it if you do not find specialized software on the official website: https://ru.sandisk.com. You are lucky if your flash drive is still under warranty, if the warranty is over, then feel free to throw it in the trash, as I did.

- this is universal utility, which is suitable for almost any usb drive and for microsd flash cards using adapters. Download the program and run the exe-file (the program does not require installation). After launching, the program will automatically detect your device. After that, simply select the type of file system and click the "Start" button. (downloads: 8887)

Advice! If the flash drive is up to 4GB, then select the "FAT32" file system, in other cases, select "NTFS".

How to remove write protection from a Transcend, JetFlash and A-DATA flash drive

- a program for removing protection from flash drives from the following manufacturers Transcend, JetFlash and A-DATA. Download the archive with the program, after the simplest installation, the program will automatically detect the USB flash drive and press the "Start" button (downloads: 6979)

- this set of programs is specially designed to recover JetFlash usb Transcend. These are online tools from Transcend itself. You can download from the blog or go to the official website of the program download page: http://ru.transcend-info.com/Support/Software-3. (downloads: 1997)

How to remove write protection from Apacer flash drive and Phison controller

Apacer Repair – this program only suitable for Apacer flash drives. Download the program and to remove the write protection, simply run it and follow the instructions. (downloads: 2791)

Apacer 8 Repair Utility - A set of eight programs for formatting flash drives Apacer Handy Steno and other models. (downloads: 2459)

AH320_Utility_LFormat
Handy Steno AH320
HS2.0_Utility_FDU1.20
Handy Steno AH123
HS20_LFormat
HS20_RepairTool
Repair_V2.8.1.1

Repair_v2.9.0.4
Handy Steno AH161 plus, Handy Steno AH221
Handy Steno AH222, Handy Steno AH223
Handy Steno AH225, Handy Steno AH321
Handy Steno AH322, Handy Steno AH323
Handy Steno AH326

Repair_v2.9.1.1
Handy Steno AH123, Handy Steno AH124
Handy Steno AH125, Handy Steno AH160
Handy Steno AH220, Handy Steno AH320
Handy Steno HC202, Handy Steno HC212
Handy Steno HA202, Handy Steno HN202
Handy Steno HN212, Handy Steno HT202
Handy Steno HT203 200X, Handy Steno HS120

Repair_v2.9.1.8A
Handy Steno AH522 200X
These flash drives mainly use Phison controllers. Some utilities do not work under Windows 7.

- another program for working with Transcend JetFlash V33, V60 and other flash drives running on the AlcorMP controller. Download the archive, after unpacking, run the AlcorMP.exe file. If your flash drive is based on the AlcorMp controller, then a black inscription will appear in the line under the letter “G”. If the inscription is red or the inscription does not appear at all, then working with this flash drive is impossible. To remove the protection, simply press the "Start (A)" button. After successful completion, the inscription will be displayed in green. (downloads: 2916)

How to recover a flash drive and remove protection from Silicon Power

On the this moment I use a flash drive from this company, I have "Silicon Power Blaze B10 32GB 3.0", I am very pleased with this flash drive and its speed. Just like with other flash drives, I had an incident with it, when the flash drive was formatted, the light was turned off, after that the computer saw the flash drive and at the same time it didn’t, the flash drive was defined as drive “G”, but when I tried to enter the flash drive, the computer gave the following message “Disk G missing. Please insert a disc and try again" the same thing happened when formatting. How scared I was. But the following program came to my rescue, I found it on the official website of the company.

This program is specially designed for usb recovery Silicon drives Power, it works great with 2.0 and 3.0 interfaces, suitable for any flash drive silicon power. (downloads: 4480)

An important point: All programs must be run as administrator, this is done for the utilities to work with flash drives to work correctly.

A couple of nuances: Before starting to use the programs that were described above, I recommend that you carry out the following actions with a flash drive, so if they do not help, only then start working with programs. When using programs, all data from the flash drive will be deleted.

Check your usb drive for viruses with various antivirus programs.
Change the USB port, it happens that the port may be damaged and not enough energy is supplied to the USB flash drive from the computer.
Check your USB drive for security switches.

Well, that seems to be all the advice that will help you remove protection from a flash drive or restore its performance.

Hope these tips help you. Thank you for your attention!

Sincerely, Dmitry Arseniev