With development information technologies, floppy disks are out of use. They were replaced by USB drives. It should be noted that flash drives have become more popular even than CDs and DVDs. Removable media allows you to write information repeatedly.
Unfortunately, when users try to add new documents to the media, they may see the following message on the screen: "The USB media is write-protected." Before you start removing the lock, you need to figure out why the write protection of the flash drive worked.
Before removing write protection from a flash drive, users are advised to consider the reasons that contribute to the installation protective function to the carrier. Protection is enabled for the following reasons:
Most of the causes can be eliminated by means operating system. It is important to carefully read the methods, and only then apply them.
Upon discovering that the disk is write-protected, beginners begin to panic. You need to calm down and try to correct the situation. First of all, it is recommended to examine the appearance of the USB media. Many flash drives have a miniature jumper, which is the protection.
Having found a miniature "lever" on the case of a removable disk, users are advised to move it in the opposite direction. After that, you need to check the media by inserting it into system unit. It is best not to use the ports located on the front side, as they may have poor contact and the drive will not be detected.
In the event that physical switching did not help, it is best to return the “lever” to its place, and then move on to other methods. Some flash drives have inscriptions. The jumper must be set opposite "Unlock". The same applies to the memory card used in cameras.
The Windows platform has such a tool as the registry, which registers the settings of programs and the entire OS as a whole. Sometimes there are situations when malware changes the value of the registry, as a result of which protection appears on the flash drive that prevents any type of file from being written.
To change the setting, you need to activate the Registry Editor. To do this, open the Start menu, and then type "regedit" in the search box.
It should be noted that the system registry can be launched using the task execution utility. To call it, a combination of two keys Win + R is pressed. In the form that opens, type the word "regedit", and then click on the "OK" button.
After opening the system registry, users should open the branch: "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE-> SYSTEM-> CurrentControlSet-> Control".
In the next step, in the "Control" section, find the "StorageDevicePolicies" subsection. If such a directory does not exist, it should be added. It is recommended to hold down the right button of the manipulator on the “Control” section. As soon as the menu opens, you will need to select the “create” item, and then click on the inscription “Section”. The new section should be named "StorageDevicePolicies".
Now we need to add a parameter. In the window located on the right side, you need to right-click, and then select "Create". When the submenu opens, it is recommended that you select the "DWORD (32-bit) Value" item.
It should be noted that the section "StorageDevicePolicies" with the parameter "WriteProtect" can be created, but its value will be equal to "1". To remove write protection, you need to set the value to "0", after which it is better to restart the computer.
Many users do not know how to remove protection from a flash drive using CMD commands. To launch the console, you need to launch the task execution utility, or open the start, and then type "cmd" in the search box.
After starting the console, you need to use the Diskpart command. Immediately after that, another console will appear, in which all actions will be performed.
Before you remove the protection, you need to decide on the disk. To do this, in the console you need to enter the command "list volume", and then press Enter. After that, a table with all devices will appear. The last volume will be removable media. It has a removable type, and it will also have a size indicated (for flash drives, the size can be indicated in megabytes, that is, 7788 MB will be written for 8 GB).
At the next step, you need to enter the command "Select volume #", where instead of "#" the volume number corresponding to the removable media is indicated.
When the volume is selected, you need to use the "Attributes volume clear readonly" command. After that, it remains to press Enter.
After the operation is completed, all parameters will be cleared and the write protection will be removed. To check, it is recommended to re-insert the flash drive, and then send the files to the media.
If the disc is write-protected, it is recommended that you read the security policy. First, you should call the "Run" utility, and then write in the "gpedit.msc" field. In the application that opens, you need to enter the computer configuration, and then deploy the administrative templates. In the list that opens, find the system, and then select "Access to removable storage devices."
A list will appear in the right window. The user will need to find the "Removable drives: Deny recording" option. To start editing the policy, you need to “click” on the entry with the right button of the manipulator, and then select “Edit”.
Now remove the write protection by checking the box on the inscription: "Disabled". You can get rid of a protected entry by checking the box on the inscription: "Not set". After that, it remains only to click on the "Apply" button and "OK".
Users often have to deal with the fact that the USB disk is write-protected, but they do not know how to remove the protection. If manipulations with OS utilities did not give a positive result, you should seek help from specialized software.
Each program is unique and released by developers to recover specific flash drives. It is best to check with the manufacturer which program is best suited.
If the flash drive does not allow the user to move or add files, and the manufacturer of the USB device is not known, it is recommended to use the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. The utility is distributed free of charge. Thanks to the program, it is possible to completely restore the work of a removable disk. The only thing to keep in mind is that all information on the media will be deleted.
After downloading the file, the program starts as an administrator. The next step is to select the media, and then format the flash drive. This will restore all settings.
This program is able to fix the errors of USB-drives released under the Transcend brand, as well as A-data. The advantage of the utility is that it can:
The application is best downloaded from the official website of the manufacturer. After downloading the utility, you need to run it as an administrator. After that, you can proceed to resuscitate the carrier, remove the protection, or choose any suitable action.
The utility is intended for resuscitation of flash drives produced by Apacer Technology Inc. The application allows:
After downloading and running the program, a form with the “Format” button will appear. After pressing it, the disk will be formatted. The data will of course be deleted, but the write protection will be eliminated.
The program can be downloaded from the official Internet resource. Even a beginner can manage the program.
If all of the above methods did not help, only the virus infection of the carrier remains. First of all, you should check USB drives for viruses. This can be done with any antivirus software. It is also recommended to check the media with the Anti-Autorun utilities.
Even if the anti-virus software has detected Trojans and other malware, it is recommended to format the flash drive. It can be done Windows tools. If all else fails, your best bet is to boot into Safe Mode and then repeat the procedure. To do this, you need to restart the computer, and at the time of turning it on, press F8. After that, you need to choose a download method. When the computer turns on, you just need to format it.
It is important to note that before performing any procedure, it is recommended to check how full the disk is. Probably just full disk space, so new file cannot be recorded. This can be done by opening the media properties after opening "My Computer".
Faced with blocking the recording of information on removable media, many users despair. No need to get upset, because in 90% of cases, the above methods allow you to restore the flash drive to working capacity. Don't rush. It is necessary to gradually check each of the existing methods.
In the event that, nevertheless, nothing helped, then the media was physically damaged. Of course, in this case, everything can be restored, but you will have to turn to the masters. It should be noted that this is not profitable. Repair costs can be more expensive than new removable media.
How to remove write protection from a flash drive - step by step instructions
The era of floppy disks is long gone, but sometimes when trying to write to a flash drive, a user may encounter a situation known since the days of using floppy media - it is blocked and cannot be used.
How to solve this problem, we will consider in detail in our today's article.
So, you need to write some information to a USB flash drive, you insert it and you get a message like "The disk is write-protected, remove protection or use another one."
This problem can be solved quite quickly, and we will talk about this a little later, but now a few words should be said about the purpose for which protection from downloading to digital media is installed.
Note! This operation is performed for only one purpose - to protect the drive from viruses that can spontaneously copy to removable media without the user's knowledge.
There are 2 key ways to remove protection from a flash drive: hardware and software.
The hardware solution is to install a lock switch, which is present in some models of drives, as well as SD cards.
Most often, the toggle switch is located on the side edge of the drive.
Carefully inspect your drive and look for an open/closed padlock icon or the word Lock on it.
Note! Releasing the lock is very simple - just move the lock lever in the opposite direction. That's all. Insert the media into the appropriate slot and repeat the file writing operation again.
The software solution involves the interaction of the operating system and the controller of the flash drive, which is responsible for the ability to record information.
You can remove write protection using this method using the command line of the registry editor or local group policy in Windows 7/8.
More guidance on all the above methods.
1. Click "Start", in the search field, enter - regedit. Right-click (RMB) on the program and in the context menu go to the item "Run as administrator".
2. Go to the StorageDevicePolicies section:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies
Important! Important! If it doesn't exist, you'll have to create it. To do this, click on the section Control - Create - Section. We call it "StorageDevicePolicies" without quotes. If there is no such section, you need to create it.
We create (RMB in the right column of the registry) a DWORD (32 bit) parameter in the created branch. For convenience, let's call the element WriteProtect.
3. You should make sure that the value of WriteProtect is 0. Right-click on WriteProtect, select "Change". If the value is "1" you need to change to "0" and click "OK".
4. Close the registry editor, remove the media and restart the computer. Insert flash drive. Now the flash drive is working in normal mode, allowing you to write files.
If the flash drive could not be unlocked using regedit, let's try to do this using the Diskpart command interpreter, which allows you to control the commands that the user enters on the command line when working with partitions and disks.
1. "Start", in the search field, enter the name of the command Windows strings- cmd. Right-click in the program, in the context menu we carry out "Run as administrator".
2. Now you should enter the commands: diskpart and list disk, and after entering each of them, you should press the Enter key.
3. In the list above, determine which serial number in the name the flash drive has.
This can be done based on the specified size, in our case, an 8 GB flash drive is presented in the table as "Disk 1" with a capacity of 7441 MB.
4. Select the disk with the “select” command, clear the attributes that allow only reading “attributes disk clear readonly”.
If the flash drive needs to be formatted, enter the following commands: “clean”, create a partition “create partition primary”, format it in NTFS “format fs = ntfs” or FAT “format fs = fat”.
The era of floppy disks has already sunk into oblivion, now people everywhere use new generation drives - flash drives. This device is compact and can hold a large amount of data. But even flash drives are far from perfect. Quite often, when working with flash media, there are various problems. For example, the most common error is due to the fact that while working with a storage medium, the OS writes "The disk is write-protected." What does this mean, and how to remove write protection from a flash drive? We will talk about this in this article.
Flash drive protection can be based on hardware or software. It is for this reason that there are many ways to remove write protection. Let's talk about each in more detail.
If you do not know how to remove protection from a memory card or flash drive, then first turn your attention to the device case. Most likely the root of the problem is mechanical protection. Each microSD card and some flash drives have a special switch on the case. It is responsible for activating the write protection. I'm sure the switch in my pocket changed its position, which led to problems. Everything is fixed very simply. You just need to change the position of the switch. 
In addition, it is worth checking the performance of the flash drive. To do this, try connecting it to a different port. And it’s better to test the drive on another PC, if possible. If everything is in order, then the problem lies in the software.
If the device is working correctly and the mechanical switch is in the correct position, you need to know how to remove protection from the disk programmatically. This can be done in several ways. Let's analyze them in more detail.
By default, the flash drive is formatted in FAT32. However, this file system has one limitation that few people know about: the maximum amount of recorded data should not exceed 4 GB. This leads to a rather ambiguous situation. On the one hand, writing is allowed, but on the other hand, due to FAT32, you cannot upload a large file to a flash drive.
To remove write protection from a flash drive, you need to format the drive and change the file system from FAT32 to NTFS. There are no restrictions regarding the amount of recorded data. Therefore, the question of how to unlock a flash drive will disappear by itself. To change the file system, you need to connect the drive to a PC and go to "Computer". Before you save its contents to your PC. 
Find your device there and right-click on it. Select "Format" from the drop-down list. A new dialog will open, in which, near the inscription "File system", you need to set the NTFS option. Having done this, click on "Start". The formatting process will start, during which all data from the drive will be deleted and the file system will change to NTFS.
It is recommended to remove the flash drive from the USB connector via "safe removal". Nevertheless, when it comes to NTFS, then this is not a recommendation, but a strict rule that must be followed. Otherwise, you risk damaging your device.
It's no secret that the registry is a real lifesaver for any Windows user. With the help of this section, you can solve almost any problem. Data storage blocking is no exception. How to fix this problem? To remove protection from a flash drive or microSD, you must perform the following manipulations:
Sometimes the StorageDevicePolicies section may simply not be on your PC. How can I remove protection from a flash drive in this case? Just create the StorageDevicePolicies manually. Right-click on the previous directory (in our case it is Control), then in the menu that appears, click on "Create", and then select "Partition". The system will prompt you to enter a name. We drive in StorageDevicePolicies there, after which we create a section. 
Next, you need to go to the directory that appears and right-click on the menu located on the right. In the list that appears, click on "Create", and then select the option "DWORD Value". We select the bitness characteristic depending on your system (64 or 32 bits). We call the new parameter WriteProtect and set it to 0. Again, we restart the PC and check whether the information is being written to the flash drive.
If the disk is protected and it was not possible to fix it through the registry, you need to check group policy. Perhaps it is she who prohibits writing data to the media. To test the policy, you need to do the following:
Another way to remove protection if the flash drive is write-protected is to interact with the command panel. To restore the correct operation of the flash drive, we are guided by this instruction:
After carrying out all the above steps, the notification that the flash drive is write-protected should no longer bother you.
Flash drive manufacturers take care of their customers by creating special utilities that can repair problematic devices. If you are faced with the fact that the flash drive is not formatted, not recorded, etc., then just use the proprietary program. It is worth noting that when choosing software to restore the functionality of a flash drive, you need to pay attention to the manufacturing company. If you use devices from Transcend, then a program called JetFlash Recovery is suitable for you, owners of flash drives from Silicon Power need to use USB Flash Drive Recovery, etc. You can download the utility on the official website of the manufacturer. 
In addition, there are a lot of third-party programs that also allow you to solve recording problems. Among such utilities, it is worth highlighting D-Soft, Flash Doctor, etc. As a rule, the process of restoring a flash drive using these programs is simple and straightforward. You need to adjust the formatting options and click on "Start". When the cleaning is completed, the protection of the flash drive will be deactivated, and you will be able to write various information to the device.
If none of the above methods helped, then malware is probably the root of the problem. software, which "settled" on your drive. There are many viruses on the World Wide Web. And some of them are able to block writing to a flash drive.
What to do if there is a virus on the drive? Get rid of it with one of the modern antiviruses. Arrange and then delete potentially dangerous files. After that, the problem with the recording should be resolved.
The situation is familiar since the days of floppy disks. Write protection can be set both on SD or microSD memory cards, and on a USB drive. Sometimes this indicates a malfunction of the device. In most cases, the problem is solvable. How to quickly and easily remove protection from a flash drive, read our article.
Sometimes this is a necessary measure. Users put protection on their flash drives to protect them from malware that spontaneously copies to disks.
In other cases, it is a hardware or software error.
The disk is write protected
Some USB flash drives have built-in mechanical security. It is a switch on the body. If there is one, and it is in the “Lock” position, then it needs to be moved.
If the switch is in the “Lock” position, then data cannot be written to the USB flash drive.
It is also possible that the mechanism is broken and the switch cannot be moved.
Malicious software not only blocks the recording of data, but generally any other operations related to the movement of information. In this case, there are two solutions:
In the tray, find the "Safely remove devices and drives" icon, right-click on it and select the desired device
2. Restart your computer. It is possible that some system processes interfered with the operation of the drive and interfered with its operation. And the above actions can turn them off.
Memory chip wear, viruses, power surges, and unsafe removal of the flash drive can lead to logical damage to the USB drive.
However, it is unlikely to be formatted in the usual way. Therefore, you need to use the "Run" tool.
It can also be done using the utility. For example, HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. It's free and needs to be run as administrator.
Free HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool
The reasons described in the previous paragraph may cause the controller to fail. To protect information on the flash drive, it goes into blocking mode and stops responding to system requests. To fix this, the controller needs to be reflashed. To do this, you need to know the controller model in order to select the appropriate program. A good tool is the Flash Drive Information Extractor utility. It is free and gives out all available information about the flash drive, including the controller model.
The free utility provides all information about the USB drive, including the controller model
It is possible that a parameter is set in the registry that prohibits changes.
Using the Win + R buttons, launch the Run tool and enter the regedit command.
Enter the regedit command
If there is no StorageDevicePolicies section in the editor, then you need to create it: to do this, right-click on the "Control" section, select "Create" and click on "Section"
Right-click on the right half of the window, select "New" and click on "DWORD (32-bit) Value"
The new parameter called "WriteProtect" should be set to "0"
It has nothing to do with the file system of the flash drive, but simply informs the system that changing disk data is prohibited.
Press Win + R to open the Run tool and type cmd.
Enter command cmd
After entering the list disk command, a list of available disks appears, among them you need to find a removable disk
Enter the command "select disk 1". A confirmation will appear that the drive has been selected. Then enter the second command "attributes disk clear readonly".
After entering the select disk 1 command, confirmation appears that the disk is selected: it remains to enter the attributes disk clear readonly command
There may be a setting in the editor that is causing the write protection error.
To enable writing data to disk, select "Disable" and click "OK"
To rule out or confirm this possibility, you need to connect another USB device to the port. If it works fine, then the problem is with the media.
Impact, improper storage or deterioration of the flash drive can cause a write protection error to appear. In this case, you need to contact the service center. If the memory chip is intact, then the information can be recovered.
A special feature is that there is a JetFlash Recovery utility for servicing flash drives of this company. It eliminates errors, including the one due to which information cannot be written to the disk.
Using this manual, the user will be able to determine the cause of the error when trying to write data to it and remove protection from the device.
Reading 5 min. Views 159 Published on 01/21/2017
When using flash drives, we often encounter various kinds of problems. Either the memory card is not readable, or it is not detected by the computer, or it becomes blocked. We will consider such a case when the flash drive is write-protected, how to remove protection? Very often, the system displays a message, "The disk is write-protected, remove protection or use another disk," when you and I want to write or delete any information from the drive. Many users, faced with this problem, believe that the flash drive is out of order, but as a rule, the problem can be solved quite quickly and easily. Therefore, let's look into this in detail.
Advice! Very often, a flash drive is blocked so that information cannot be copied to it without the user's permission. For example, if a computer has a virus, then a write-protected flash drive will not allow data to be written.
If you are faced with a problem when a flash drive is write-protected, how to remove protection, then first of all, let's figure out which way, hardware or software, the flash drive is protected.
The first way to protect. When using the hardware method of protecting information on the media, a special switch is used, which is located on the side of the drive. Therefore, in order to remove protection, you need to carefully examine the flash drive and find a small switch that is marked with a lock icon or the inscription "Lock".
To remove the write protection, move the switch in the opposite direction. After that, try writing to the memory card again.
The second way is a software option. Interaction blocking happens here Windows systems and USB controller.
If you have a software way to lock the drive, then the following settings will help us remove the protection:
Let's look at each method and try to remove write protection in one of the ways.
Let's look at the first way to remove protection from a flash drive, through the registry of the operating system. For this, we perform the following steps.
Note! It is possible that this key does not exist in the registry of your system, so you need to create it. Right-click in the Control section. In the menu that appears, select the item "Create" - "Section" In the window that opens, enter the name of the section StorageDevicePolicies
After restarting the computer, the problem of the flash drive is write-protected, how to remove protection should be solved, but if the method did not work for you, then proceed to the next method.
To implement this method, you must do the following:
This method should also help in solving our problem, if for some reason it did not suit you, then we carefully read the third option.
In this method, we will use the DISKPART command interpreter, which allows you to work with disks and partitions using special commands. To do this, do the following:
If you do not need the information stored on the media, then, for this, we type the “clean” command, then you need to create a partition, for this we enter the “create partition primary” command and format the USB flash drive with file system NTFS for this we enter the command "format fs = ntfs". If you need to format a USB flash drive with the FAT32 file system, then write the command "format fs=fat32".
I think that this method will be more difficult for beginners, but if you do everything step by step, then you will not be able to solve the problem of a flash drive being write-protected, how to remove protection.
Today we have considered the case when the flash drive is write-protected and does not allow writing files. We also discussed several ways to remove protection. I have described three methods in detail to you, I hope they will help you to solve the problem. If you know other options for how to remove protection, then share in the comments.
