How to Remove Write Protection from USB Drive or Memory card 2023

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Some times, USB flash drives or memory cards get read only write protected error. “The disk is write-protected. Remove the write-protection or use another disk”. i.e. you can’t copy data in to the USB drive. To solve this issue, here we are sharing some methods to remove the write protection from pen drive or memory card.

Step 1: CHECK FOR A PHYSICAL SWITCH

Some USB drives and Memory cards have a physical locking switch that allows you to lock drive and prevent any changes. Examine the USB drive or Memory card closely. If you can find the switch, switch it to the other side to turn the protection off.

Step 2: SCAN WITH UPDATED ANTIVIRUS

The problem can also be caused by some virus activity, so just get it scanned by some updated good antivirus software which may solve your problem. If you don’t have an updated antivirus, Use free Kaspersky virus removal tool.

Method 3: CHECK SECURITY PERMISSIONS

1. Right click the USB drive and select properties in the explorer windows.
2. In the properties window, select the security tab.
3. Select the ‘user’ under user name and click on ‘Edit’.
4. Check if you have Write permissions. If you don’t, check the option “Full” for full permissions or “Write” for write permissions

Step 4: USING REGISTRY EDITOR

1. Open Start Menu
2. Run, type regedit and press Enter, this will open the registry editor.
3. Navigate to the following path:
4. HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies
5. 
   
6. P.S. If you can’t find the key StorageDevicePolicies , go to step 6.
7. Double click the key Write Protect in the right pane and set the value to 0 In the Value Data Box and press OK button
8. Exit Registry and reboot your pc
9. If you can’t find the key StorageDevicePolicies in step (3) you have to create it manually.
10. Right-click HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrrentControlSet\Control\ and select New -> Key.
11. Enter the name StorageDevicePolicies.
12. Click on the new registry key StorageDevicePolicies and on the right pan right-click, select New > DWORD and give it the name WriteProtect.
13. Double click on it and set its value to 0.
14. Restart your system and check it.

Step 5: USING DISK PART (COMMAND PROMPT)

1. Start > search bar -> CMD and press enter
2. Type diskpart
3. Type list disk
4. Type select disk # (# is the number of the USB DRIVE you’ve plugged in )
5. Type attributes disk clear readonly
6. Type “exit” to exit the diskpart

Step 6: BIT LOCKER PROTECTION PARTITION IS TURNED ON USB VOLUME

Bitlocker isn’t turned on by default, but it might be the case that you’ve enabled it before and forgot about it or that someone else did it.

Turn off BitLocker, try to copy something on the USB stick and see if this has solved the problem. 

Step7: FORMAT YOUR USB DRIVE

If the above methods do not solve the problem and still the usb drive is write protected then you can execute a “low-level format” on the drive. Download HDD Low Level Format Tool to perform the “low-level format” of your USB drive. After completing the low level format you may have to create a partition in that disk drive.

For that :

1. Run diskmgmt.msc in Run.
2. In the disk management window, select the pen drive, right click on it and click on Format.
3. Click OK. That’s all

Hope one of the solution may help you to remove Write Protection from your USB drive or memory card.