How to Remove Write Protection From USB Thumb Drive

Want to remove write protection from USB?  You have inserted a USB flash drive in the USB port of your laptop and then open it but when you try to copy, delete or change any file it shows an error "The disk is write protected" then don,t worry because we bring four methods which would easily remove this error and will solve your problems and soon you will be able to delete, copy or format your USB device with your wish. But for this purpose, you have to just follow some of the simple steps which I am going to provide. So please don,t be panic. First, we have to understand what is write protected USB.

WHAT IS WRITE PROTECTED USB?

When a USB is write protected, it doesn't,t allow anyone to copy, delete, modify, alter or change any file in the USB even when you try to format or paste something in your Pendrive it won,t allow you. However, you can read the files in flash drive but would find it impossible to change the files on yourUSB stick.Usually, the disk becomes write protected due to some fault in the disk or you can also make your disk write protected through some manual ways like by using some of the software's or methods.

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IMPORTANT CHECKS:

Before trying out the methods to "remove write protection from USB" must check the following fixes:

Check Your Device For viruses:

Check your USB Pendrive for viruses, these viruses will be filled up your USB with some useless file and hence make your USB drive write protected.You can check your device for viruses by using antivirussoftware which is installed in your PC, mostly when you plugged in your USB the antivirus software automatically scan it, however, you can also manually scan it by right clicking on the device.

write protected usb

Check Mechanical Lock:

Some of the USB devices have mechanical locks in their body which make them write protected.Mostly this locker is present in the form of a small slider so by moving the slider you can remove write protection from USB. So carefully observed the whole body of the device.

USB write protected

Check Your Device Storage:

Carefully check that your device storage is not fully used because this will also make your Pendrive write protected.You can check simply in window explorer directly right click on the flash drive and choose properties option then it would display the used and free space in the form of a pie chart.

pen drive write protected

Check For Single File:

Make sure that this not a single file which is write protected because this will also get you the write protected error.

disk write protected

                                             In order to remove write protection from that single file then right-click on it and choose properties and then at the bottom you will see three option with boxes in that boxes unchecked the "Read only"option.

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METHODS TO REMOVE WRITE PROTECTION FROM USB:

We are going to provide you top 4 methods which will definitely remove the write protection.Just need your full attention.

FIXING BY REGEDIT:

In this method, we have to make some changes in the registry values of the computer and thus it willremove write protection from USB surely. just follow the below steps:

Step 1

First of all open "Run" by pressing "Window+R" key at the same time.You can also open it from start menu by typing "Run" in the search bar and then type "Regedit" in the Run. After this, a new window of "Registry Editor" will be opened.
                              Locate: Open Run -> type Regedit -> click on Registry Editor.

USB write protected remove

Step 2

Now follow this path after you enter into the Registry Editor.     

   HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentConrolSet/Control/StorageDevicePolicy

write protection removal software

Step 3

Now there you will see write protection option just click on it and here the default value is set to 1 just change this value to 0 and you are done.

how to remove write protection from a file

After this restart your computer and connect the USB again and you will no longer see the write protection error.Hence now you can copy and paste any file you want.

STORAGEDEVICEPOLICY MISSING:

• If  StorageDevicePolicies is missing in Registry Editor then you can create a key manually. For that, you have to reach Registry Editor and follow this path:

                                  HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>System>CurrentControlSet>Control

enable USB write.reg file

• 
  There you need to right-click on the white space in the control folder and choose New>Key and enter the name “StorageDevicePolicies”.

  

  USB write protection removal tool

• Now double-click on the newly created folder and right click and then choose New>DWORDand name it WriteProtect and set its value to 0. Click OK and you are done.

  

  device media is write protected

  
  

  

  remove write protection on SanDisk

FIXING BY COMMAND PROMPT:

If you are unable to remove write protection from USB using the above method then use diskpart orcmd.So you to head over to this steps.

Step 1

First, Connect your write protected USB flash drive to your computer.

download USB write protect remover

Step 2

Then head over to CMD by searching "CMD" in the start menu, right-click on it and select "Run as Administrator".You can also head over to CMD by pressing "Window+R" and typing "CMD" in the Run.

can't format USB drive

Step 3

Type "diskpart" in the cmd command line and hit Enter.A new window will be opened. Diskpart is a disk-partitioning tool built in the window used to change the values related to your USB Pendrive.

SanDisk USB repair tool

Step 4

Then Type "list disk" in the command line and hit Enter. Here, you’ll be able to see a list of storage devices connected to your computers like a hard drive, SSD, USB Flash Drive, or SD card via  Cable.A specific value is given to each device like 0 and 1.

protect USB flash drives

Step 5

After that type "select disk <number of your disk>". The number of your disk maybe 0, 1 and so on.So please make sure you enter the number correctly and don’t end up changing the attributes of your internal hard drive or any other storage media.

Step 6

Then type "attributes disk clear readonly" and hit Enter.

Step 7

If the process becomes successful a message will be shown as "Disk attributes cleared successfully".

Then simply exit the diskpart, connect your USB again and you are done.

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FIXING BY FORMATTING THE USB STICK:

If the command prompt method also doesn't work then remove write protection from USB by formatting using the following steps.

Step 1

First, Connect your USB Flash Drive to your computer.

Step 2

Then head over to My Computer or This PC.

Step 3

Here Right Click on your USB Flash Drive and click Format option.

Step 4

Then Click on "Restore device defaults" in the next window.

Step 5

Click "Start" and "Ok".

Just in few second, your Pendrive will be formatted and you will be able to use it again.But by using this method you will lose your data.

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FIXING BY USB FORMATTING TOOLS:

if the above methods don't, work, then you can also use USB write protection removal tool/software to get rid of write protection.Here is the full procedure to write protection removal software.

Format USB Stick With EaseUS partition Software:

This software is pretty compatible with USB like SanDisk and other types of Pendrive just follow the steps which I am going to provide.

Step 1

First, Connect your USB flash drive to your PC, launch EaseUS partition tool.Then select and right-click the device you want to format and choose "Format partition" by right clicking on the mouse.

Step2

After this, a small window will open, here edit the label you want in the Partition Label box.

Step3

Select the file type from the  "File System" drop-down list. (FAT/FAT32, NTFS, EXT2/EXT3). If the USBdrive is larger than 4GB, you can only choose FAT32, NTFS or EXT2/EXT3; and if the partition is smaller than 4GB, you can choose FAT, FAT32, NTFS or EXT2/EXT3.

Choose the Cluster Size from the drop-down menu list and click "OK" to apply the format operation.

Write Protection Removal Software:

You can also use other USB write protection remover software.Here is the list of software to disable write protection from USB.

• AOMEI Partition Assistant Professional
• USB Flash Driver Format Tool Ufix-V
• Disable or Enable Write Protection
• mUsbFixer
• Kingston Format Utility
• Hp Disk Format Tool
• HDD low-Level  Format Tool

Hopefully, using the above methods you would be able to successfully remove write protection fromUSB and if you face any problem please don,t forget to comment below we would try to answer your question as soon as possible and also don,t forget to share our article.