Read this article to learn how to remove write protection from USB flash drive on Windows 11, 10, 8, and 7 systems, so as to solve the problem of prompt write protection when copying files to USB flash drive in Windows system.
Use case: The disk is write-protected
Most people have one or more USB sticks that are used to transfer files between computers, create Windows To Go, install mobile apps, connect to a wireless network, and back up data. In the process of using the USB flash drive, some users may encounter the following error message:
When formatting a USB, an error is displayed: "When I try to format a USB flash drive, the system says that the disk is write protected. I've tried multiple ways to fix this, but none seem to work. This USB flash drive does not have a dedicated write protection switch. My operating system is Windows 7. Is there any way to help me remove the write protection from the USB flash drive? Thank you! ”
When copying files to a USB flash drive, an error message is displayed: "I was trying to transfer files from Windows 10 to USB flash drive, but I got the write-protection error message "The disk is write-protected, please remove the write-protection or use a different disk". It is now not possible to copy files to a USB flash drive or create a new file on a USB flash drive. Is there any way to remove the write protection from the USB flash drive? Appreciate! ”
What is Write Protection?
Write protection (also known as read-only mode) can be at the physical or software layer. A USB flash drive with write-protected function prevents new files from being written or old files from being changed. Usually, this means that you can only read the data that has been stored on the USB stick, and you can't delete or modify it. By enabling write protection, you can avoid accidental overwriting or deletion of data.
How to quickly and safely delete write protection from USB flash drive?
Whether you are using Windows 7, Windows 8 or Windows 10/11, this article will introduce 7 easy ways to remove the write protection of the USB flash drive and make the USB flash drive writable.
Method 1. Run antivirus software
If the USB flash drive cannot be modified, the disk has been written protected, which may be due to the computer or USB flash drive being infected with a virus. We can first try to use antivirus software to remove the virus, and under normal circumstances, after the virus is removed, the USB flash drive can return to normal.
Method 2. Change the disk policy to remove write protection
1. Open "This PC", find the USB flash drive and right-click the USB flash drive and select "Properties".
2. Click on "Hardware", then select the USB flash drive and click on "Properties".
3. Click "Strategy" in the Properties window and change it to "Better Performance" in the Strategy section.
Method 3. Check the write protection switch
Some USB flash drives have a physical write protection switch that can be used to turn write protection on and off. Check whether there is a write protection switch on the USB flash drive and turn it off.
If the write protection switch of the USB flash drive is turned off, but you still get an error message, or there is no physical switch on the USB flash drive, check the next method.
Method 4. Use DiskPart to clear the read-only attributes
1. Press the "Windows + R" key combination on your keyboard. In the popping up "Run" dialog box, type "diskpart" and press "Enter" or click "OK" to open DiskPart.
2. Enter the following commands in turn and press "Enter" after each command:
- list disk
- select disk n
- attributes disk clear readonly
3. Close the DiskPart and reconnect the USB flash drive to see if the write-protection issue has been resolved. If not, try the next method.
Method 5. Remove write protection by editing the registry
1. Press the Windows + R key combination on your keyboard. In the popping up Run dialog box, enter regedit, and then press enter or click OK to open the registry editor.
2. Go to the following path:
“HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies”
3. Double-click "WriteProtect" and change the "Numeric Data" value from 1 to 0
4. Close the registry editor, restart the computer, and check whether the write protection of the USB flash drive has been disabled.
Method 6. Use partition management software to format a write-protected USB flash drive
If you have tried all the above methods and still can't remove the write protection of the USB flash drive, it may be that the file system of the USB flash drive is corrupted. To solve this problem, you can format the USB flash drive. However, before formatting, it is recommended that you use Easy Backup to back up the USB flash drive to avoid loss of important data.
AOMEI Partition Assistant is a hard-disk-free partition management software designed for Windows system, which supports 32-bit or 64-bit versions of Windows system. It supports HDDs, SSDs, hybrid HDDs, external portable HDDs, USB flash drives, SD cards, etc., which can help you format USB flash drives easily and quickly.
1. Right-click on the USB flash drive and select "Format".
2. In this window, select the appropriate file system according to your actual needs, and then click "OK".
3. Tap "Submit" in the top left corner to perform the pending action.
Method 7. Contact the manufacturer or customer service
If you have tried all the above methods and failed to solve the problem, then there may be a hardware failure in the USB flash drive. Hardware failures are often not repaired by software and can involve problems such as damage to internal memory chips or controller failures. In this case, it is recommended to replace the USB flash drive with a new one to ensure the security of the data and the reliability of the device. Because hardware failures not only affect the reading and writing of data, but also may cause damage or loss of data storage. Therefore, replacing a new USB flash drive in time is an important measure to ensure data security.
In addition to this, if your USB flash drive is still under warranty, it is a good option to contact the manufacturer or customer service department at the place of purchase for warranty or replacement. They may provide professional diagnosis and repair services, or replace a new USB stick directly with you.
summary
If you want to write protect a USB flash drive due to different reasons, you need to try different methods to solve it. If a method cannot remove write protection, you can try another method, so when trying to solve the write protection problem of USB flash drive, you can choose the appropriate method according to the actual situation and try until the problem is solved.