How To Remove Write Protection From USB. In this article, you will read methods to remove write protection from USB. USB drives are incredibly convenient tools for storing and transferring data. However, users may sometimes encounter the frustrating issue of write protection, where the USB drive is locked, and no data can be written or modified on it. Write protection can be a result of several factors such as system settings, physical switches, corrupted file systems, or even malware. Fortunately, there are several methods to remove write protection and regain full access to the USB drive. This article will cover different approaches to solve write protection from USB.
How To Remove Write Protection From USB?
Method 1 – Check Physical Write Protection Switch:
Some USB drives come with a built-in physical write protection switch, often designed for security purposes to prevent accidental data deletion or modification. If your USB drive has such a switch, it’s the first place to check. Steps to remove physical write protection are:
1.Locate the switch.
2.Some USB drives have a small switch on the side that toggles write protection on and off.
3.Look for a marked switch that is labeled “Lock” or “Unlock.”
4.Unlock the switch: If the switch is set to “Lock,” simply slide it to the “Unlock” position.
5.Once the switch is unlocked, insert the USB back into your computer and check whether you can write or modify the files.
6.If your USB doesn’t have a physical write protection switch, or it’s already set to “Unlock,” proceed to other software-related solutions.
Method 2 – Using Diskpart in Windows:
Windows has a built-in command-line tool called Diskpart that allows users to manage their drives, including removing write protection. Diskpart is particularly effective when the issue is related to system settings or disk attributes. To use diskpart to remove write protection, follow the steps:
1.Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2.Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog.
3.Type cmd, and press Enter.
4.Right-click on Command Prompt and select “Run as Administrator.”
5.In the Command Prompt window, type diskpart.
6.Press Enter to open the Diskpart tool.
7.Type list disk.
8.Press Enter to view all available disks.
9.Identify your USB drive by its size and type select disk X (replace “X” with the number corresponding to your USB drive).
10.Now, you have to clear the write protection.
11.Type attributes disk clear readonly and press Enter.
12.This will remove the write protection from the USB drive.
13.Once the process is complete, type exit and press Enter to close Diskpart.
After this process, you should be able to write data to the USB drive.
Method 3 – Edit Windows Registry Settings:
Sometimes, write protection is enforced through registry settings on your computer. If the system has been configured to block write access to USB drives, you can remove the restriction by editing the registry. To edit the registry to remove write protection:
1.Press Windows + R, type regedit, and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.
2.Navigate to the StorageDevicePolicies Key: Go to the path
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies.
3.If you don’t see the “StorageDevicePolicies” folder, you may need to create it manually.
4.If the “WriteProtect” entry already exists, right-click it and select “Modify.”
5.Set the value to 0 to disable write protection.
6.If it doesn’t exist, right-click on the “StorageDevicePolicies” folder.
7.Select New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
8.Name it WriteProtect.
9.Set its value to 0.
10.Once the registry changes have been made, restart your computer for the changes to take effect.
11.After the reboot, try accessing the USB drive again to see if the write protection has been removed.
Be cautious when modifying the registry, as incorrect changes can affect your system’s stability. Always back up the registry before making changes.
Method 4 – Format the USB Drive:
If the write protection issue persists despite using the above methods, formatting the USB drive can sometimes resolve the problem. Back up important files before proceeding. To format the USB Drive:
1.Press Windows + X and select Disk Management.
2.Find your USB drive in Disk Management window.
3.Right-click on the drive and select Format.
4.Select the desired file system (FAT32, NTFS, exFAT) and ensure that the “Quick Format” option is checked.
5.Click OK to begin the formatting process.
6.After it’s complete, the write protection should be removed, and you can start using the USB drive again.
Method 5 – Use Third-Party Software:
Several third-party tools are designed to help manage and fix USB drive issues, including write protection. These tools often offer a more straightforward approach than using the built-in utilities.
Some popular third-party utilities include:
EaseUS Partition Master: This tool provides advanced features such as partition resizing, disk formatting, and error fixing, all while allowing you to manage write protection.
HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool: Although primarily intended for HP devices, this tool can format USB drives and remove write protection.
SD Formatter: Originally designed for SD cards, it can be used for formatting and clearing write protection from USB drives as well.
Method 6 – Check for Malware or Viruses:
Malware and viruses can sometimes impose restrictions on USB drives, including write protection, as a form of security or damage. Running a virus scan can help identify and remove malware from the drive, which might be the cause of the write protection. Steps to check for malware:
1.Use your preferred antivirus software to perform a full system scan.
2.After scanning your system, plug in the USB drive.
3.Scan it individually for viruses or malware.
4.If any malware or viruses are detected, follow the prompts to quarantine or remove the malicious files.
5.Once the malware is removed, check the USB drive again to see if the write protection has been lifted.
Method 7 – Use CHKDSK to Repair the USB Drive:
If the USB drive is suffering from logical errors or corruption, running the CHKDSK utility can help fix the issue. Sometimes, errors in the file system can lead to write protection being enabled. Steps to use CHKDSK to fix errors:
1.Open Command Prompt as Administrator.
2.Press Windows + X, select “Command Prompt (Admin)” from the list.
3.Run CHKDSK by typing the following command and press Enter: chkdsk X: /f (replace “X” with the letter of your USB drive).
4.Wait for the Process to complete.
5.CHKDSK will scan the USB drive for errors and attempt to fix any issues that it finds.
6.After the scan and repair process is complete, check the USB drive to see if you can now write data to it.
Write protection on a USB drive can be a result of several different factors, including physical switches, system settings, malware, or file system corruption. Fortunately, there are multiple methods to remove write protection, ranging from simple solutions like checking for a physical switch to more technical methods involving command-line utilities, registry changes, or third-party software. If none of these methods work, formatting the USB drive or running a virus scan might help resolve the issue. Always ensure you back up your data before making changes that could result in data loss.