Flash disk is write protected. The disk is write protected - how to remove protection from a flash drive. Reasons for blocking a flash drive

Writing files to a removable storage device is the simplest operation on a personal computer, which millions of users perform every day. But not all users understand the true reasons for such an error. In this article we will look at the causes of the error and how to resolve it.

Causes of the “Disk is write-protected” error. Why is the microsd card write protected?

The verbatim text of the notification looks like this: “The disk is write-protected. You need to remove the protection or use a different drive." The appearance of this message is quite logical if the operating system does not have the ability to write to the disk - for one of the reasons it is prohibited.

The causes of failures may be software or hardware. Software and hardware failures occur both in the computer OS and in the file system of the drive. But before deciding what to do, you need to understand the reasons for this phenomenon.

Basic ways to protect a flash drive (memory card) or disk from being written to

Methods for protecting information on a flash drive, as well as types of failures, can be divided into two groups: hardware and system.
One of the options for hardware protection is a mechanical switch on the drive body in the “lock” position.

System protection is a set of programs and utilities specifically designed to ensure data security. For example, a block is set in the Windows registry or a group policy prohibits writing.

The easiest way to remove protection from a flash drive is Total commander

Total Commander is one of the oldest Windows managers, but is still popular among users because it has good functionality and is easy to use. You can remove protection in TC using the following algorithm:

Open "Configuration".
Open the “File Operations” tab.
Select "automatic copy method".

Hardware method. Windows Command Line – Diskpart

Important: You must run the command line as an administrator.

To remove protection using the command line, you need to follow the following algorithm:

Go to the Start menu.
Find the “Command Prompt” application (the command line can also be launched using the Win + R key combination).
Enter Diskpart into the command and press the “Enter” key at the command line, thereby launching the disk manager application on the system.
Enter Attributes disk clear readonly into the command and press the “Enter” key, thereby disabling the read-only mode.
Enter Clean in the command and press the “Enter” key, thereby deleting all partitions and volumes of the disk.
Enter Create Partition Primary in the command and press the “Enter” key, thereby creating the primary disk partition from scratch.

The ability to write to a flash drive is often blocked by numerous malicious programs that enter the computer system through other external media connected to the device or the Internet.

To find and eliminate them, you need to download an antivirus, for example Dr.Web CureIt, and scan the system for malicious code.

Mechanical protection. Switch for recording modes on a flash card

Some flash drives are equipped with special write protection mechanisms. They are located on the device body, on the outside. The device looks like a small switch.

Important: These switches are more common on SD cards, but some USB models also have them.

To activate the ability to write to a disc, just move the switch slider to the desired “OnLock” position.

Windows Tools. Setting up Group Policy (gpedit.msc)

How do I remove protections that have been installed as a result of Local Group Policy settings? This restriction is removed using the following algorithm of actions:

Activate Windows keys + R command prompt.
Enter the command Gredit.msc in the search bar and click OK.
In the new window, go to the tabs: Configuration>Administrative Templates>System>Access to removable storage devices.
Go to the “Disable reading” line.
Double-click on the line.
In the new window, activate “Apply”>OK.

Registry editor. Removing write protection using regedit

Registry Editor is a standard program built into a modern Windows system. The application edits registry keys, sets new default settings, and restores files from backup copies.

To remove protection using the editor, you need to follow the following algorithm:

Log in to the registry editor program by activating the Win+R keys.
Type Redegit in the search bar and click OK.
Find one of the registry branches called: HKey Local Machine
Select the System branch from the drop-down list.
From the list that drops down under this branch, select Current Control Set, then Control
From the list of subsections, select StorageDevicePolicies
In the program interface, check the WhiteProtect parameter
Change the parameter value from 1 to 0.
Close the editor and reboot the OS.

What to do if the disk is write-protected and the flash drive cannot be formatted - Low-level formatting

If the above attempts to remove protection do not bring results, then you should use the method of low-level formatting of the drive to clear and re-create all tables of the file system of the flash card. At the same time, you need to remember that in this case the recorded data will be lost, but the damaged disk memory will be restored. Full formatting will block damaged USB areas and the system will not be able to write data to them in the future.

The Low Level Format Tool program is suitable for this operation. The application clears the partition table, boot sectors, and even manufacturer data - all down to the last byte. A free version of the program is available on the Internet, but it works slower than its paid counterpart.

Not typical causes of the “Disk is write-protected” error

The reasons why writing to a disk is blocked can be divided into common and atypical, more rare ones. The second group includes file system errors, wear and tear or physical damage to the flash drive, microcontroller failures, and USB port malfunctions.

— Fatal errors in the file system of the flash card
If the sequence of storing and naming information in the drive's memory is violated, the structure of the file system is damaged. Logical errors occur after incorrect removal of the flash drive from the connector, memory wear, power surges and other processes. The disk is blocked, and the system reports the need to format it. To correct the situation you need:

Try to recover data using software suitable for this media.
Perform a high-level format with file system recovery.

Physical damage to the media includes manufacturing defects, cracks, and overheating in motherboards and microcircuits. Physical damage is also caused by violations of operating and storage conditions, power surges, and loosening of USB connectors.

— Microcontroller failures or complete wear of the flash drive
Flash memory and the computer “communicate” with each other using a controller chip built into the external drive. The controller is controlled by a microprogram written into the chip. Sometimes, in case of unsafe removal of the flash drive or electrical current surges, a software failure of the controller occurs. A clear sign of such a malfunction: write blocking. Also, blocking occurs due to wear of the memory chip, exceeding the threshold of rewrite cycles. The system goes into information protection mode to stop the process of memory destruction. Reflashing the microcontroller using special programs will help eliminate failures.

It is rare for a USB port to turn off spontaneously on a computer, but this error still happens. To check if the port is working properly, you must first try connecting other devices to it. If the port sees the smartphone, keyboard and other devices unstable or completely refuses to notice them, then it does not function. If the user sees a system message about the disk being write protected, it is not related to a malfunction of the USB ports. But the administrator can disable them intentionally to protect data from downloading. How to remove write protection from a flash drive if the port is disabled?
In this case, you need to enable USB using the following procedure:

Enter the BIOS by holding down the F2 or F10 keys.
Find values for USB Controller.
Set the Enabled parameter for these values.
Confirm the changes by activating the F10 key.
Restart your PC.

How to remove protection from excel sheet

If the Excel sheet is not editable, the application toolbar is inactive, and the user does not have access to most functions. When you try to make changes, the program will display a message stating that the sheet is protected. To unlock the sheet, you will need the following steps:

Click on the “File” item.
Activating the “Unprotect” link in a new window.
Enter your password. Without knowing the password, you cannot remove the protection.

In the old version of Excel, to remove the lock you need to:

Activate the “Service” item.
Select the “Protection” tab from the list.
Activate the “Unprotect Sheet” command.
Enter your password.

Programs for eliminating recording errors and formatting protected flash drives

Flash drive manufacturers understand that their products may malfunction for various reasons, so every well-known brand creates utilities to eliminate them. Useful programs are available on the manufacturers' websites. For example, the program for Kingston is called Kingston Format Utility, Transcend is called JetFlash Recovery. The programs are freely available on the manufacturers' websites.

Miniature USB flash drives are our reliable electronic storage devices for various data. With their help, information can be easily “carried” in your pocket.

USB flash is convenient, compact, mobile, has a stylish design and makes it possible to connect to any modern device with a USB connector for reading and writing information.

How flash drives work

The USB Flash Drive uses non-volatile NAND flash memory controlled by a microcontroller. The controller chip contains information about the manufacturer, available memory and service information necessary for the operation of the device. The storage time of information in memory cells is quite long, but limited. The number of data rewrites on a flash drive ranges from five to ten thousand cycles.

Typically, flash media with a small amount of memory use the FAT family file system (FAT 16, FAT 32, ex FAT), and for Flash media larger than 64 GB, the NTFS or ex FAT systems are used.

Protecting information on flash drives

To ensure the safety of storing confidential information and preventing viruses from entering flash media, various protection methods are used. This:

In this case, when you try to change data on a connected flash drive, for example, when formatting, copying, transferring, deleting information, messages about write protection of the disk appear on the monitor screen.

This review provides several options for removing protection from mechanical and software blocking of flash media.

This article will also discuss possible causes of failures in the flash drive or software that cause a prohibition on overwriting, as well as ways to eliminate such malfunctions.

Flash drive malfunctions associated with system messages indicating that the disk is write-protected

Blocking a flash drive from being overwritten can be caused by:

Special user actions to protect confidential information during mechanical blocking and encryption of data;
A software write ban installed in the operating system;
Hardware settings of a personal computer that prohibit recording to USB devices;
Limiting rewrite cycles when the flash drive has exhausted its resources. In this case, Flash is switched to read-only mode;
Disk full and lack of free space for recording data;
Malfunction and disconnection of computer USB ports;
Incorrect formatting;
File system errors;
Damaged (Bad) blocks (sectors) of the memory chip caused by wear;
Removal or absence of a special program - “driver”, designed for the correct recognition of devices by the operating system;
Unsafe removal of the device from the USB connector during the running processes of writing, moving, renaming, deleting, downloading, reading open files;
Running (hung) system processes accessing the disk;
Using flash drives in devices with various types of operating and hardware systems. For example, after watching movies on a TV and recording video data from it, the flash is not detected and cannot be read by the computer. In these cases, each operating system changes the file structure of the flash drive, while recording data under its own unique scheme;
Malfunctions of the main hardware components: memory chips and microcontroller (including failures of its program);
Poor quality manufacturing when purchasing “counterfeits” of leading brands;
Under thermal and electrical influences. For example, during discharges of static electricity and overheating;
Mechanical damage as a result of breaks, cracks, scratches, desoldering and impacts during falls;
Exposure to moisture and electromagnetic radiation;
Unstable power supply;
Malicious software - viruses.

The main ways to remove protection from overwriting information from a flash drive

Hardware method

Some manufacturers of USB drives implement mechanical protection against changes in the form of a switch (Lock), which allows or prohibits writing. Typically, it is located on the side of the media and is marked with a lock icon.

To remove the mechanical lock, move the lever in the opposite direction.

Software methods for unlocking flash media using standard Windows tools

Removing overwrite protection using Windows Registry Editor

The registry is a hierarchical database of parameters, hardware and software settings, and information about user profiles of the Windows system.

Registry Editor is a special program included in the standard set of Windows operating systems. It allows you to add, edit registry keys and settings, set default values, import or export keys for saving, and restore the registry file from a backup copy in case of system failures.

To enter the Registry Editor, there are three options:

Using the Run software utility. For this:

After the registry editor has been launched, the following window opens

you need to find the registry branch

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Control\

Color: #008000;">Control and then the StorageDevicePolicies subsection, if available, and on the right side of the program interface, pay attention to the binary parameter WriteProtect (Reg_Dword), the value of which can be (0) or (1).

If this parameter is present and equal to (1), this is the reason for blocking the flash drive.

To remove protection you must:

double-click on the WriteProtect (Reg_Dword) parameter;
manually change its value from (1) to (0);
confirm changes OK ;
close the registry editor;
to restart a computer;
check the removal of protection from the device.

If the registry key is missing HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Control\ StorageDevicePolicies, it must be created using the “Editor” described above in this way:

Removing overwrite protection of a flash drive using the Windows command line

For experienced users, the Windows operating system provides the ability to text input computer and MS-DOS commands using the command line shell.

The Command Console can be run as a standard user or as an administrator.

To remove overwrite protection or the read-only attribute from USB drives, it is recommended to work in the console with administrator rights.

There are several ways to launch the command line interface:

Running the Command Prompt in Windows 7

Using the Run software utility.

For this:

Via Search in the Start menu. For this:

Running the Command Prompt in Windows 8

Launching the Command Prompt in Windows 10

Similarly, you can find the console application " Command line (cmd)"through the Start menu and launch it through the context menu" On behalf of the administrator»

With any of the methods described above, the following console window opens.

Using the text command interface, you must do the following:

Removing overwrite protection using the Local Group Policy Editor

Group Policy is a set of rules that allow you to manage user settings and policy settings in Windows operating systems.

Group Policy Editor is a Microsoft Management Console snap-in available in the standard set of utilities for operating systems starting with Windows Server 2008R2 and Professional versions for Windows 7 and Windows 8.

With this tool you can:

configure various settings of your personal computer,
set some restrictions for individual users or their groups on the launch and installation of programs, services, processes,
prohibit changing information on any media, including removable disks, etc.

There are several ways to launch the editor:

After opening the Local Group Policy Editor, to remove write protection from removable USB drives, you need to go to the following console tabs:

Software methods for unlocking flash media using special software

If the standard Windows operating system tools described above did not lead to the desired result and the flash drive remains blocked, you can use special software (hereinafter abbreviated as software) from various manufacturers to remove protection and restore functionality.

In most cases, such software formats the flash drive, deleting all data on it.

Selecting software for restoring Flash media

The choice of utilities for servicing a USB Flash Drive is based on the compliance of the flash drive model, its memory chip and controller.

All well-known USB Flash manufacturers develop special utilities for their products that restore the functionality of devices and correct possible defects. Such programs can be found on official websites and downloaded.

When selecting software for a specific Flash device model, it is advisable to know the following values:

Vendor – manufacturer;
Product – model;
VID – Vendor Identifier, manufacturer identifier;
PID – Product Identifier, product identifier, that is, a specific device model;
Serial Number – serial number;
Controller Model – controller model, etc.

If determining the model (Product) and manufacturer (Vendor) does not cause any particular difficulties, then to detect other information you will need to use third-party programs or built-in operating system tools.

In order to find out the VID and PID of USB devices through the built-in system tools, you must do the following:

To establish information about a flash drive, you can also use the ChipGenius program from Chinese developers, which displays a report on the following data: Vendor, Product, VID, PID, SerialNumber, ControllerModel, FlashID, Channel, etc. This program is compatible with various models of controllers. You can download ChipGenius for free from the developer’s official website using this link.

Below is the ChipGenius interface with an example scan report of a 32GB Flash USB device and defining values such as:

Device Vendor, Product Model (Innostor);
Device Name (PenDrive);
VID (1F75);
PID (0903);
Serial Number;
controller manufacturer (Vendor Innostor);
Controller Part-Number and other parameters.

ChipGenius interface with flash drive scanning report

When the necessary parameters are set, then using special sites with extensive databases of well-known flash drives (for example, http://flashboot.ru/iflash/), it is easy to select a utility for restoring them or even “reflashing” the controller.

Below we will consider popular programs that will help remove protection from a flash drive and restore its functionality.

Users should remember that during the operation of such software, data from flash media will be permanently deleted.

AlcorMP

AlcorMP is a recovery program for flash drives with controllers, produced by Alcor. It allows you not only to remove protection from a flash drive, but also to restore its functionality, “reflash” the controller and create protected partitions on the disk.

When using AlcorMP, all data on the USB drive is permanently deleted as a result of formatting.

Therefore, if the data on the media is important to you, then first try to recover deleted files from a flash drive. Since the official developer no longer supports this utility, our site recommends downloading AlcorMP for free from this link.

After downloading the program, you need to unpack it and run the executable file AlcorMP.exe as an administrator and then connect the flash drive.

To recognize the device, press the Refresh (R) button. After reading the data, data about the media will appear in the program window, marked with a letter or number in black (in the example given, the letter G). If the letter is red, then you need to use other software, because the flash drive cannot be processed in AlcorMP.

If desired, you can configure a utility for in-depth analysis of flash memory. To do this, go to Settings (Setup S) and set the scan speed value.

To start formatting, click Start (Start A) and wait until the process of removing attributes from the flash goes through. Depending on the volume, speed of the media, and memory state, this process takes from two minutes to an hour.

Upon completion of the process, first disconnect the drive from the USB connector, and then close the program, check the functionality of the flash drive and the success of removing the read-only attribute.

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool is a freely distributed program designed to format any model of flash media. With its help, you can partially restore inoperative flash drives and format disks even in cases where this is not possible using standard operating system tools. You can download the Russian version of HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool for free on the official website.

The functionality of the utility allows you to unlock any USB device, select a file system (NTFS, FAT32), a quick formatting option, assign a label to the disk, enable information compression for NTFS.

There is also an additional option HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - creating bootable flash media using MS - DOS files located on the hard drive.

The program does not require installation. After downloading, launch the executable file HPUSBDisk.exe (as administrator) from the archive, select the disk, set the necessary values for the file system, label and formatting method, and click the Start button. At the end of the process, close the Close interface and check whether the flash drive is unlocked

JetFlash Recovery Tool

JetFlash Recovery Tool is a program designed to recover flash drives, produced by Transcend (JetFlash) and A-Data, available for free use. You can read an overview of the program on our website.

Functionality:

Correction of errors in reading write blocks at high data processing speeds;
Unblocking if recording is impossible;
Recognition of media with a RAW file system that has a damaged structure;
Formatting with the ability to pre-save data.

Download the JetFlash Recovery Tool program from the developer’s official website using this link.

After downloading the program, you need to run the application file JetFlash Recovery Tool.exe as an administrator and wait for installation on your hard drive

Then run the executable file JFRecoveryTool.exe to download the application, connect a non-working or blocked flash drive and click Start. Upon completion of work, check the normalization of the media condition

Apacer Repair

A small program, Apacer Repair, was developed specifically for flash media from Apacer Technology Inc. Using it, you can perform quick formatting if other options do not help, as well as USB Flash repair. As a result of software processing, it is possible to remove overwrite protection and correct errors in memory blocks.

You can download the Apacer Repair utility for free from the developer’s official website using this link.

After downloading the program and connecting the flash drive to the USB connector, launch the utility and follow the instructions on the screen.

Disk formatting begins with a warning: "" ( This will destroy all data on the flash drive, do you want to continue?)

When you click the Format button, quick formatting begins. A successful cleaning operation will remove write protection from the flash drive.

Other reasons why USB devices are blocked from being overwritten and how to eliminate them

Viruses blocked the flash drive from writing

Computer viruses are malicious software that disrupts the operation of operating systems, the file structure, deletes information, blocks media, and unauthorized encrypts data.

The term viruses includes such types of malicious programs as Trojans, downloaders - droppers, phishing sites, worms, spam bots, spiders, etc.

These programs are capable of creating their own copies and being implemented through communication channels into systems and boot sectors of computers. They bring a lot of trouble to users, stealing confidential information and disrupting entire computer systems.

According to statistics, the most common cause of USB drive malfunctions is malware or viruses.

When connecting external media to an unprotected computer, there is a high probability of infection, i.e. copying viruses to flash media.

Many viruses are created with the goal of blocking access to a flash drive and prohibiting any operations to change data on it in order to “protect yourself” from forced deletion or movement.

For example, such a common virus as Autorun is written into the computer system file Autorun.inf, which allows applications to run from removable media. When you connect a flash drive, Autorun copies files like: Autorun.exe**, Autorun.inf__ and others onto it. Signs of infection with this virus are as follows:

The USB drive does not open at all, or when you try to access it, it suddenly appears in another Explorer window;
it is impossible to delete or open suspicious files, and the system may display a message about write protection or impossibility of accessing the file;
Task Manager and Registry Editor do not start;
There is a hidden folder on the flash drive RECYCLER, which contains the executable file of the virus.

To combat viruses of this type, special Anti-Autorun programs have been developed.

In cases where a flash drive is infected with a virus that blocks any action related to changing information, you must do the following:

Install antivirus software on your computer.
When connecting a USB drive, perform a thorough scan with the installed antivirus with updated databases. It is advisable to check the flash using several programs.
If possible, format the flash drive using the built-in operating system tools or additional utilities described in this article.
If it is impossible to format in normal mode, try to perform this operation in the safe boot mode of the operating system (diagnostic mode, using only the main files and drivers). Why reboot the system by holding down the F8 key and selecting “ Safe mode».
Be sure to check the hard drives of your personal computer for viruses so as not to spread them to other removable drives in the future.

Checking for disk fullness and removing protection from files intended to be copied to disk

To check the availability of free disk space, you must do the following:

Physical damage to the flash drive

The reason flash media is blocked for writing may be mechanical damage.

It usually occurs in the following cases:

when purchasing low-quality goods (“counterfeits”);
when exposed to high temperatures and overheating of parts of the device;
electrostatic discharge;
as a result of breaks, cracks in the electronics board, chips, scratches and impacts from falls, when the main elements are damaged: memory chip and microcontroller;
improper storage conditions (for example, a humid environment) and violations of operating rules;
voltage surges when power is supplied to the media elements;
limited service life with reduced data recording and erasing cycles;
loosening the USB connector (interface)

If the integrity of the memory chip is not damaged due to physical damage, the data can be saved or restored. Such operations are carried out by specialists in service centers.

Malfunction or disconnection of PC USB ports

Sometimes the reason for the appearance of write protection on a USB flash drive may be a malfunction or disconnection of the USB ports of a computer, laptop or other device by software or technical means.

To check for a port problem:

insert the disk drive into another USB port;
connect other USB devices to the connector. For example, a camera, mobile phone, printer, tablet. If the devices are not recognized by the personal computer, are read in jumps with significant interruptions, and system messages about connection errors pop up, then the USB port is not working.

This way, you can eliminate the possibility of problems with the USB ports when messages appear that the disk is write-protected

Prohibiting recording to flash devices when USB ports are disabled in software or hardware

To limit access to connected removable media (flash drives, portable hard drives, phones, etc.) or even prohibit their use, computer system administrators disable USB ports. The purpose of such measures is to prevent the theft of valuable information or infection of computers with malware and spyware through flash drives. This causes system messages about the prohibition of writing to the memory of Flash devices. If you find yourself in front of such a computer, then you need to enable the USB port.

There are several ways to disable (enable) USB ports:

Via BIOS.
This is a small program recorded in a special chip on the motherboard of the system unit. It is intended for initial startup of the computer, testing its main components, performing I/O functions, and storing information about the PC hardware components and their settings.

To disable USB ports you need to:
- enter the BIOS by holding one of the following keys: Del, F2, F10, Esc, F8;
- find all values related to USB Controller (or Legacy USB Support) and set them to Enabled;
- press the F10 key to confirm changes in the settings;
- to restart a computer.
Using the Registry Editor.
This method is convenient because, unlike the previous one, USB devices such as keyboards, mice, printers, scanners are not disconnected, but only flash drives.

This article has already discussed the process of loading the Registry Editor as a standard operating system utility.

To disable ports through the editor you need to:
In Device Manager. For this:
Uninstalling (removing) USB controller drivers.
Using special software to set access levels and prohibit users from connecting USB devices. For example, these functions are performed by the Microsoft Fix It 50061 and USB Drive Disabler programs.
Disconnecting USB from the computer's system board. In this case, you can only disable the ports on the front and top of the system unit by disconnecting the adapter cables going to the motherboard.
You can also allow/deny access to removable storage devices using the Group Policy Editor. This method was discussed above in the article.
In the reverse order, you can check and connect all controllers and USB ports, allowing access to them for personal computer users.

Thus, by checking all options for disabling USB ports, you can eliminate the possibility of flash drives being blocked for rewriting.

Microcontroller software failures and flash memory wear

Each flash media includes a controller chip designed to connect flash memory and the computer. The controller is controlled by firmware, part of which is written on the chip. This program is responsible for memory parameters, the operation of the translator, contains the values of product identifiers and the so-called write prohibition flags.

In cases of improper operation, unsafe removal of the media during running recording and moving processes, power surges, a software failure of the controller occurs. One of the signs of such a malfunction is that the device is blocked from recording information.

Blocking of the device can also occur due to wear of the memory chip, in which defective (Bad) blocks appear and the threshold of rewrite cycles is exceeded. In this case, the microcontroller marks the blocks as unused, blocks the flash from being written, and goes into data protection mode to prevent further destruction of the NAND memory.

To eliminate software failures, you should reprogram (“reflash”) the microcontroller using special software. Firmware programs are selected in accordance with the controller model and flash media identifiers (VID and PID). More details about the selection of such software were described above in the article.

Flash drive file system errors

Damage to the internal structure of the file system is a violation of the order of storing and naming data in the memory of a flash drive. Logic errors can be caused by unsafe removal of the device from the USB connector, power surges, viruses, memory wear and other reasons. As a result of such failures, the disk is blocked for overwriting, there is no access to it, an undefined RAW file structure is displayed in the properties of the USB disk, and a system message is issued stating that the disk needs to be formatted.

In these cases it is necessary:

using special software tailored to a specific flash device model, try to recover valuable information;
perform a high-level format that will restore the file system.

The selection of utilities for restoring and formatting Flash USB was described above in the article.

Low-level formatting - as one of the ways to restore the functionality of a locked flash drive

If attempts to recover information on a locked USB device did not lead to the desired results and the data stored in memory is not important to the user, it is best to perform low-level flash formatting (Low Level Format), which will correct the damaged memory.

Low Level Format is a basic layout in the data storage area with recording of control information, which is usually carried out at device manufacturing plants and remains unchanged. However, there are a number of programs whose capabilities allow users to carry out low-level formatting themselves.

The Low Level Format process completely deletes data from device memory and it is no longer possible to restore it. This action is carried out in order to block damaged areas of the USB Flash, which will not be recorded during further use, as well as to prevent the theft of confidential information.

The most popular program for carrying out the process of low-level formatting of USB devices is HDD Low Level Format Tool. It allows you to change the size of the drive. Works with removable drives via USB and Firewire interfaces. The wipe process clears the partition table, boot sectors (if any), manufacturer data, and every byte of data. The program is shareware.

The free version has limitations on formatting speed and does not have access to program updates.

After downloading the program, you need to install it following the recommendations on the screen.

Select one of the options for using the program:

Since low-level formatting deletes all bytes of information, to resume working with the device, you need to perform high-level formatting using the usual standard operating system tools, having decided on the file system of the flash drive.

Results

This article examined in detail the possible causes of flash drive malfunctions that prevent rewriting. The main measures to eliminate such problems were listed.

In some cases, in case of serious mechanical damage and software failures of Flash USB, users are advised to contact service centers. Specialists use highly specialized software on special equipment to restore and repair USB devices.

If all the methods listed in the article did not help to “save” the flash device, and it remains inoperative, then you should think about buying a new one.

In order for the purchased flash drive to serve for a long time and be a reliable carrier of important information, you must adhere to simple rules for using Flash USB:

do not expose them to mechanical shocks;
isolate from moisture, high temperature and exposure to electromagnetic fields;
remove only using “Safely Remove Hardware”;
periodically defragment the memory area;
check for errors using the chkdsk system utility (scanning and correcting data errors);
Be sure to use anti-virus software and keep it updated to protect against virus infection.

I apologize for the title, but this is exactly how the question is asked when, when working with a USB flash drive or SD memory card, Windows reports the error “The disk is write-protected. Remove protection or use another disk" (The disk is write-protected). In this instruction, I will show you several ways to remove protection from a flash drive or memory card and tell you where it comes from.

I note that in different cases the message that the disk is write-protected may appear for various reasons - often due to Windows settings, but sometimes due to a damaged flash drive. I will touch on all the options and the corresponding methods for removing protection in Windows 10, 8.1 or Windows 7. If something is not entirely clear, then at the bottom of the article there is a video that demonstrates almost all the ways to fix the error.

Another way that can help remove a USB disk error that suddenly shows a writing error is to remove protection on the command line.

To do this, do the following:

(In Windows 10, this is easiest to do through search in the taskbar, in Windows 8.1 - using the right-click menu on the Start button, in Windows 7 - through right-clicking on the command line in the Start menu).
At the command prompt, enter diskpart and press Enter. Then enter the command list disk and find your flash drive in the list of disks, you will need its number. Enter the following commands in order, pressing Enter after each one.
select disk N(where N is the number of the flash drive from the previous step)
attributes disk clear readonly
exit

Close the Command Prompt, unplug and reconnect the flash drive, then try to do something with the flash drive, such as formatting it or writing down some information, to see if the error goes away.

The disk is write protected - a solution for flash drives Transcend, Kingston, Silicon Power and others

Video instruction

Below is a video on this error, which shows all the methods described above. Perhaps she can help you figure out the problem.

I hope one of the approaches helped you solve the problem. If not, I also recommend checking your flash drive on another computer or laptop: this will allow you to determine whether the write protection is a consequence of the system parameters or whether the drive itself is to blame.

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, the user may encounter a situation known since the days of using floppy media - it is blocked and cannot be used.

We will look at how to solve this problem in detail in our article today.

So, you need to write some information to a flash drive, you insert it and receive a message like “The disk is write-protected, remove the protection or use another one.”

This problem can be solved quite quickly, and we will talk about this a little later, but now we should say a few words about the purpose of installing protection against downloading on a digital medium.

Note! This operation is performed for only one purpose - to protect the drive from viruses that can spontaneously be copied to removable media without the user’s knowledge.

Methods for removing write protection from a flash drive

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 drive models, as well as SD cards.

Most often, the toggle switch is located on the side edge of the drive.

Carefully inspect your existing drive and look for an open/closed lock icon or the word Lock on it.

Note! Removing 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 flash drive controller, 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.

Learn more about all of the above methods.

Removing protection using regedit

1. Click “Start” and enter regedit in the search field. Right-click (RMB) on the program and in the context menu go to the “Run as administrator” item.

2. Go to the StorageDevicePolicies section:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

Important! Important! If there is no such thing, you will have to create it. To do this, click on the section Control - New - Section. We call it “StorageDevicePolicies” without quotes. If there is no such section, you need to create it.

Create (RMB in the right column of the registry) a DWORD parameter (32 bits) in the created branch. For convenience, let's call the element WriteProtect.

3. Make sure that the WriteProtect value is 0. Right-click on WriteProtect and select “Change”. If the value is “1” you need to change it to “0” and click “Ok”.

4. Close the registry editor, remove the media and restart the computer. Insert the flash drive. Now the flash drive works as usual, allowing you to write files.

Removing protection using Diskpart

If the flash drive could not be unlocked using regedit, let's try to do it using the Diskpart command interpreter, which allows you to manage the commands that the user enters into the command line when working with partitions and disks.

1. “Start”, in the search field enter the name of the Windows command line - cmd. Right-click in the program and select “Run as administrator” in the context menu.

2. Now you should enter the commands: diskpart and list disk, and after entering each of them, press the Enter key.

3. In the list above, determine what 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, 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 formatting, you should enter the following commands: “clean”, create a partition “create partition primary”, format it in NTFS “format fs = ntfs” or FAT “format fs = fat”.

With the development of information technology, floppy disks went out of use. They have been 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 record information repeatedly.

Unfortunately, when users try to add new documents to the media, they may see the following message on the screen: “USB media is write protected.” Before you start eliminating the blocking, you need to figure out why the write protection of the flash drive worked.

Reasons for enabling protection

Before removing write protection from a flash drive, users are advised to consider the reasons for installing a protective function on the media. Protection is enabled for the following reasons:

The OS security policy has been configured. Thus, the system protects the user from loss of confidential information;
Computer infection by viruses;
Changing the volume attributes to “Read Only”;
Hardware write prohibition;
Firmware corruption.

Most of the reasons can be eliminated using the operating system. It is important to carefully familiarize yourself with the methods, and only then apply them.

Mechanical protection

Having discovered that the disk is write-protected, newcomers begin to panic. You need to calm down and try to correct the situation. First of all, it is recommended to inspect the appearance of the USB drive. Many flash drives have a miniature jumper, which serves as protection.

Having discovered a miniature “lever” on the body of a removable disk, users are advised to move it in the opposite direction. After this, you need to check the media by inserting it into the 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.

If physical switching does not help, it is best to return the “lever” to its place and then move on to other methods. Some flash drives have writing on them. The jumper must be installed opposite “Unlock”. The same applies to the memory card used in cameras.

The registry as a means to disable protection

The Windows platform has a tool called the registry, which contains settings for programs and the entire OS as a whole. Sometimes there are situations when malware changes the registry value, as a result of which protection appears on the flash drive that prevents the writing of any types of files.

To change the setting, you must activate the system registry editor. To do this, open the Start menu, and then type “regedit” in the search bar.

It should be noted that the system registry can be launched using the task utility. To call it, press the combination of two keys Win + R. In the form that launches, 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”.

The next step is to find the “StorageDevicePolicies” subsection in the “Control” section. If such a directory does not exist, it should be added. It is recommended to press the right button of the manipulator under the “Control” section. As soon as the menu opens, you will need to select the “create” item, and then click on the “Section” inscription. The new section should be called “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 to select “DWORD Value (32 bits).”

It should be noted that the “StorageDevicePolicies” section with the “WriteProtect” parameter can be created, but its value will be “1”. To remove write protection, you need to set the value to “0”, after which it is better to restart the computer.

Working with CMD

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 Start, and then type “cmd” in the search bar.

After starting the console, you need to use the Diskpart command. Immediately after this, another console will appear in which all actions will be performed.

Before removing protection, you need to decide on the disk. To do this, enter the command “list volume” in the console and then press Enter. After this, a table with all devices will appear. The last volume will be removable media. It is of a removable type, and will also have a size indicated (for flash drives, the size can be indicated in megabytes, i.e. for 8 GB it will be written 7788 MB).

The next step requires entering 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, just 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 reinsert the USB flash drive and then send the files to the media.

Changing the security policy

If the disk is write-protected, it is recommended that you read the security policy. First, you should call the “Run” utility, and then enter “gpedit.msc” in the field. In the application that opens, you need to enter the computer configuration, and then expand administrative templates. In the list that opens, find the system, and then select “Access to removable storage devices.”

A list will be displayed in the right window. The user will need to find the “Removable drives: Prohibit writing” option. To start editing a 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 that says “Disabled.” You can get rid of a protected recording by checking the box that says: “Not specified.” After this, all that remains is to click on the “Apply” button and “OK”.

Application of specialized software

Users often have to deal with the fact that a USB drive is write-protected, but they do not know how to remove the protection. If manipulations with OS utilities do not produce a positive result, you should seek help from specialized software.

HP USB Disk;
JetFlash Recovery;
Apaser Repair.

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.

HP USB Disk Utility

If the flash drive does not allow the user to move or add files, and the manufacturer of the USB device is unknown, we recommend using the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool. The utility is distributed completely free of charge. Thanks to the program, it is possible to completely restore the operation of a removable disk. The only thing worth remembering is that all information on the media will be deleted.

After downloading the file, the program is launched as an administrator. The next step requires you to select the media and then format the flash drive. In this case, all parameters will be restored.

JetFlash Recovery program

This program is capable of correcting errors in USB drives manufactured under the Transcend brand, as well as A-data. The advantage of the utility is that it can:

Remove recording protection;
Correct block reading errors;
Recognize RAW file system;
Format the media without deleting data.

It is best to download the application from the manufacturer's official website. After downloading the utility, you must run it as an administrator. After this, you can begin to resuscitate the host, remove the protection or select any suitable action.

Application from Apaser

The utility is designed to resuscitate flash drives produced by Apacer Technology Inc. The application allows you to:

Format the device;
Eliminate the protective function;
Fix block reading errors.

After downloading and launching the program, a form with a “Format” button will appear. After clicking 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 handle managing the program.

Other ways to “treat” the carrier

If all of the above methods do not help, all that remains is to infect the host with viruses. First of all, you should check USB drives for viruses. This can be done with any antivirus programs. It is also recommended to check the media with Anti-Autorun utilities.

Even if antivirus software detects Trojans and other malware, it is recommended to format the flash drive. This can be done using Windows. 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 when it turns on, press F8. After this, you need to select 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. Perhaps the disk space is simply full, so a new file cannot be written. This can be done by opening the media properties and first opening “My Computer”.

Conclusion

Faced with blocking the recording of information on removable media, many users despair. There is no need to be upset, because in 90% of cases, the methods described above allow you to restore the functionality of the flash drive. There's no need to rush. It is necessary to gradually test each of the existing methods.

If nothing helps, then physical damage to the media has occurred. Of course, in this case, you can restore everything, but you will have to contact the experts. It should be noted that this is not profitable. The cost of repairs may be more expensive than the cost of new removable media.