How To Remove Write Protection From Pen Drive/External Drive

We use SD Cards, Portable Hard Disks, Pen Drives on daily basis these days. It can really get frustrating when you can't transfer files from your PC to your SD Card, Pen Drive etc. When you try to copy a file from your PC to your drive, an error comes up with 'The Disk is write Protected' kind of thing. I recently faced this problem and finally found out that my drive had a manufacturing defect and, yes, it can be a manufacturing defect. But if it isn't a manufacturing defect, you have to remove the write protection yourself. I'm gonna explain step by step process of enabling and disabling the Write Protection. I'm gonna explain two ways to remove write protection from pen drive/ external drive.

NOTE : If your drive has a lock-unlock switch, Make sure you put the switch in unlock position. This will mostly do the job. If you still get the 'Write Protected' error message, Follow the steps given below.

Method 1 - Using Command Prompt to remove Write Protection

• Open Command Prompt. You can do this by opening 'Run' in Start Menu and then type 'cmd' and hit enter.
• There enter " attrib -r X:\*.* ". Replace the letter X with the letter of the drive. 

Note : You can also do this by right clicking on any of the folder in the drive and then Un-check the box 'Read Only' and then select 'Apply Changes to this Folder, Sub Folder and Files' and click 'OK'

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Method 2 - Using Registry Editor

• Go to 'Start Menu' and select 'Run'
• Enter 'regedit' in Run and hit enter. Registry Editor will open.
•  Go to 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE' and to 'System' and to 'CurrentControlSet' and then to 'Control' and then to 'StorageDevicePolicies'. The path is given below.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/StorageDevicePolicies

Note : If you can't find StorageDevicePolicies in your Registry Editor, refer the steps given below and come back and follow the steps here.

•  In the StorageDevicePolices, Go to WriteProtect and set the value to '0' and click OK.

Adding StorageDevicePolicies to your Registry

If you can't find a StorageDevicePolicices in your Registry, you have to add one manually. To do this, follow the steps below.

Click on the image for a bigger view

• Go to the Registry Editor by following the steps mentioned above.
• Then follow the path "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control"
• Right Click on 'Control' and select 'Key'. A new key with name "New Key #1" will be created (or New Key #2, if a key by name New Key #1 already exists). Rename the Key to 'StorageDevicePolicies'.
• Now, Right click on the 'StorageDevicePolicies' and select 'DWord'. Rename it to 'WriteProtect', set the value to '0' and click Ok.

If the above steps doesn't work, as a last attempt, backup all the data on your drive and format it using Command Prompt.Formatting the drive will remove Write Protection.

Got any questions, feel free to ask. Smash the comment box. Suggestions are welcomed too..!!! :)

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