Remove Write Protection On USB Flash Drive
The problem here is unable to copy files into USB drive such as flash drives, memory card and Ipod. When your USB flash drive, or memory card is write-protected, you will receive the following error message:
- Cannot copy files and folders, drive is write protected
- Cannot format the drive, drive is write protected
- The disk is write protected
- Remove write protection or use another disk
- Media is write protected
This may caused by virus or malware script which modified
the registry to make any drive write protect when connected to the computer, You can remove write protection from your usb flash drive or memory card using the below method:1. Open Start Menu >> Run, type regedit and press Enter, this will open
the registry editor.2. Navigate to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies
Note: If
the registry key StorageDevicePolicies does not exist, you will need to create it manually.3. Double click the key WriteProtect in the right window and set the value to 0 in the Value Data Box and press OK button
4. Restart your computer and try copying files into your USB drives.
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Your solution was the right one for me in Vista Home Premium.
Thanks alot!
thanks for the help but i can’t find still the word WriteProtect on the right side in item #3. can you help me? usb still on the write protect mode. thanks!
blessings!
if writeprotect is not there, then create it and set the value to 0
hei men…
thAnKs for the help! it really works…^^
i thought downloading USB Write Protector can protect it from viruses, malwares, spywares etc.. now i know! these served as a lesson for me. From now on, i must be careful b4 downloading anything..
b4, when i haven’t resolved these, i’m thinking for buying a new usb. But thank God i didnt waste money.. thank you!
check and remove
thank for the help, but windows cannot find the word regedit. how can i switch to the register editor
hi.. how do i create the WRITEPROTECT?
btw ur page is very useful thanks a lot
Thanks a lot dude. it helped me a lot. i tried a lots of stuff before this nothing worked .
hi.. how do i create the WRITEPROTECT?
I tried this procedure but not to solve my problem (please help me to removing Write Protection USB removing)
• Start Menu -> Run -> type ‘regedit’ (without the quotes) -> Hit Enter !
• Now take a backup of your registry, incase something goes wrong:
Right Click on ‘My Computer’ -> ‘Export’ > save it on the Desktop.
• Now Browse through these tabs:
My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies
• Double click on the string ‘WriteProtect’ and change the ‘Value Data’ box to ‘0’
• On Toolbar, Click on File -> Export -> Save it anywhere with any name like ‘WriteProtection01.reg’ or anything.
You need to repeat the step 3 – step 5 with every string on folder named ‘ControlSet***’ (* = any Digit, i.e. 001, 002) – that is, instead of currentcontrolset, repeat the steps for folders controlset***
For Example :
My Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Control\StorageDevicePolicies
- Again export it on same directory as before, named as ‘WriteProtection0**.reg’
Many thanks.
Your experience and advice worked like a charm.
I am happily sharing my favorite StarCraft BW maps with my friends. Once again,
Thank-you,
gladi82or
thanks dude its working
thanx a lot, setting the Value from 1 to 0 in the file helped. many thanx.
Can you please help so that such issue doesn’t reoccur further.
My flash drive came write protected, but I want to use it. There is no corruption of my registry. There is no HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies in my system.
When I check properties for the drive, there is no write protection box to uncheck. So – how do I strip the write protection – or should I just toss the drive?
john, just simply create the key folder manually called ‘StorageDevicePolicies’ then create a key value called ‘WriteProtect’ then set the value to 0
good luck
thank u very much dude.. It really works…
I have followed or should have said I tried to follow precisely what you advised as below:
1. Start Menu > Run > regedit > Enter
2. Registry Editor:
On the left hand column, I followed:
Computer > HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > SYSTEM > CurentControlSet > Control
After that, I do not have the registry key ‘StorageDevicePolicies’. Although you have mentioned on the NOTE, to create a new one but I am not 100% certain to be heroic to do so. Therefore, I would be compassionately grateful if you please put in plain words systematically exactly how I shall create it manually and what to do next if that fails.
I have followed the Note to create a new key but it seems did not work. My OS of my PC is VISTA Home Premium.
Kindest regards, Hassan…
Hi I opened regedit and didn’t found the register StorageDevicePolicies. So I created it and also created the WriteProtect key and set value to 0 as you’ve mentioned. I restarted my computer, but it didn’t help
Can you, please, advise me anything else?
P.S. my OS is Windows XP Service Pack 2
my pen drive was write protected and that is changed the hard drive format.how to recovery it.pls send the format details.
Hi i have 2 usb flash drive. one working fine but the other one came write protected. I tried regedit as adviced but did not help me. what else can i do to solve this problem. thanks
guys the method of using regedit works perfectly. i tried it and i cld not believe that my usb was working nicely again. my OP is XP Service pack 2. thanks