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Remove the Write Protection on a Disk

This tutorial provides steps to remove write protection from a disk in Windows 10/8/7, starting with checking for a hardware lock on external devices. If no hardware lock is found, users are guided to edit the Windows registry to unlock USB ports, and if issues persist, to boot into Safe Mode for formatting the device. Additional troubleshooting includes performing destructive write tests to fix corrupt file tables, with recommendations for third-party software like HD Tune for recovery options.

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Milos Kandic
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6 views

Remove the Write Protection on a Disk

This tutorial provides steps to remove write protection from a disk in Windows 10/8/7, starting with checking for a hardware lock on external devices. If no hardware lock is found, users are guided to edit the Windows registry to unlock USB ports, and if issues persist, to boot into Safe Mode for formatting the device. Additional troubleshooting includes performing destructive write tests to fix corrupt file tables, with recommendations for third-party software like HD Tune for recovery options.

Uploaded by

Milos Kandic
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as DOCX, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Remove the Write Protection on a Disk

The following tutorial aims to help you remove the Write Protection on a Disk in Windows
10/8/7. The exact message would be:

The disk is write-protected. Remove the write-protection or use another disk

Is There A Hardware Lock

Some external devices such as pen drives carry a hardware lock in the form of switch. You need
to see if the device has a switch and if it is pushed to protect the device from accidental writing.
Remove the device from computer and if the switch is in on state, push it back to disable write
protection.

If the device switch is off and you still get the message or if there is no hardware lock on the
device, confirm with your system administrator to see if he has blocked USB ports. If the USB
port is not blocked by the admin, let us check the Windows registry to see if it has been changed
to lock the USB ports.

Editing The Registry

To check if the registry key is modified by some reason,

1. Press Windows Key + R


2. In the Run dialog box that appears, type regedit. Press Enter
3. You can now see Registry Editor. Expand the key HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE.
4. Expand System Folder in the left pane under HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
5. Look for CurrentControlSet and expand it to locate Services
6. When you expand Services, click on USBSTOR
7. In the right pane, double click on Start. In the box that appears, enter 3.
8. Close Registry Editor.
After changing the registry value, try to save anything to the external drive that is giving you the
problem. If you are still receiving the message, the problem may be with the device. Try
attaching another external storage device and see if it works. The next section explains how to
troubleshoot the message: Disk Is Write Protected – assuming the problem lies with the device

Boot into Safe Mode and Format the Device

You will not be able to format the device if you try to do it after booting into Windows normally.
You will receive the same message saying a device is write-protected. To counter this:

1. Reboot Windows.
2. As soon as the computer turns on again, press F8.
3. You will see a menu with Boot Into Safe Mode as an option.
4. Select that option using arrow keys and press Enter.
5. When Windows boots and finally gives you the desktop, open Run dialog (Win Key + R)
6. Type CMD in the Run dialog to get a black DOS Window
7. In the black window, type format followed by the drive letter of the removable
storage. For example, if the problem drive is F, type format f:
8. Be aware that typing format will remove the contents of the storage device. Make sure
you are using this option at the point where all you want is to be able to use the device
again. Also, make sure you know the drive letter as entering a wrong drive letter will
totally erase the data of the related drive.

After the format, try to save anything to the disk. If you are able to save, the problem is fixed. If
not, and if you wish, you can proceed with the next troubleshooting step at your own risk.

Destructive Write Testing

Destructive write tests often solve the problem when the file tables of external storage devices
are corrupt. Though you will be able to access the device in most cases, the chances that you will
find old data on those devices are slim. Almost all destructive write tests destroy the file
allocation table completely and create a new one. You may also need to format the disk before
you can store any data on it – after the testing.

There are some good third party software that help you achieve this. I would recommend HD
Tune. The free version is enough to get you your disk back working. However, do not expect to
recover old data. You may try data recovery tools after the destructive write testing, but as said
earlier, chances would be slim.

You might want also to read, The Disk Is Write-Protected for Removable Disks. This post talks
about modifying another registry key and how to use the command prompt to remove the Write
Protection.

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