the Storage Is Write-protected. Remove the Write-protection and Try Again.

USB memory sticks and similar transferable information storage devices are convenient if you want to take your photos, media, or work files fix to get. It's been quite some time since these storage devices have become the most prevalent method for storing digital data. However, sometimes it might happen that you tin't transfer your files onto a USB stick because write protection is activated.

Failed write attempts can be quite an inconvenience on a USB stick. Luckily, there are quick and easy methods to solve the write protection issue, whether yous're on a Windows PC or a Mac. There'southward even a solution if y'all're working on a Chromebook.

Note: Some SanDisk USB sticks (flash drives) and possibly other brands take an internal protection machinery. According to SanDisk, if the USB bulldoze experiences a power fluctuation or other potentially damaging mistake, it shuts off write access, and at that place is no mode to become it dorsum. They await you to copy the information to another drive and supervene upon information technology.

Check for a Write Protection Switch First

Earlier we go into details about write protection removal in different operating systems, there'southward ane thing to check first. Some data storage units have a physical switch for toggling write protection on or off.

Have the USB stick you've tried to write to and look for that switch, usually located on the side, and it might also exist labeled every bit "Lock" or "Write Protection." Switch information technology to the other position, reinsert information technology, and and then transfer data to the memory stick again.

If that works, your trouble is solved, and all yous demand to practice is ensure the switch doesn't accidentally get moved in the wrong position again. If there's no switch (about common), or yous even so can't write to the USB, you lot'll need to employ other methods. Permit'south become started!

Remove USB Write Protection using Windows

There are several ways to remove write protection from a USB stick if y'all accept a Windows PC. Let's take a look at some of them now.

Plow Bitlocker Off to Disable USB Write Protection

Since Windows seven, BitLocker got integrated into Windows 7/Vista Enterprise and Ultimate, and Windows eight and above Pro and Ultimate editions to protect your data with encryption. The software primarily gets used for internal drives, just information technology tin can as well encrypt USB sticks/drives. Other versions of Windows like Home editions crave a split up download to decrypt the data when it comes to USB encryption. This scenario also applies when using macOS. Yes, Windows has a Bitlocker decryption tool for Macs too. Regardless, Bitlocker is off by default, but you may accept activated it before and forgot nearly it, or someone else did it.

How to Turn Off BitLocker on a USB Stick

To turn off BitLocker on a USB stick, you must take the countersign or recovery central. If you lot don't have either option, you'll have to reformat the drive. If y'all have the key or password to BitLocker, follow the steps below.

1. Open "File Explorer" and look for the storage device you have in listen. If the icon has a padlock, BitLocker was enabled for the device.
2. Correct-click on the icon and go to "Manage BitLocker." This stride takes you to the BitLocker Bulldoze Encryption window, where a list of all storage units and their encryption status display.
3. All y'all need to practice now is click on the protected USB bulldoze and select "Turn Off BitLocker." Enter the password or select other options and choose to enter the recovery central. The status shows that the device is getting decrypted and, upon completion, BitLocker is turned off.

After y'all've disabled BitLocker, effort to copy something on the USB stick again and run into if the problem got resolved.

Use Diskpart to Disable USB Write Protection

Diskpart is a command tool that lets you manage all storage units detected past the computer. To remove write protection using Diskpart, follow these steps:

1. Outset of all, cheque and remember (or write downwards) the storage capacity of the USB device. This suggestion comes in handy later. After you've confirmed the infinite limit, plug the USB stick into the estimator port.
   
2. Launch "Command Prompt." You lot tin can do this either by pressing "Windows key+R" and typing "CMD" or searching for Command Prompt from the "Start Menu." If you meet the "Access is denied" message, right-click on Command Prompt and choose "Run as Administrator."
   
3. In Command Prompt, type "diskpart" and press "enter." Then, type "list disk" and press "enter" once again.
   
4. You'll see a list of all storage drives, named Disk 0, Deejay 1, and then on. This pace is where yous'll need the capacity information to place your USB device. Compare information technology to the "Size" cavalcade, and you'll find the disk number.
   
5. Blazon "Select disk #" , where "#" is the deejay number. For example, if your USB was Disk i, type "select disk 1" without quotes, and then hit "enter."
   
6. Type "Attributes disk clear readonly" and press "enter." Yes, "attributes" has an "s" and "readonly" is one word.
   
7. Finally, expect for the write protection removal to finish, type "Exit" , then hit "enter" to shut the command prompt window.
   
8. Restart your PC and effort writing on the USB stick once again after the system has rebooted.
   

Use the Windows Registry to Disable USB Write Protect

Going into the Registry is non recommended if you're not an experienced user. The wrong input could seriously affect your system performance or return it unresponsive. Don't worry, though. Fifty-fifty if you're non familiar with the under-the-hood features, you'll be able to remove the write protection if you follow our method very carefully. But ensure not to take any action other than the specified steps beneath.

1. Connect the removable storage device to your PC, type "regedit" in the Cortana Search Bar, then select the "Registry Editor" app and click on "Open."
   
2. Click on the "right-facing chevron" (angle bracket) symbol next to "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" in the left sidebar to expand the directory structure of that folder.
   
3. Echo "Pace ane" procedures for the "System" folder to expand it, then practice the aforementioned for "CurrentControlSet." The complete path and then far should be "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE -> System -> CurrentControlSet."
   
4. Echo "Step one" procedures once more to expand the "Control" folder, then confirm if "StorageDevicePolicies" is present. If non, proceed to "Footstep 5" to create it yourself. Otherwise, skip to "Footstep 7."
   
5. Right-click the "Command" binder. Select "New" and choose "Primal." This pace will create a new subfolder under "Command."
   
6. Rename the newly created folder to "StorageDevicePolicies."
   
7. Now, right-click on "StorageDevicePolicies," choose "New," so select "DWORD (32-bit) Value." Name the new entry "WriteProtect" without quotes or spaces.
   
8. Double-click on "WriteProtect" and modify "Value Data" to "0" and "Base" to "Hexadecimal."
   
9. Click on "OK," exit the Registry, and restart your computer.
   

Later the reboot, check if the USB is now operating as it should. This method disables the write protection on all your drives, then it should brand your USB writable over again. Beware that editing the Windows Registry on your ain can mess upward your computer, then after y'all've followed our instructions, information technology'southward best non to revisit it.

If none of the above options removed file protection from your USB stick, endeavor searching for a third-political party awarding.

Removing USB Write Protection on a Mac

There'southward much less flexibility when resolving the write protection result on Mac versus Windows. Yous only have ii options available—ane is for storage units that tin't be written to due to a mistake with the device, while the other involves formatting the bulldoze.

Option ane: Repair the Permissions

The permissions for your USB drive might be faulty, causing it to become write-protected. If that's the example, you should try fixing the error using "Disk Utility." To do so, follow these simple steps:

1. Later on plugging in the USB device, open up "Utilities" and select "Disk Utility."
   
2. Find the drive you'd like to repair in the left sidebar and select it.
   
3. Click on the "Starting time Aid" tab, look for any scans to finish, so select "Repair Deejay Permissions."

If the fault was in the permission settings, the steps in a higher place should remove the USB'due south write protection.

Selection ii: Format the Drive

Ane certain mode to remove the write protection on macOS is to format the drive. Beware that this process erases all data on the USB device, so ensure y'all copy any important files to another location before proceeding.

1. To format the USB, launch "Disk Utility," notice the drive, then click on it.
2. Become to the "Erase" tab, select "format," rename the USB drive if you lot want to, then click on "Erase." Ostend the action in the pop-up window to start the formatting procedure.

Once the bulldoze is formatted, the write protection should be gone. When choosing a format, note that some of the options are Mac-sectional, while others, like "exFat," can be universally used with Mac and Windows computers.

Removing USB Write Protection on a Chromebook

If you're using a USB with your Chromebook and suspect it's write-protected, formatting the drive is your only option. Follow the steps below to reformat your locked USB drive or stick.

1. Become to "Apps" and click "Files." Alternatively, press "Alt+Shift+M" on the keyboard.
   
2. "Right-click" on the drive and choose "Format Device."
   
3. Ostend the activity by clicking "OK" in the popular-up prompt, then wait for the process to finish.
   

Unfortunately, this is the only reliable method to remove write protection from a USB on Chromebook. Every bit previously stated, formatting the drive will erase all data, so back information technology up beforehand.

Remove Write Protection From a USB on Linux

If y'all are a Linux user, this process unlocks the write protection on your USB drive or stick.

1. First, launch the "Applications Card ()," and so look for and click on "Terminal" or type "term" in the search bar at the summit to observe it and launch it. On some Linux distros, "Shift + Ctrl + T" or "Ctrl + Alt + T" launch the terminal also.
   
2. Next, blazon "lsblk" and press "enter" to get a list of all attached devices.
3. Type "sudo hdparm -r0 /dev/sdb" without quotes and printing "enter." In this example, the USB is mounted at "/dev/sdb." Conform accordingly (sdb, sda, etc.) The "-r0" turns the read-but permission off. Yous might need to unmount/remount the USB drive via the last once read-only is off.

In the example/procedures higher up, you identify the drive, so change its read-simply permissions to off, then unmount and remount it via the terminal, not past ejecting information technology.

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In endmost, write protection can be a nuisance, especially when you don't know how it happened on your storage device. Luckily, you've learned how to remove write protection from a USB on Windows, Mac, Linux, and Chromebook computers. The issue should no longer catch y'all off-guard, but in that location are no guarantees. With all the methods explained here, at least one should allow y'all to edit, copy, move, or delete files on your USB or SD carte du jour in no fourth dimension!

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Source: https://www.alphr.com/how-to-remove-write-protection-from-a-usb/

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