How to Fix the Disk is Write Protected Error in USB

This is one of the most common problems which occurs in USB. You try to save your data in USB Flash Drive it gives you a message that you drive is “Write Protected”. It didn’t allow you to save the data on that USB.

If you try to format that USB. You cannot able to format also. Some removable USB flash drives or pen drives have a write-protected system which basically helps the user to prevent the user from unexpected data loss or delete the file from it. That why it shows the write protected message. Which is still unknown for a lot of users. If your USB stuck in write protected. Here are the following fixes that might help to fix it

How to Fix the Disk is Write Protected Error in USB

Fix-1 Check and Unlock USB flash Drive switch

Before trying other fixes make sure that you are using write-protected USB that has a protected switch. Some USB have a built-in Write Protected switch buttons.

There will be a very small slider switch at the side of the USB. That’s might be the reason you not able to write on your flash drive. To Turn Off the write protect simply switch it Unlock Symbol. Now try to copy a file in it.

Fix-2 Check the USB Stick for Viruses

You connect your USB to a different computer. Whenever you connect USB on different computers that computer you don’t own or a public computer. Maybe that computer having some kind of virus that acts on your USB. The virus spread from one drive to another in a computer within a second. When you attach a USB to that computer it can be spread in that USB. Or you might be copying the virus when you try to copy a large number of files.

So you should have to scan the USB drive for the virus. If antivirus find any virus delete them on the spot.

Fix-3. Is the USB Drive Write Protected or Corrupted?

You can fix the USB protected error form Registry Editor in windows. But you should have do these steps carefully. You just follow the steps which are given below to fix the disk is write protected USB error.

1. First open run windows by pressing (Windows + R) and type “regedit”.
2. Navigate the following path

• Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

3. In the right-side panel click on “WriteProtect” right-click on it and select Modify….
4. Change the value 1 to 0 and click OK
5. After that restart your computer.

Fix-4. Check to Make Sure the USB Stick Isn’t Full

You might also see that error when USB Drive is full. You try to copy a file in it but you sometimes don’t know how much space you left in that Drive.

If you want to check the used space. Open your Windows Explorer. Right-click on that drive and choose properties. A new popup window will be open there you will check how much space you left in that drive.

Fix-5. Remove The Files Which Is Set Write Protection

Sometimes there is a file that is marked as read-only which you cannot delete for it. This might be the reason it shows write protected error. But don’t worry you set it very easily.

Open your USB and locate that file. Right-click on that file and select properties. Select the General tab. At the bottom you will see the Readonly option You should have to uncheck it and click on Apply and OK for save changes.

Fix-6. DiskPart Command Prompt Utility

If you didn’t find any file which is select as read-only, don’t worry you can disable read-only file from the Command prompt by the disk part method. Just follow the steps which are given below.

• Open the Run Window by pressing Windows + R and then type cmd and press Enter Button.
• Now at their type “diskpart” and press the Enter button.
• Now type “list disk” and press Enter It will show the list of Disk which is attached to your computer or laptop.

• Select your USB drive at their Disk 1 is my USB drive. To select the Disk type “Select Disk [disk number]” and hit Enter. It will show the confirmation message that the disk is selected.
• Now type “attributes disk” and press Enter. It will show the status of that drive.

• Now type “attributes disk clear readonly” and press the Enter button.

Now try to copy a file in your drive.

Fix-7. Foramte The USB Drive

Warning: before trying that process make sure that you make a backup of whole USB data.

If all of the fixes are not work. Then this is last option left.  Try to change the file system type. it determine what kind of file formate it has. Normaly it will be FAT32 or NTFS.

Open you Windows Explorer which is located in My PC. At there select you USB drive right click on it and the choose formate.  when you foramte you USB there will be several customizable options. which include, Allocation unit size, Volume Label, and the Quick Foramte Option.

I should recommend that you click on Restore device defaults button,

USB Write Protection Errors, Solved

Now your USB is fixed or not. if it is fixed that is good news for you. If it is not then that might be some kind of issue in your USB flash hardware. We have a solution to it. Sometimes error comes in a partition. In this case, you should have to delete the partition of that USB, we recommended  TestDisk that should help you with that problem.

We hope that by using that fixes you will work again.

Also, Read This Article Create Bootable USB Drives to Install by Rufus | 5 Easy Setup