How to Format Write Protected USB Disk Drive and SD Card

How to Format Write Protected USB Disk Drive and SD Card

Are you struggling with a write-protected USB disk drive or SD card, unable to modify or store data? Don’t worry; we have got you covered. In this comprehensive guide, we will discuss how to format write protected USB disk drive and SD card.

The 4 ways to format write-protected USB disk drives and SD cards are:

  • Check the Device for Virus
  • Checking the Write Protection Button
  • Using Registry Editor
  • USB Formatting Utilities

By reading the full article, you will gain a deeper understanding of each step and valuable tips to troubleshoot issues.

Top 4 Ways to Write Protected USB Disk Drive and SD Card

An endless number of users test all the above methods. But none of the above can surely remove the error. Not that the above methods don’t work, they don’t provide sure-shot results and convince remotely very few people. The methods given below are not any magical formulas; they are very straightforward ways and have a relatively high rate of receiving a favorable outcome.

Check this out: How To Password Protect Google Drive Folders [Step-By-Step Guide]

1. Check the Device for Virus

virus

Sharing your storage device with many people may have caused the device to gain a virus or a Trojan, due to which the write protection error could arise. Without taking any chances, it is better to first scan all the data with an authentic anti-virus and either quarantine or remove it. With this, your write protection will get easily removed.

2. Checking the Write Protection Button

button

Some storage devices come with a write protection switch on the device itself. People tend to ignore the switch and try solving the issue on the software when the problem is on the hardware. So check the button on either side of the storage device. To remove the write protection, slide the switch downwards, and the error will be gone forever.

3. Using Registry Editor

In this way, we will focus on the registry values of the PC. The error may also occur when the pen drive or SD card overwrites their values under the respective section in the registry, and the default value gets changed. So, to remove the error:

  • Open Run,  type Regedit, and click on Registry Editor.
  • Follow this path in Registry Editor HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentConrolSet/Control/StorageDevicePolicy.
  • Set its value to 0 in the write protection option.

USB Formatting Utilities

Now utilities are like shortcuts to heaven. They are simple, ordered, and, most important; they are less complicated and mostly have a user-friendly interface. Mainstream companies like Kingston, HP, SanDisk, etc. have USB formatting utilities you can download from their official website. They were made to format USB drives officially, thus removing viruses, if any. Here I will discuss some USB formatting utilities that would help you remove the write protection error.

The Apacer Repair tool begins with two functions, i.e., format and restore.

format and restore

As you probably imagined, the format function is for formatting the USB drive, and the restore function works by restoring the drive on a very low-level format.

function

Through this, restore thoroughly cleans your storage device and reset all values to default settings.

clean

If the above functions don’t work. Apacer has got a solution for you. For that, you have to contact the Apacer customer help which details are given on their official website. They will help you remove the error, or even they may replace your storage device.

Now we reach the Kingston format utility. Let it identify the drive, scan the file system, and determine the error.

 

kingston

Initially, it worked, but it still protected the flash drive writing. Like the Apacer tool, it changed the drive’s name as well, but to Kingston instead of Public. Unsurprisingly, it worked, with the test drive being a Kingston product.

Conclusion

In conclusion, this article has explored various methods to format write-protected USB disk drive and SD card. However, caution should be exercised when attempting these solutions. Always remember to back up crucial data before attempting any formatting process.

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