The micro sit is write protected what to do. How to remove write protection from an SD memory card? Flash drive problems associated with system messages that the disk is write-protected

Miniature USB flash drives are our reliable electronic storage devices for various data. With their help, information can be easily "carried" in your pocket.

USB flash drives are convenient, compact, mobile, have a stylish design and make it possible to connect to any modern device with a USB connector for reading and writing information.

How flash drives work

The USB Flash Drive uses non-volatile NAND flash memory controlled by a microcontroller. The controller chip contains information about the manufacturer, available memory and service information necessary for the operation of the device. The storage time of information in memory cells is quite long, but limited. The number of data rewriting on a flash drive ranges from five to ten thousand cycles.

Typically, flash media with a small amount of memory uses the FAT family file system (FAT 16, FAT 32, ex FAT), and for Flash larger than 64 GB, NTFS or ex FAT systems are used.

Protecting information on flash drives

To ensure the security of storing confidential information and prevent viruses on flash media, various protection methods are used. It:

In this case, when you try to change the data on the connected flash drive, for example, when formatting, copying, transferring, deleting information, messages about the write protection of the disk appear on the monitor screen.

This review provides several options for removing protection in case of mechanical and software blocking of a flash drive.

This article will also consider possible reasons failures in the flash drive or software, causing a ban on overwriting, as well as ways to eliminate such malfunctions.

Flash drive problems associated with system messages that the disk is write-protected

Blocking a flash drive from being overwritten can be caused by:

Special user actions to protect confidential information during mechanical blocking and data encryption;
Software write prohibition set in the current operating system;
Hardware settings of a personal computer that prohibit writing to USB devices;
Limiting overwrite cycles when the flash drive has exhausted its resources. In this case, Flash is put into read-only mode;
Disk overflow and lack of free space for recording data;
Malfunction and disconnection of the USB ports of the computer;
Incorrect formatting;
File system errors;
Damaged (Bad) blocks (sectors) of the memory chip caused by wear;
Removal or absence of a special program - "driver", designed for the correct recognition of devices by the operating system;
Unsafe removal of the device from the USB connector during running processes of recording, moving, renaming, deleting, downloading, reading open files;
Running (hanging) system processes accessing the disk;
The use of flash drives in devices with various types of operating and hardware systems. For example, after watching movies on a TV and recording video data from it, the flash is not detected and is not read by the computer. In these cases, each operating system changes the file structure of the flash drive, while writing data under its own unique scheme;
Malfunctions of the main hardware components: memory chips and microcontroller (including failures of its program);
Poor manufacturing when buying "fakes" of leading brands;
Under thermal and electrical influences. For example, during discharges of static electricity and overheating;
Mechanical damage as a result of breaks, cracks, scratches, desoldering and impacts during falls;
Exposure to moisture and electromagnetic radiation;
Instability of power supply;
Malicious software - viruses.

The main ways to remove protection from overwriting information from a flash drive

Hardware way

Some manufacturers of USB drives implement mechanical protection against changes in the form of a switch (Lock), which allows or prohibits writing. Usually, it is located on the side of the media and is marked with a padlock icon.

To release the mechanical lock, move the lever in the opposite direction.

Software ways to unlock flash media using standard Windows tools

Removing overwrite protection using the Windows Registry Editor

The registry is a hierarchical database of parameters, hardware and software settings, information about user profiles Windows systems.

The registry editor is a special program included in the standard set of Windows operating systems. It allows you to add, edit registry keys and settings, set default values, import or export keys to save, and restore the registry file from a backup in case of system failures.

There are three options to enter the Registry Editor:

Using the software utility "Run". For this:

After the registry editor has been launched, namely the following window has opened

need to find the registry branch

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Control\

Color: #008000;">Control and then the StorageDevicePolicies subsection, if it exists, and in the right part of the program interface, pay attention to the binary parameter WriteProtect (Reg_Dword ), the value of which can be (0 ) or (1 ).

If this parameter is present and equal to (1), this is the reason for blocking the flash drive.

To remove protection, you must:

double click on the parameter WriteProtect (Reg_Dword) ;
manually change its value from (1) to (0);
confirm changes OK ;
close the registry editor;
to restart a computer;
check the removal of protection from the device.

If the registry key is missing HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\ SYSTEM\ CurrentControlSet\ Control\ StorageDevicePolicies, it must be created using the "Editor" described above in this way:

Removing protection from overwriting a flash drive using the Windows command line

For advanced users, the Windows operating system provides the ability to enter text-based computer and MS-DOS commands using a command-line shell program.

The command console can be run with standard user or administrator rights.

To remove the overwrite protection or read-only attribute from USB drives, it is recommended to work in the console with administrator rights.

There are several ways to start the command line interface:

Launching Command Prompt in Windows 7

Using the software utility "Run".

For this:

Through Search in the Start menu. For this:

Launching Command Prompt in Windows 8

Launching Command Prompt in Windows 10

Similarly, you can find the console application " Command line (cmd)"through the Start menu and run it through the context menu" On behalf of the administrator»

With any of the above methods, the next console window opens.

Using the interface for entering text commands, you must do the following:

Removing overwrite protection using the Local Group Policy Editor

Group Policy is a set of rules that allows you to manage user settings and policy settings in Windows operating systems.

The Group Policy Editor is a Microsoft Management Console snap-in available as a standard set of utilities for operating systems starting with Windows Server 2008R2 and Professional editions for Windows 7 and Windows 8.

With this tool you can:

configure various personal computer settings,
set some restrictions for individual users or their groups on the launch and installation of programs, services, processes,
prohibit changing information on any media, including removable drives, etc.

There are several ways to launch the editor:

After opening the Local Group Policy Editor, to remove write protection from removable USB drives, you must go to the following console tabs:

Software ways to unlock flash media using special software

If the standard means operating system Windows, described above, did not lead to the desired result and the flash drive remains blocked, you can use special software (hereinafter referred to as software) various manufacturers to remove the protection and restore performance.

In most cases, such software formats a flash drive, deleting all data on it.

Selecting Flash Recovery Software

The choice of utilities for servicing a USB Flash Drive is based on the conformity of the flash drive model, its memory chip and controller.

All well-known USB Flash manufacturers develop special utilities for their products that restore device performance and correct possible defects. Such programs can be found on official websites and downloaded.

When selecting software for a particular model of a Flash device, it is desirable to know such values as:

Vendor - manufacturer;
Product - model;
VID - Vendor Identifier, manufacturer identifier;
PID - Product Identifier, product identifier, that is, a specific device model;
Serial Number - serial number;
Controller Model - controller model, etc.

If determining the model (Product) and manufacturer (Vendor) does not cause any particular difficulties, then to discover other information, you will need to use third-party programs or built-in tools of the operating system.

In order to find out the VID and PID of a USB device through the built-in system tools, you must do the following:

You can also use the ChipGenius program from Chinese developers to determine the information about the flash drive, which displays a report on the following data: Vendor, Product, VID, PID, SerialNumber, ControllerModel, FlashID, Channel, etc. This program is compatible with various controller models. You can download ChipGenius for free from the official website of the developer at this link.

Below is the ChipGenius interface with a sample USB 32GB Flash device scan report and definitions of values such as:

Device Vendor, Product Model (Innostor);
Device Name (PenDrive);
VID (1F75);
PID(0903);
serial number;
controller manufacturer (Vendor Innostor);
Controller Part-Number and other parameters.

ChipGenius interface with flash drive scan report

When the necessary parameters are set, then using special sites with extensive databases of known flash drives (for example, http://flashboot.ru/iflash/), it is easy to find a utility to restore them or even “flash” the controller.

Below we will consider popular programs that will help remove protection from a flash drive and restore its performance.

Users should remember that during the operation of such software, data from flash drives will be permanently deleted.

AlcorMP

AlcorMP is a recovery program for flash drives with controllers manufactured by Alcor. It allows you not only to remove protection from a flash drive, but also to restore its performance, “flash” the controller and create protected partitions on the disk.

When using AlcorMP, all data on the USB drive is permanently deleted as a result of formatting.

Therefore, if the data on the media is important to you, then first try to recover deleted files from the flash drive. Since the official developer no longer supports this utility, our site recommends downloading AlcorMP for free from this link.

After downloading the program, you need to unpack it and run the AlcorMP.exe executable file as administrator and then connect the USB flash drive.

To recognize the device, press the Refresh (R) button. After reading the data, the program window will display media data marked with a black letter or number (in the example shown, the letter G). If the letter is red, then you need to use another software, because the flash drive cannot be processed in AlcorMP.

If desired, you can configure the utility for in-depth analysis of flash memory. To do this, go to Settings (Setup S) and set the value of the scan speed.

To start formatting, press Start (Start A) and wait for the process of removing attributes from the flash. Depending on the volume, speed of the media, the state of the memory, this process takes from two minutes to an hour.

Upon completion of the process, first disconnect the drive from the USB connector, and then close the program, check the performance of the flash drive and the success of removing the read-only attribute.

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool is a freeware program designed to format any models of flash media. With its help, you can partially restore inoperable flash drives and format disks even in cases where this fails. standard means operating system. You can download the Russian version of HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool for free on the official website.

The functionality of the utility allows you to unlock any USB device, select the file system (NTFS, FAT32), quick format option, assign a label to the disk, enable information compression for NTFS.

There is also an additional option HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool - creating bootable flash media using MS - DOS files located on the hard drive.

The program does not require installation. After downloading, the executable file HPUSBDisk.exe is launched (as administrator) from the archive, a disk is selected, the necessary values \u200b\u200bfor the file system, label and formatting method are set, and the Start button is pressed. At the end of the process - close the interface Close (Close) and check the unlocking of the flash drive

JetFlash Recovery Tool

JetFlash Recovery Tool is a program designed to recover flash drives manufactured by Transcend (JetFlash) and A-Data, available for free use. You can read an overview of the program on our website.

Functionality:

Correction of errors in reading record blocks at high data processing speed;
Unblocking in case of impossibility of recording;
Recognition of media with a RAW file system that has a damaged structure;
Formatting with the possibility of pre-saving data.

Download the program JetFlash Recovery Tool from the official website of the developer at this link.

After downloading the program, you need to run the JetFlash Recovery Tool.exe application file as an administrator and wait for installation to your hard drive

Then run the JFRecoveryTool.exe executable file to download the application, connect a non-working or blocked USB flash drive and click Start. Upon completion of work, check the normalization of the state of the media

Apacer Repair

A small Apacer Repair program was developed specifically for flash media from Apacer Technology Inc. With it, you can perform a quick format if other options did not help, as well as repair USB Flash. As a result of software processing, you can remove the overwrite protection and correct errors in memory blocks.

You can download the Apacer Repair utility for free from the official website of the developer at this link.

After downloading the program and connecting the USB flash drive to the USB connector, launch the utility and follow the instructions on the screen.

Disk formatting starts with a warning: "" ( This will destroy all data on the flash drive, do you want to continue?)

Clicking the Format button starts quick formatting. A successful wipe operation will remove the write protection from the flash drive.

Other reasons for blocking USB devices from being overwritten and how to fix them

Viruses blocked the flash drive for writing

Computer viruses are malicious software, which disrupts the operation of operating systems, the file structure, deletes information, blocks media, and encrypts data without authorization.

The term viruses includes such types of malware as trojans, downloaders - droppers, phishing sites, worms, spam bots, spiders, etc.

These programs are capable of creating their own copies and being introduced through communication channels into systems, boot sectors of computers. They bring a lot of trouble to users by stealing confidential information and disrupting entire computer systems.

According to statistics, the most common cause of USB drive failures is malware or viruses.

When connecting an external drive to an unprotected computer, there is a high probability of infection, i.e. copying viruses to a flash drive.

Many viruses are designed to block access to a flash drive and prohibit any operations to change data on it in order to “protect themselves” from forced deletion or movement.

For example, such a common virus as Autorun is written to the computer's system file Autorun.inf , which allows applications to be launched from removable media. When a flash drive is connected, Autorun copies files like: Autorun.exe** , Autorun.inf __ and others to it. The symptoms of infection with this virus are as follows:

The USB drive does not open at all, or when you try to access it, it suddenly appears in another Explorer window;
it is impossible to delete or open suspicious files, and the system may display a message about write protection or inability to access the file;
task manager and registry editor do not start;
there is a hidden folder RECYCLER on the flash drive, which contains the executable file of the virus.

To combat this type of virus, special programs Anti-auto run.

In cases where a flash drive is infected with a virus that blocks any action related to changing information, you must do the following:

Install antivirus software on your computer.
When connecting a USB drive, perform a thorough scan with the installed antivirus with updated databases. It is advisable to check the flash with several programs.
If possible, format the flash drive using the built-in tools of the operating system or additional utilities described in this article.
If it is impossible to format in normal mode, try to perform this operation in the safe boot mode of the operating system (diagnostic mode, using only basic files and drivers). Why reboot the system while holding down the F8 key and select " Safe mode».
Be sure to check the hard drives of a personal computer for viruses so that they do not spread to other removable drives in the future.

Checking if the disk is full and removing protection from files intended to be copied to disk

To check the availability of free disk space, do the following:

Physical damage to the flash drive

The reason for blocking the flash drive for writing may be mechanical damage.

It usually occurs in the following cases:

when buying low-quality goods ("fakes");
when exposed to high temperature and overheating of parts of the device;
electrostatic discharge;
as a result of breaks, cracks in the electronics board, chips, scratches and impacts during falls, when the main elements are damaged: a memory chip and a microcontroller;
improper storage conditions (for example, a humid environment) and violations of operating rules;
voltage surges when power is applied to the carrier elements;
a limited period of work with a decrease in data write-erase cycles;
loosening the usb connector (interface)

If the integrity of the memory chip is not violated during physical damage, the data can be saved or restored. Such operations are carried out by specialists in service centers.

Malfunction or disconnection of the USB ports of the PC

Sometimes the reason for the appearance of write protection on a USB flash drive may be a malfunction or disconnection of the USB ports of a computer, laptop or other device by software or technical means.

To check for a port problem:

insert the disk drive into another USB port;
connect other USB devices to the connector. For example, a camera mobile phone, printer, tablet. If devices are not recognized personal computer, are read in jumps with significant interruptions, system connection error messages pop up, which means that the USB port is not working.

Thus, you can eliminate the possibility of problems with USB ports when you receive messages that the disk is write-protected

Prohibition of writing to flash devices when software and hardware disable USB ports

To restrict access to connected removable media (flash drives, portable hard drives, phones, etc.) or even prohibit their use, computer system administrators disable USB ports. The purpose of such measures is to prevent the theft of valuable information or the infection of computers with malware and spyware through flash drives. This causes system messages about the ban on writing to the memory of Flash devices. If you got behind such a computer, then you need to enable the USB port.

There are several ways to disable (enable) USB ports:

Through BIOS.
This is a small program recorded in a special chip on the motherboard of the system unit. It is designed for the initial startup of the computer, testing its main components, performing input-output functions, storing information about the hardware components of the PC and their settings.

To disable USB ports:
- enter BIOSby holding one of the following keys: Del, F2, F10, Esc, F8;
- find all the values \u200b\u200brelated to USB Controller (or Legacy USB Support) and set the parameter Enabled for them;
- press the F10 key to confirm the changes in the settings;
- to restart a computer.
Using the registry editor.
This method is convenient because, unlike the previous one, USB devices such as keyboards, mice, printers, scanners are not disabled, but only flash drives.

This article has already covered the process of loading the registry editor as a standard operating system utility.

To disable ports through the editor, you must:
In the device manager. For this:
Uninstalling (deleting) the USB controller drivers.
Using special software to set access levels and prohibit users from connecting USB devices. For example, Microsoft Fix It 50061 and USB Drive Disabler programs perform these functions.
Disconnecting USB from the computer's motherboard. In this case, you can disable only the ports on the front and top of the system unit case by disconnecting the adapter cables that go to the motherboard.
You can also allow/deny access to removable storage devices using the Group Policy Editor. This method was discussed above in the article.
In reverse order, you can check and connect all controllers and USB ports, allowing access to personal computer users.

Thus, by checking all options for disabling USB ports, you can eliminate the possibility of blocking flash media for overwriting.

Microcontroller software failures and flash memory wear

Each flash media includes a controller chip designed to connect the flash memory and the computer. The controller is controlled by firmware, part of which is stored in the chip. This program is responsible for the memory parameters, the operation of the translator, contains the values of product identifiers and the so-called write prohibit flags.

In cases of improper operation, unsafe removal of the media during running recording and transfer processes, power surges, the controller software crashes. One of the signs of such a malfunction is the blocking of the device for recording information.

Blocking of the device can also occur due to the wear of the memory chip, in which bad blocks appear and the threshold of rewrite cycles is exceeded. In this case, the microcontroller marks the blocks as unused, blocks the flash for writing, and goes into data protection mode to prevent further destruction of the NAND memory.

To eliminate software failures, you should reprogram (“reflash”) the microcontroller using special software. Firmware programs are selected in accordance with the controller model and flash media identifiers (VID and PID). More details about the selection of such software were described above in the article.

Flash drive file system errors

Damage to the internal structure of the file system is a violation of the order of storing and naming data in the memory of a flash drive. Logic errors can be caused by unsafe removal of the device from the USB connector, power surges, viruses, memory wear and other reasons. As a result of such failures, the disk is blocked for overwriting, there is no access to it, an undefined RAW file structure is displayed in the properties of the USB disk, and a system message is displayed that the disk needs to be formatted.

In these cases it is necessary:

using special software matched to a specific model of a flash device, try to recover valuable information;
perform a high-level format that will restore the file system.

The selection of utilities for recovering and formatting Flash USB was described above in the article.

Low-level formatting - as one of the ways to restore the performance of a locked flash drive

If attempts to recover information on a locked USB device did not lead to the desired results and the data stored in memory is not important to the user, it is best to perform a low-level flash format (Low Level Format), which will allow you to fix the damaged memory.

Low Level Format is the basic markup in the data storage area with a record of control information, which is usually carried out at device manufacturers and remains unchanged. However, there are a number of programs whose capabilities allow users to carry out low-level formatting themselves.

The Low Level Format process completely deletes data from the device memory and it is no longer possible to restore it. This action is carried out in order to block damaged areas of the USB Flash, which will not be recorded during further operation, as well as to prevent the theft of confidential information.

The most popular program for carrying out the process of low-level formatting of USB devices is HDD Low Level Format Tool. It allows you to change the size of the drive. Works with removable drives via USB and Firewire interfaces. During the erase process, the partition table, boot sectors (if any), manufacturer data, and every byte of data are cleared. The program is shareware.

AT free version(free) there are restrictions on formatting speed, and there is no access to program updates.

After downloading the program, you need to install it following the instructions on the screen.

Choose one of the options for using the program:

Since low-level formatting deletes all bytes of information, in order to resume working with the device, it is necessary to carry out high-level formatting, using the usual standard operating system tools, having decided on the file system of the flash drive.

Results

In this article, the possible causes of flash drive malfunctions that cause a ban on overwriting have been discussed in detail. The main measures to eliminate such problems were listed.

In some cases, with serious mechanical damage and software failures of the Flash USB, users are advised to contact service centres. Specialists use highly specialized software on special equipment to restore and repair USB devices.

If all the methods listed in the article did not help to “save” the flash device, and it remained inoperative, then you should think about buying a new one.

In order for the purchased flash drive to serve for a long time and be a reliable carrier of important information, you must follow the simple rules for using Flash USB:

do not expose them to mechanical shocks;
isolate from moisture, high temperature and exposure to electromagnetic fields;
remove only using "Safely Remove Hardware";
periodically defragment the memory area;
check for errors using the system chkdsk utilities(scanning and correction of data errors);
be sure to use anti-virus software and keep it up-to-date to protect against virus infection.

With prolonged and active use of an SD or microSD memory card, you may encounter certain kinds of problems. One of these is write protection, due to which no files can be placed on the drive. Let's talk about how to remove it today.

Disabling memory card protection

Unfortunately, much more often write protection turns out to be software, and therefore it will not be possible to remove it so easily. In this case, it is necessary to act comprehensively, alternately resorting to various options for solving the problem, which is usually accompanied by the following notification when trying to interact with the drive (formatting, deleting files, moving them, inserting, etc.):

Note: When following all the recommendations below, the memory card must be connected to the computer. In addition, some of the methods discussed below involve formatting, so if important data is stored on the drive, copy it to any convenient place on the computer disk.

Method 1: "Registry Editor"

It is possible that write protection is set at the operating system level, and not on the drive itself. In this case, to remove it, you must contact "Registry Editor" Windows.

Hold down the keys WIN+R to call a window "Run" type regedit into it and click "OK" or "ENTER".

In the opened window "Registry Editor" go to the following path:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\

Search this location for a directory "StorageDevicePolicies", and if it doesn't exist, create it. To do this, right-click (RMB) on the Control directory, select items from the menu "Create" — "Chapter" and name it "StorageDevicePolicies", but without quotes.

Select the created directory by pressing the left mouse button (LMB), and then right-click on the empty area on the right and select menu items "Create" — "DWORD (32-bit) Value" or "QWORD parameter (64 bits)", depending on the bitness of the operating system installed on your computer.

Read also:
Name the new parameter "WriteProtect"(without quotes), open it by double-clicking LMB, set the value 0 and press "OK" for confirmation.

Safely remove the drive, close "Registry Editor" and restart your PC.

If the write protection was set exactly at the Windows level, it will be removed after the system starts, and you can use the memory card normally. But if this simple solution doesn't help, move on to the next one.

Method 2: "Command line"

Console or "Command line"- an effective tool for managing the operating system and its components, which does not have a graphical interface, but is endowed with a number of useful tools. Among the latest utility diskpart, with which you can remove the write protection from an SD or microSD card.

Run Command Prompt as Administrator. To do this, find it through the search (Windows 10) or the menu "Start"(Windows 7), right-click and select "Run as administrator".

Enter the command below and click "ENTER" for its implementation.

Then enter the following command and press again "ENTER":

In the list of disks that will be shown in the console window, find your memory card - for this, focus on its size.

where # is the disk number corresponding to the memory card.

Note: At this stage, you should be extremely careful, because if you choose the wrong drive, you risk losing important data.
Now you and I need to clear the read / write attributes of the memory card, delete and re-create a partition on it, and also format it to a different file system than the one originally installed. For these purposes, one by one, enter the following commands (after each of them, press "ENTER"):
attributes disk clear readonly
clean
create partition primary

select partition
active
format fs=ntfs

note to the last command - if the NTFS file system was used on SD / microSD, you need to format it in FAT32, then in this case you should enter format fs=fat32.
Wait for the formatting of the drive to complete, the progress of which is displayed as a percentage.

To exit the utility diskpart type the command exit and then close "Command line".

Check if you can now write data to the memory card. If the problem still persists, don't despair - we have a few more solutions.

Method 3: Disk Management

The standard disk management tool, integrated into all versions of Windows, allows you to do almost the same actions that we performed in the previous method (starting with removal and cleaning), but, unlike "Command line", it is endowed with a graphical interface and is more intuitive to use.

For start "Disk Management" enter into the window "Run" (WIN+R) the command below and press "OK".

In the list of disks, find the memory card connected to the computer, focusing on the volume, and right-click on the area of \u200b\u200bthe drive itself.

Select an item from the menu "Delete Volume" and confirm the operation.

After completing the removal, right-click again on the drive area in "Disk Management" and use the "Create Simple Volume" context menu.

Next, follow the step-by-step prompts of the New Volume Wizard,

without changing the default values and just pressing "Further" at each step.

and "Ready" in the last window.

After completing the procedure, check if the write protection is removed from the drive.

Method 4: "Local Group Policy Editor"

There is another case when write protection is set at the operating system level - this may be dictated by the rules of the local group policy. Therefore, in this state of affairs, our task is to change them.

Messages:

“My flash drive began to issue: “The disk is write-protected. Remove the protection or use another disk." What to do?"

quite often found on various computer forums.

In this small selection of tips, I will share my own experience in solving the problem.

So, practice shows that owners of problematic USB drives, when such a message appears, usually lose the opportunity:

Access to information on the media;

Writing and deleting data on the media;

Media formatting.

What can be done in such cases?

Step 1: Check the mechanical write-blocking switch.

Almost all SD memory cards, which are defined by Windows as removable drives, have hardware write protection in the form of an inconspicuous switch on the side of the case.

Pull the device out of the computer and check the switch position. If it is in the write enable position, or if the device does not have a write block switch at all, proceed to the next steps.

Step 2: check the system registry.

The reason for the occurrence of a write error in some cases may be a change / damage to the system registry settings.

Open regedit.exe and go to section

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\System\CurrentControlSet\Services\USBSTOR

On the right side of the window, double-click the option start. The Start parameter defaults to 3 (recording allowed):

If the problem is not resolved after performing this action, go to step 3.

Step 3: format the USB drive.

There are several ways to format disks, for example, in a graphical interface familiar to most users.

From context menu Windows Explorer:

From a Windows snap "Disk Management":

For various reasons, we may encounter the inability to format the disk in the ways listed above. In this case, it remains to resort to the option using the command line console.

To do this, I advise you to boot into safe mode(Windows boot modes are selected by pressing the key F8 at the beginning of system startup). Then open a command prompt (cmd.exe) on behalf of the administrator.

Enter the command:

FORMAT G: /q /fs:fat32

where G:- the letter assigned by the system to the USB disk (flash drive), /q- quick format option, and /fs:fat32– parameter of the specified file system.

In principle, the parameter of specifying the type of file system when formatting flash drives is optional, since the FORMAT command by default formats the disk into the FS that was originally defined for the disk. As for formatting external USB drives that are supposed to be used to install the operating system, or to store a large amount of data, then in these cases the parameter must be applied /fs:ntfs, since the NTFS file system allows you to work with files larger than 4 GB. A complete list of parameters (switches) of the format command can be found by typing format help.

Step 4: recover data from USB drives using special programs.

Successfully formatting the flash drive allows us to proceed with the data recovery operation. Many USB flash drive manufacturers offer proprietary utilities for solving device problems (formatting, unlocking, data recovery), such as Kingston DataTraveler. But you can also use universal ones: HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool, R.saver, PhotoRec (it restores photos well). To recover information, try using these utilities as well. They successfully return data even after formatting and then overwriting the drive, but they can only help if the file system is not damaged.

If you are using other means to solve problems with USB drives, please share your experience in the comments.

I wish you successful application!

Good day.

Recently, several users have contacted me with the same type of problem - when copying information to a USB flash drive, an error occurred, something like the following: " The disk is write protected. Remove protection or use another disc".

This can happen for various reasons and there is no one-type solution. In this article, I will give the main reasons due to which this error appears and their solution. In most cases, the recommendations in the article will return your drive to normal operation. Let's get started...

1) Mechanical write protection on the flash drive is enabled

The most common reason for a security-related error to appear is the switch on the flash drive itself (Lock). Previously, something similar was on floppy disks: you wrote down something you needed, switched it to read-only mode - and you don’t worry that you will forget and accidentally erase the data. Such switches are usually found on MicroSD flash drives.

On fig. 1 shows such a flash drive, if the switch is set to Lock mode, then it will only be possible to copy files from the flash drive, it will be impossible to write or format it!

Rice. 1. MicroSD with write protection.

By the way, sometimes you can also find such a switch on some USB flash drives (see Fig. 2). It is worth noting that it is extremely rare and only in little-known Chinese firms.

Fig.2. Write-protected RiData flash drive.

In general, by default, Windows does not prohibit copying and writing information to flash drives. But in case of virus activity (and indeed, any malware), or, for example, when using and installing all kinds of assemblies from different authors, it is possible that some settings in the registry have been changed.

Therefore, the advice is simple:

first check your PC (laptop) for viruses ();
next check registry settings and local access policies(more on that later in the article).

1. Check registry settings

How to enter the registry:

press the combination of buttons WIN + R;
then in the Run box that appears, type regedit;
press Enter (see fig. 3.).

By the way, in Windows 7 you can open the registry editor through the Start menu.

Note. Chapter control you will have, and here is the section StorageDevicePolicies- may not exist... If it doesn't exist, you need to create it, to do this, just right-click on the section control and in the drop-down menu, select the section, then give it a name - StorageDevicePolicies. Working with partitions resembles the most common work with folders in Explorer (see Figure 4).

Further in the section StorageDevicePolicies create a parameter DWORD 32 bits: to do this, simply click on the section StorageDevicePolicies right-click and select the appropriate item from the drop-down menu.

By the way, such a 32-bit DWORD parameter can already be created in this section (if you had one, of course).

Rice. 5. Registry - creating a DWORD 32 value (clickable).

Now open this parameter and set its value to 0 (as in Figure 6). If you have an option DWORD 32 bits has already been created, change its value to 0 . Next, close the editor and restart your computer.

Rice. 6. Set the parameter

After restarting the computer, if the reason was in the registry, you can easily write the necessary files to the USB flash drive.

2. Local access policies

Also, in local access policies, writing information to connected drives (including flash-drives) can be limited. In order to open local access policy editor- just press the buttons Win+R and in the execute line enter gpedit.msc, then the Enter key (see Figure 7).

Then, on the right, notice the " Removable drives: disable recording". Open this setting and disable it (or set it to "Not configured").

Actually, after the specified parameters, restart the computer and try to write the files to the USB flash drive.

3) Low-level formatting of a flash drive / disk

In some cases, for example, with certain types of viruses, there is nothing left but to format the drive in order to completely get rid of malware. Low-level formatting will destroy absolutely ALL DATA on a flash drive (you can no longer recover them with various utilities), and at the same time, it helps to bring a flash drive (or hard drive) back to life, on which many have already given up...

What utilities can be used.

In general, there are more than enough utilities for low-level formatting (besides, on the website of the flash drive manufacturer you can also find 1-2 utilities for "reanimating" the device). Nevertheless, by experience, I came to the conclusion that it is better to use one of the 2 following utilities:

A simple, installation-free utility for formatting USB-Flash drives (the following file systems are supported: NTFS, FAT, FAT32). Works with devices via USB port 2.0. Developer: http://www.hp.com/
HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool. An excellent utility with unique algorithms that allows you to easily and quickly format (including problem drives that other utilities and Windows do not see) HDD and Flash cards. The free version has a speed limit of 50 MB/s (not critical for flash drives). Below, I will show my example in this utility. Official website: http://hddguru.com/software/HDD-LLF-Low-Level-Format-Tool/

An example of low-level formatting (in HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool)

1. First, copy ALL NECESSARY files from the flash drive to the hard drive of the computer ( i.e. make a backup copy. After formatting, you will not be able to recover anything from this flash drive!).

3. You should see a list of all connected drives and flash drives. Find yours in the list (be guided by the device model and its volume).

Rice. 9. Choosing a flash drive

4. Then open the LOW-LEVE FORMAT tab and click the Format This Device button. The program will ask you again and warn you about deleting everything on the flash drive - just answer in the affirmative.

Rice. 10. Start formatting

5. Next, wait until the formatting is done. The time will depend on the state of the media being formatted and the version of the program (the paid one works faster). When the operation is completed, the green progress bar will turn yellow. Now you can close the utility and start high-level formatting.

Rice. 11. Formatting completed

6. The easiest way is to just go to " This computer" (or " My computer"), select the connected flash drive in the list of devices and right-click on it: select the formatting function in the drop-down list. Next, name the flash drive and specify the file system (for example, NTFS, because it supports files larger than 4 GB See Fig. 12).

Rice. 12. My computer / flash drive formatting

That's all. After a similar procedure, your flash drive (in most cases, ~ 97%) will start working as expected ( the exception is cases when the flash drive already programmatic methods will not help ...).

Why does this error occur, what should I do to avoid it again?

And finally, I will give a few reasons why a write protection error appears (using the tips listed below will significantly increase the life of your flash drive).

First, always use safe shutdown: right-click in the tray next to the clock on the icon of the connected flash drive and select - disable from the menu. According to my personal observations, many users never do this. And at the same time, such shutdowns can damage the file system (for example);
Secondly, install an antivirus on the computer with which you work with a flash drive. Of course, I understand that it is impossible to insert a flash drive into a PC with an antivirus everywhere and everywhere - but after coming from a friend where they copied files to it (from an educational institution, etc.), when you connect the flash drive to your PC - just check it ;
Try not to drop or throw the flash drive. Many, for example, attach a flash drive to the keys, like a keychain. There is nothing like that - but often the keys are thrown on the table (bedside table) upon arrival home (there will be nothing for the keys, but the flash drive flies and hits with them);

I bow out on this, if there is something to add - I will be grateful. Good luck and less mistakes!

Using the drive to edit information on it is not always successful, sometimes flash drive not formatted write protected. Formatting and any other manipulations related to changing information on the media will be blocked, and the flash drive turns into a regular CD / DVD disc. The problem has been known for a long time, so the solutions have already been worked out and are reliable.

Note that the only worthy use of flash drive write protection is its protection against viruses that, without the knowledge of the user, migrate through the system and infect more and more new areas.

The flash drive is not formatted: what to do?

The very first step in solving a situation where a flash drive is not formatted by Windows is to check the physical condition of the drive. Some flash drives have a lock with a sliding latch, the same applies to microSD cards. The toggle switch may be located on one of the edges of the carrier. To eliminate the prohibition for writing, you need to move the lock to the Open or Lock position, this is done with something hard or with a fingernail, since the toggle switch is quite small.

Most likely, the lock was turned on by accident, so before further connection the drive should be checked for correct installation.

Another common problem is software write blocking, which is set at the level of the drive's microcontroller. For normal operation, you need to unlock the USB flash drive, which can be done using the built-in Windows tools.

The flash drive is not formatted - the disk is write-protected. Unlock via registry

A more common reason why a flash drive is not formatted is the software area. To remove the ban, you need to perform some manipulations with the registry.

Press Win + R and enter regedit in the window that opens, the editor will be called with administrator rights;

Not always the problem with formatting flash drives is due to their malfunction, sometimes an error can occur due to write protection. And if some removable media have the appropriate switches to allow writing data to the device, then others do not. Be that as it may, from this article you will learn how to format a USB flash drive if it is write-protected. Even taking into account the fact that there are no switches at all and the flash drive is write-protected.

Remove write protection using the command line

You do not know what it is and how to use it? No problem. Following our instructions, you can easily cope with this task:
If for some reason you did not see the long-awaited message with the formatting results, do not despair. It is possible that the flash drive was protected in another way - we recommend that you try using the following methods to remove write protection.

The local group policy editor, as a way to remove protection from snaking and formatting a flash drive

We believe that you are unfamiliar with the local group policy editor, as well as the command line, because it is used ten times less often. You should not worry about this either, there will be no problems. So let's get started:

Did everything work out for you? Or are you still puzzled over how to format a write-protected flash drive? If nothing happened, most likely the problem lies in the storage medium itself.

Often, removable drives store an important and necessary piece of information that you want to keep always at your fingertips. Memory cards, in turn, contain a lot of pleasant music or movies. Unfortunately, it happens that these devices stop working. There are many reasons for their behavior. But the main thing is how to bring a flash card, micro sd, memory card back to life.

All the reasons due to which failures occur in memory cards, flash drives and other removable media can be divided into five large groups:

The use of write protection on memory card and micro sd

In fact, write protection is a very useful thing, and only thanks to it you can somehow protect your device from erasing important information. But besides the fact that write protection prevents the files contained on the device from being modified, it effectively resists unauthorized use of the media.

The latest SecureDigital card (SD) features new file write and erase protection mechanisms. These are both mechanical and software methods. To prevent the start of writing or erasing processes, such cards have a Lock switch on the right side surface of the card. In addition, the security of the contents of the micro sd card is guaranteed by 4C Entity LLC, which was the first to develop and apply the original CPRM (Content Protection for Recordable Media) encoding method.

Such know-how partially prevents the misuse of memory cards, but also complicates the life of their owners.

Troubleshooting Removable Storage

Formatting

During formatting, the process of unscheduled marking of the information storage area is started. The negative property of this procedure is that at this time all existing files from the media are permanently erased.

Why format a flash drive?

Reasons why you should format a flash drive:

the presence of viruses;
inability to write a large file to the media;
combating the slow operation of the device (low data transfer rate).

Formatting can be fast and lengthy. The most popular way is a simple quick format, when this process is started by right-clicking on the flash card icon. In the context menu that appears, select the "format" command.

5 ways to format a flash drive

We offer 5 simple ways to choose how to format a flash card:

What do you need to know to unlock removable media?

Basically, BitLocker is used to encrypt removable drives. It is important to note that it is only available for Windows 8.

Also for the Windows operating system, you can use the snail called Repair. This simple device can easily cope with unlocking a flash drive or micro sd card.

If the previous options were not successful, you can use one of the newest options - JetFlash Recovery Tool. Unfortunately, this application restores the original settings of the media, so all information from it is lost. You can download the application from the link to JetFlash Recovery Tool. Install and run it. In the window, select the incorrectly working flash drive, press START. The formatting of the media will start. After that, it should be removed by a safe method.

Let's take a look at the most efficient way. You can remove protection in the Windows Registry Editor. To launch the registry editor on the keyboard, hold down the Windows + R keys, then type regedit, and press Enter. We open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies. It is necessary to change the value in the WriteProtect data from 1 (this means write protection) to 0 (remove protection). At the end of the procedure, save the changes, turn off the flash drive and restart the computer.

Removable media troubleshooting methods

conclusions

We have considered all the most popular and effective methods troubleshooting removable media.

It remains for the reader to choose the appropriate method for him. However, the more important information is stored on a flash drive and the more often you use it, the more careful you should be with this device. Because most of the breakdowns occur just because of the "human factor".

Therefore, before removing a flash drive, memory card or hard drive from an electronic device, use a safe removal. This prevents many of the problems with removable storage media. And if the flash or sd cards started to work incorrectly or are not displayed, this can always be corrected with the help of a properly selected “treatment”.

Remove write protection using the command line

You do not know what it is and how to use it? No problem. Following our instructions, you can easily cope with this task:

If for some reason you did not see the long-awaited message with the formatting results, do not despair. It is possible that the flash drive was protected in another way - we recommend that you try using the following methods to remove write protection.

The local group policy editor, as a way to remove protection from snaking and formatting a flash drive

Did everything work out for you? Or are you still puzzled over how to format a write-protected flash drive? If nothing happened, most likely the problem lies in the storage medium itself.