Detailed guide on how to format a write

USB memory sticks & similar transferable data storage devices are convenient if you want lớn have your photos, media, installations, or work files ready to lớn go. 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 can’t transfer your files onto a USB stick because write protection is activated.

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USB sticks & storage are not considered fixed drives, so they get mounted as removable media.

Regardless, failed writing attempts can be inconvenient on a USB stick. Luckily, there are quick và easy methods lớn solve the write protection issue, whether you’re on a Windows PC or a Mac. There’s even a solution if you’re working on a Chromebook.

Note: Some SanDisk USB sticks (flash drives) and possibly other brands have an internal protection mechanism. According to SanDisk, if the USB drive experiences a power fluctuation or other potentially damaging error, it shuts off write access, & there is no way to lớn get it back. They expect you khổng lồ copy the data lớn another drive and replace it.

Check for a Write Protection Switch First

Before we go into details about write protection removal in different operating systems, there’s one thing to check first. Some data storage units have a physical switch for turning write protection on or off.

Launch “Command Prompt.” You can do this either by pressing “Windows key+R” and typing “cmd” or searching for Command Prompt from the “Start Menu.” If you see the “Access is denied” message, right-click on Command Prompt và choose “Run as Administrator.”Next, type “list disk” và press “enter” again.You’ll see a danh mục of all storage drives, named Disk 0, Disk 1, & so on. Use the storage capacity you jotted down in “Step 1” to identify your USB device. Compare it lớn the “Size” column, & you’ll find the disk number.Type “Attributes disk clear readonly” and press “enter.” Yes, “attributes” has an “s,” and “readonly” is one word.Restart your PC and try writing on the USB stick again after the system reboots.Click on the “right-facing chevron” (angle bracket) symbol next to “HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE” in the left sidebar to lớn expand the directory structure of that folder.

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Repeat “Step 1” procedures again to lớn expand the “Control” folder, then confirm if “StorageDevicePolicies” is present. If not, continue khổng lồ “Step 5” lớn create it yourself. Otherwise, skip khổng lồ “Step 7.”Rename the newly created folder to “StorageDevicePolicies” without quotes.Double-click on “WriteProtect” và change “Value Data” to lớn “0” & “Base” khổng lồ “Hexadecimal.”

After the reboot, kiểm tra if the USB is now operating as it should. This method disables the write protection on all your drives, so it should make your USB writable again. Beware that editing the Windows Registry on your own can mess up your computer, so after you’ve followed our instructions, it’s best not lớn revisit it.

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

Removing USB Write Protection on a Mac

There’s much less flexibility when resolving the write protection issue on Mac versus Windows. You only have two options available—one is for storage units that can’t be written to due lớn a fault with the device, while the other involves formatting the drive.

Option 1: Repair the Permissions

The permissions for your USB drive might be faulty, causing it khổng lồ become write-protected. If that’s the case, you should try fixing the error using “Disk Utility.” To vị so, follow these simple steps:

After plugging in the USB device, mở cửa “Utilities” và select “Disk Utility.”Click on the “First Aid” tab, wait for any scans khổng lồ finish, then select “Repair Disk Permissions.”“Right-click” on the drive and choose “Format Device.”

Unfortunately, this is the only reliable method lớn remove write protection from a USB on a Chromebook. As previously stated, formatting the drive will erase all data, so back it up beforehand.

Remove Write Protection From a USB on Linux

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

First, launch the “Applications menu (

Next, type “lsblk” & press “enter” lớn get a list of all attached devices.

In the example/procedures above, you identify the drive, change its read-only permissions khổng lồ off, then unmount and remount it via the terminal, not by ejecting it.

In closing, write protection can be a nuisance, especially when you don’t know how it happened on your storage device. Luckily, you’ve learned how lớn remove write protection from a USB stick or device on Windows, Mac, Linux, & Chromebook computers. The issue should no longer catch you off-guard, but there are no guarantees. With all the methods explained here, at least one should allow you khổng lồ edit, copy, move, or delete files on your USB or SD thẻ in no time!

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