USB flash drive prompts with "Write Protected" message.

Anonymous
2010-06-25T00:56:28+00:00

I have recently purchased a 32gb usb flash drive. I have been using it ok until 3 days ago. I now get a message saying "Write Protected". There is no write protection switch on the device. How do i remove the write protection.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Devices and drivers

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Anonymous
2010-06-25T21:03:53+00:00

Hi,

You can remove write protection from your usb flash drive using the below method:

a. Open start menu, in the search bar type regedit and press enter. This wil open the registry editor.

b. Navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

Note:

If the registry key StorageDevicePolicies does not exist, you will need to create it manually.

c. Highlight StorageDevicePolicies, and then create a New DWORD (32-bit) Value named as WriteProtect.

d. Double click the key WriteProtect in the right window and set the value to 0 in the Value

Data Box and press OK button

e. Restart your computer and try copying files into your USB drives.

Important Note:

Sometimes this problem is caused by two Windows registry entries that have become corrupted. To fix the problem, you have to use Registry Editor to delete the corrupted registry entries.

However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection, back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs.

For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, follow the steps as in the KB Article:

http://support.microsoft.com/kb/322756/

Hope this helps.

Thanks and Regards:

Shekhar S - Microsoft Support. Visit our Microsoft Answers Feedback Forum and let us know what you think.

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  1. Anonymous
    2012-11-21T14:11:31+00:00

    ...

    Important Note:

    Sometimes this problem is caused by two Windows registry entries that have become corrupted. To fix the problem, you have to use Registry Editor to delete the corrupted registry entries....

    Thanks and Regards:

    Shekhar S - Microsoft Support. ...

    Okay, but which two registry entries are the ones you believe to be corrupted? Please be specific.

    Thank you

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-03-13T09:32:58+00:00

    There is not StorageDevicePolicies file.

    Shekar S did point out that:  -

    "**Note:**If the registry key StorageDevicePolicies does not exist, you will need to create it manually.

    c. Highlight StorageDevicePolicies, and then create a New DWORD (32-bit) Value named as WriteProtect."

    However, this will not work on all drives anyway. I have have 20 identical brand new USB drives and four are now marked 'Write Protected'.  I put some files on the drives, and later decided to re-format and put on different files. Format appeared successful, but then attempts to write data give the 'Write Protected' error.

    They have no external W/P switches.  I've tried the Registry hacks, Safe Mode & Command Prompt solutions, which have not worked.

    Now all I get when I put it into the USB socket is "Please insert a disk into removable Drive F:"

    Anyone got any new ideas?

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  3. Anonymous
    2013-03-19T21:06:44+00:00

    Hi, im trying to fix a usb device as well. The only problem is that "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control" no version of this directory exists on my computer. I'm using a windows 7 64bit Dell.

    It just says windows cannot find... (the above directory)

    Any assistance would be great. Cheers****

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  4. Anonymous
    2013-03-27T09:37:22+00:00

    I'm trying to convert two disks to dynamic to set up RAID and have the same problem but having created the WriteProtect stuff it still come up with ....Protected. Any more ideas out there?

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