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
    2013-07-21T07:17:43+00:00

    1.Press start > run

      Press Window + r

    1. Type regedit
    2. Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE
    3. Then SYSTEM
    4. Then CurrentControlSet
    5. Then Control
    6. Find SystemDriverPolicies

        check dword value if it is 1 then change it to 0

        or

        if it is 0 change it to 1 

    Note: if no folder SystemDriverPolicies exist then follow these steps:

    (Create if not have such folder

                                                   >By Right Click On Control Folder

                                                   >Select New)

                                                   >Then Key and Name it SystemDriverPolicies

                                                   >New Folder will generate)

    8.Then Right Click on SystemDriverPolicies>Select New>then DWORD (32-bit) Value

    9.New Value will generate with default value 0 selected

    1. Enter on it and Change Value to 1 and hit enter

          or if 1 then change it to 0 

    1. exit regedit
    2. remove your pendrive and plug it again 

     wait to be detect by windows

    WARN : don't access pen drive directly by exit regedit

    first exit regedit and plug out device and then plug it again

    you can access it now

    On every website or blogs the method change the value from 1 to 0

    but I can access my pendrive by change it from 0 to 1

    just try it :)

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  2. Anonymous
    2013-05-20T09:59:39+00:00

    As pointed out in my post above (March 27), StorageDevicePolicies is not a file or directory and therefore Windows Explorer will not find it.

    You will need to run regedit.exe to create the key. 

    You should read the other posts, since if you are unsure how to use regedit, you may get into more serious difficulty. 

    Sadly, the Lexar USB formatting program does not work on a write protected USB drive and the program simply stops working. 

    Still no solution found as far as I can tell......

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  3. Anonymous
    2012-03-18T21:10:57+00:00

    Can anyone help re this write protection warning - I have spent hours trying to find out how to remove this write protection on a flash drive without success.

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-11-27T16:39:07+00:00

    Very good detail on the fix however it didn't work. Both flash drives I tried (which work on my W7 notebook) prompted the write protect message. IN checking the registry on the notebook there is no StorageDevicePolicies entry but both flash drives work as they're supposed to. Just this W7 desktop (now with a registry SDP entry doesn't work. My guess is it wants to reformat the drives which isn't going to happen. I guess I'll get a new flash drive and see if it will work first on the desktop then in the notebook.

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