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How To Remove Write Protection From USB

Latest update on by David Webb .

If you are unable to edit or save files on your USB drive, it is likely that your device is locked in read-only mode. This article will introduce you to a few ways that you can unlock write protection on your USB key so that you may edit your documents as needed.


If you are experiencing an issue when attempting to copy or delete files on a USB flash drive, there is a very simple solution that will allow you to remove this setting, giving you the capability to modify, copy, or delete any files from your USB drive.


How To Remove Write Protection on a USB

To remove the write protection, simply open your Start menu, and click on Run. Type in regedit and press Enter. This will open the registry editor.

The next step is to navigate to the following path: 

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

Double-click the WriteProtect key located in the right side pane and set the value to 0. Go to the Data Value box and press OK:


To finish, simply restart your system, and then reconnect your USB pen drive to the computer.

How To Unlock a USB Drive

Many USB keys come with a switch that slides up and down to enable or disable the write protection lock. As a first step, we recommend that you verify whether your USB has this switch (normally labelled with a hold or locked option). If so, simply unlock the switch and attempt to write.

Another simple solution for disabling write protection is to simply ascertain whether or not your currentl file is being viewed in Read Only format. If it is read protected, simple right click on the folder and uncheck the "Read Only" button.

There are many online recovery tools which are related to a specific brand of USB stick. For example, utilise the JetFlash Online Recovery tool to repair Transcend USB keys which gives the user the flexibility to either maintain stored information or the format key.

Online Tools to Disable Write Protection

A number of brand-specific online tools are available to help you disable write protection on your USB key. JetFlash Online Recovery is a common tool used to repair Transcend USB keys because it gives users the flexibility to either maintain stored information or format their key.

How To Format a USB Key

If none of the above options work, you can always try formatting your USB key. More information on formatting your flash drive can be found here.
Image: © IB Photography - Shutterstock.com

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This document, titled « How To Disable Write Protection on a USB Key », is available under the Creative Commons license. Any copy, reuse, or modification of the content should be sufficiently credited to CCM (ccm.net).
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