Troubleshoot Disk is write protected

nishaddesilva

Level 3
Thread author
Aug 26, 2012
257
I'm having trouble formatting or copying files to my Kingston pen drive. It says the disk is write protected. I tried registry fixes, diskpart etc. Still no success. Please help.
 
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BoraMurdar

Community Manager
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Well-known
Aug 30, 2012
6,598
HP tool also says the same thing.
If you tried every step of the following
vsgJPRy.jpg

Then it's maybe the best to download GParted, burn it on blank CD or other USB device, and try formatting problematic USB from there
GParted -- Download
 
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Andy Ful

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Dec 23, 2014
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I read somwhere that it is possible to find the factory software by the chip number, that can format disfunctional pendrive (if GParted fails).

Here are more details:
"If for no reason you encounter "The disk is write-protected. Remove the write-protection or use another disk." – message for your flash drive it is more likely than not that this is due to the failure of controller’s firmware. In this case you need to flash it by using recovery utility suitable for controller of your USB flash drive. Read above how to find correct utility for your flash drive knowing its VID and PID"

"First, recover the functionality of the flash drive’s controller. To do this find utility to work with it. If you know both the controller model and the name of the flash drive manufacture then a suitable tool can be found on the manufacturer's website or somewhere else on the Web. If you are unaware of the controller model use controller’s VID and PID codes to find it. For example, VID = 13FE and PID = 1D00 are relevant to PHISON controller. To find VID and PID for your flash drive use the specialized utility such as CheckUDisk 5.0. You can also look up the VID/PID (vendor/product ID) in the registry under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB. However, the registry key does not always indicate the manufacturer, and rarely the chipset. (There is a companies database that lists VID and PID against company names and type of controller they used on specific flash drive. This list changes almost daily.) Viable for determining PID, VID and type of controller for your flash drive is ChipGenius tool."

Flash drive recovery: troubleshooting - The how to..
Fix your own USB Flash Drive!!!
 
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nishaddesilva

Level 3
Thread author
Aug 26, 2012
257
Here are more details:
"If for no reason you encounter "The disk is write-protected. Remove the write-protection or use another disk." – message for your flash drive it is more likely than not that this is due to the failure of controller’s firmware. In this case you need to flash it by using recovery utility suitable for controller of your USB flash drive. Read above how to find correct utility for your flash drive knowing its VID and PID"

"First, recover the functionality of the flash drive’s controller. To do this find utility to work with it. If you know both the controller model and the name of the flash drive manufacture then a suitable tool can be found on the manufacturer's website or somewhere else on the Web. If you are unaware of the controller model use controller’s VID and PID codes to find it. For example, VID = 13FE and PID = 1D00 are relevant to PHISON controller. To find VID and PID for your flash drive use the specialized utility such as CheckUDisk 5.0. You can also look up the VID/PID (vendor/product ID) in the registry under HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\USB. However, the registry key does not always indicate the manufacturer, and rarely the chipset. (There is a companies database that lists VID and PID against company names and type of controller they used on specific flash drive. This list changes almost daily.) Viable for determining PID, VID and type of controller for your flash drive is ChipGenius tool."

Flash drive recovery: troubleshooting - The how to..
Fix your own USB Flash Drive!!!

This tool also doesn't show the chip part number to proceed :(
Any more solutions?
 
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Tabeer

Level 3
Verified
Dec 3, 2015
132
Hope this will help you...
for windows only

Click start
then run regedit
go to this directory HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Currentcontrolset\control\
if you can't find StorageDevicePolicies under control folder
then make some new one. Follow this steps:

step 1:
go to this directory HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\Currentcontrolset\control\
again and right click control folder

step 2:
select new, then click key and rename the new key #1 folder into
StorageDevicePolicies

step 3:
right click StorageDevicePolicies folder and select new DWORD(32-bit) Value
for 32-bit Operating System and select new DWORD(64-bit) Value
for 64-bit Operating System

step 4:
rename word newer folder into WriteProtect, then double click WriteProtect
and change the value data into 0 with the hexadecimal base, Then close Regedit

step 5:
open my computer and refresh it 5 times without doing anything to your usb, and
properly eject your flash drive

step 6:
plug in your usb again into your computer and format it using exFAT instead of fat32


Now, you can use your flash drive again....
 
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