Write Protect Error on USB Flash Drives
How do I fix a Write Protect error?
Write protect is a way to prevent data loss from the drive. There is no method to fix this.
Possible scenarios when Write Protect Errors occur:
Scenario 1:
Drive usage exhaustion. USB drives are partitioned into blocks that data is written to. It is possible for blocks to fail or go bad based on usage/health of the blocks. Each USB has a threshold for the number of good blocks to determine the health of the drive. When the number of good blocks is lower than the desired threshold, the drive goes into write protect to prevent data loss.
Scenario 2:
The flash drive maintains two copies of control information that are separated into two different blocks: primary and secondary. When corruption/loss appears on both copies/blocks, the drive will go into write protection mode to prevent further data loss.
Verify if the issue is with the flash drive or computer
To verify the issue is related to the flash drive and not your computer we recommend that you try plugging the USB drive into another port on your computer. You should also try the drive on another computer if possible.
NOTE: If using a company computer, ensure your IT department does not block saving files to removable drives.
If the above steps did not solve the problem please back up your data and request a replacement using our online web form.
