How do I remove disk write protection?

Disk write protection prevents files on a storage device from being modified. It’s a useful security feature, but can be frustrating if you need to edit files and find you’re unable to. Fortunately, removing write protection is usually straightforward.

What is disk write protection?

Disk write protection, also known as write protection or read-only mode, prevents files on a storage device from being modified, deleted, or overwritten. When write protection is enabled, you can view and copy files but cannot edit, add, or delete them.

Write protection helps prevent accidental or malicious changes to important files. For example, you may write protect a recovery drive that contains system restore files, or an external hard drive containing sensitive data. Optical media like CDs and DVDs often have a physical switch or slider to control write protection.

Why can’t I write to my drive?

There are a few common reasons you may find your drive or device is write protected:

  • The drive has a physical write protection switch enabled. This is common on SD cards and other removable media.
  • The drive is formatted with a file system that has write protection built-in, like some optical media and ROM drives.
  • The drive is controlled by third party software that sets write protection.
  • Write access is restricted by the operating system, for example on a school computer.
  • The drive has errors and the OS has set it as read-only to protect data.

How to remove write protection on an SD card or USB drive

SD cards and USB flash drives will often have a tiny physical switch on the housing that controls write protection. Sliding the switch disables write protection and allows the drive to be written to.

On SD cards, the switch is on the side and slides up or down. For USB drives, it may be on the end or side and slide left and right.

To enable writing, simply slide the switch on the SD card or USB drive into the unprotected position. The switch should be aligned with the indicator to show writes are allowed. If your drive doesn’t have a physical switch, it’s likely controlled in software instead.

Removing write protection in Windows

If the write protection switch on the drive isn’t turned on, software controls may be enabling it in Windows. Here’s how to check and remove write protection:

  1. Open File Explorer and locate the drive you want to remove write protection from.
  2. Right click the drive and select Properties.
  3. Under the General tab, see if the “Read-only” box is checked. Uncheck it and click OK.
  4. Try editing a file on the drive to test if write protection is disabled.

If write protection was set by Windows, this should allow you to start modifying files again. If you still can’t edit files, the drive may be locked by third party software or have errors.

Disabling write protection with diskpart

The diskpart command line tool can also change write protection status. To use it:

  1. Open the Command Prompt as administrator.
  2. Type diskpart and press Enter.
  3. Type list disk to list all connected drives.
  4. Select the disk number of the write protected drive.
  5. Use attributes disk clear readonly to remove write protection.
  6. Type exit to close diskpart.

This method forces the drive into read/write mode regardless of other settings. However, some types of drives may automatically revert to read-only after closing diskpart.

Using third party software to remove write protection

If the physical switch is not enabled and Windows itself isn’t write protecting the drive, third party software is likely controlling it. Some programs like encryption utilities and backup software have options to disable writing to a drive.

To remove write protection set by another program:

  1. Open the third party software used to manage the drive.
  2. Look for any settings related to write protection or disabling writes.
  3. Disable the write protection settings in the software.
  4. Save changes and test if you can now modify files.

Depending on the software, you may need to enter an administrator password or unlock the drive before you can change settings.

Fixing disk write errors

Sometimes the operating system itself will set a drive to read-only if it detects potential errors that could corrupt data. This is intended to protect your files from being overwritten with bad data.

To fix disk write errors:

  1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
  2. Run chkdsk X: /f replacing X with the drive letter of the write protected disk.
  3. Restart your computer and try writing to the drive again.

Chkdsk scans and attempts to repair drive errors. After it completes, the OS may determine the drive is healthy enough to enable writing again.

Removing write protection on USB drives

USB flash drives and external hard drives have a few techniques for removing write protection:

  • Toggle the physical lock switch on the housing if one exists.
  • Use File Explorer to uncheck read-only on the drive.
  • Use the diskpart utility to force the drive to allow writes.
  • Disable software write protection in security and encryption programs.
  • Run chkdsk to fix errors causing the read-only state.

The simplest options are checking for a physical switch and using the File Explorer read-only uncheck. If those fail, use diskpart or third party software removal steps.

Removing write protection from SD cards

SD cards and MicroSD cards have a physical switch that controls write protection. If your card isn’t writing, check the switch position first. Slide it to the unprotected position if writes aren’t working.

If the switch is disabled already, try using diskpart or File Explorer to remove software write protection. Some digital cameras also have a read-only protection setting that may need disabled.

Disabling write protection on a CD/DVD

Optical discs like CDs, DVDs and Blu-rays often have a physical switch or slider to toggle write protection. If you’re unable to write to one, check for a small tab that slides to expose a hole and enable writing. Move the tab to close the hole and prevent writes.

You cannot disable write protection on optical media that is manufactured read-only. Try writing to a different blank disc instead.

Removing write protection from a floppy disk

Floppy diskettes can be write protected by sliding a plastic tab to expose the hole. Check older floppy disks for a tab that covers and uncovers the rectangular hole on the edge. Move the tab to open the hole when you need to write to that floppy.

Disabling write protection on a hard drive

Internal and external hard drives don’t have physical write protection switches. To remove write protection:

  • Use File Explorer to uncheck read-only on the drive.
  • Use diskpart in Command Prompt to force enable writes.
  • Check for third party software controlling the drive and disable write protection.
  • Run chkdsk to resolve any disk errors causing read-only status.

If the drive is encrypted with BitLocker or a similar utility, you may need to provide the password or decrypt the drive before you can change write protection settings.

Conclusion

Write protection prevents accidental or malicious file changes. But when you need to save files to a disk, it can become a roadblock. Fortunately, removing write protection is usually simple – flip a physical switch, uncheck read-only settings, or disable disk protections in software.

Understanding what triggered read-only status can help narrow down the quickest solution. And chkdsk repairs drive errors that commonly cause write issues. Just don’t force write access to anything containing sensitive recover data without care.