Microsd says write protected. Removing write protection from a memory card
Sooner or later, every user of additional memory cards needs to format a microSD card.
There are several ways to do this efficiently and efficiently. But first you need to figure it out what is microSD and how is formatting done??
What is microSD?
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MicroSD is a small flash drive designed for portable equipment (digital cameras, MP3 players, etc.).
There is a type of equipment to which you can only connect an SD card. Often in this case, together or separately, special adapter sold, allowing you to make the transition from microSD to SD.
There are now four generations of cards:
- SD0 – from 8Mb to 2 Gb;
- SD 1.1 – up to 4 Gb;
- SDHC – up to 32 Gb;
- SDXC – up to 2 Tb.
History of MicroSD development
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This memory card format was developed in 1999 by a joint effort of companies such as Panasonic, SanDisk and Toshiba.
Later, in order to “promote the idea,” a separate company was created to develop and improve this card format – SD Association.
Despite this early appearance, microSD cards only came into use in 2004. It was then that the company SanDisk introduced a standard for such cards, which was originally called TransFlash.
A year later, the name TransFlash was officially changed to MicroSD.
The device was initially doomed to great popularity, and they were right, especially now that it has very compact dimensions (20 * 21.5 * 14 mm and weighs 1 gram) and can store up to 128 GB of data inclusive, while having excellent data processing speed.
Areas of use
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As mentioned above, cards of this format are used mainly for portable equipment. There are only three types of SD cards: microSD, miniSD and regular format SD cards.
Regular and miniSD cards Most often used in photo and video cameras. They store the footage.
The third kind used in more compact technology– , communicators, MP3 players and others.
Such devices are equipped with a special connector that supports this format. In this case, the memory card stores photos and video files, music and even many applications.
SD cards are used not only for use in portable equipment, but also in PCs as a storage medium. In the modern world, more and more laptops have a connector for connecting regular SD cards.
You can connect the device to desktop computers via a card reader. In this case, a special adapter is used for a microSD card, which is exactly the same size as a regular SD card.
Why formatting should be done
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First of all, formatting allows you to completely free the memory card from the files on it. The second reason is the presence of viruses.
It is impossible to completely get rid of viruses by simply deleting virus files, so you will need to format the microSD.
And finally, the third reason is the slow operation of the card. By completely cleaning the drive, you can speed up its operation..
Formatting using standard Windows tools
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You can format the card using standard means, but will this give the desired effect? After all, microSD cards often have write protection.
Therefore, it will be impossible to delete files. To check this, you can try formatting the flash drive without using programs.
To do this, insert the card into the card reader and wait for the computer to “see” it.
Then go to “My Computer”, find the required removable disk and right-click on it.
In the context menu that opens, select the item "Format".
In the window that opens change the file system to FAT. If it is the default, then we do not change it. Then click the “Start” button.
Once the process is complete, your card remains empty. But not always completely.
After uploading new files and safely removing the removable drive, when you reconnect, it may turn out that the old files that were on the microSD before formatting and the new ones overlap each other.
In this case, independent formatting without third-party software will no longer help you. You will have to turn to various types of programs for help.
Let's look below at what programs can help us free up our SD card.
AutoFormat Tool
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This program is very easy to use. It has a very small volume and is absolutely free. To use it you need to download the download archive.
You can do this on any site where you have it. You just need to enter its name in the search bar of your browser.
After downloading and installing, click on the shortcut using the right mouse button, and in the context menu that opens, select the item "Run as administrator"».
After the program itself opens, in the utility window, select the arrow in the Disk Drive line and find the letter of your device.
Then put the marker on the SD item and press the “Format” button to start formatting.
After clicking the formatting button, another window will appear asking you to confirm the deletion of all files. Click “Yes” and start the formatting process.
Once completed, your card will be fully formatted and ready to use. If you can’t format the card using other means, then this program will 100% help you.
Read also:
This program is just as easy to use as the previous one. With her help You can format not only SD cards, but also USB drives and even RW drives.
The program is capable of performing low-level formatting, so it is used to clean any removable media.
This program also has a disadvantage - Once formatted using it, the data can no longer be restored.
The program can be downloaded for free on any website that has a similar one.
After downloading the program easy to install and does not take up a lot of hard disk space, which is also a big plus. To format, proceed to the following steps:
1 Run the program as an administrator by right-clicking on the shortcut. In the window that opens, select the media that needs cleaning and click the “Continue” button.
2 In the next window, open the “LOW-LEVEL FORMAT” section and complete the action by pressing the “FORMAT THIS DEVISE” button. After this, we wait for the formatting to finish. This program has a slight delay in the cleaning process, so you will have to wait a bit.
SDFormatter utility
DownloadWith this program you can perform better cleaning of the microSD card or any other removable media. It is more effective than standard Windows tools.
The developers of this utility are confident that this is the best formatting program.
To get started with this program, you should download and install it. You can download it from any site where it is available.
The program also absolutely free and does not take up much memory on your hard drive. After downloading, the program should be installed as usual and run as administrator.
After starting the program, a window opens in front of you, in which, in the “Drive” field, select the desired device to format.
After we have completed all the steps described above, just click the “Format” button and wait for the formatting to complete.
This method is quite simple, the program is easy to use and does not take up much space. It also doesn't use much RAM. Therefore, this method is very well suited for such purposes.
An attempt to save new information on a micro CD will fail if it is write-protected. There may be different reasons for the access denied message to appear. You can remove protection from microSD using several methods - software and physical. Let's look at the most relevant ones.
Unlocking microSD
Place the memory card on a flat surface or in the palm of your hand with the label facing up. On the top left side of the card body, find the small lock switch lever - the Lock button. “Locker” serves to protect information from accidental erasure. The lever can be flat and only slightly protrude from the body, and be white or silver in color. There is no such switch directly on microSD. Insert the card into the adapter and locate the Lock switch on the adapter itself. Move it all the way in the opposite direction.
After moving the Lock lever to the position of canceling the data protection status, the reappearance of the write error notification window may be caused by moving the Lock back to the protection position. This happens due to the weakening of the switch; when you insert a memory card into the card reader, it moves and turns on the memory lock. Secure it with a piece of rubber band, cardboard, or remove it completely.
You can avoid automatic blocking of recording on microSD by removing its contact with the Lock button on the adapter body. Find a small notch on the left side of the micro-flash drive, solder it with plastic or seal it with tape. Soldering must be done very carefully. The option with tape is simpler, but it can get stuck when inserting the card into the adapter.
Changing disk properties
If the memory card protection does not allow you to copy information to another drive, but you need to save it, then try removing the protection as follows. Connect the micro CD to your computer, find its name in the list of devices and right-click on it. From the menu, select the “Properties” line, then the “Access” tab. In the next window there is “Advanced settings”, open it and check the box “Share”, confirm the settings - “Ok”.
Formatting a microSD memory card
Sometimes, to remove protection from a memory card, it is recommended to format it if the “locker” is missing or did not help. Save important information to another disk, because... it will be completely deleted. You can programmatically remove the write lock on the card using Windows.
Install a microSD memory card on a personal computer via a special adapter directly or through a card reader. Modern laptops already have such a connector; it is usually marked with a “card” icon and looks like a narrow slot. The operating system will recognize the drive and its name will appear in the list of devices on your computer.
Right-click on the CD disk icon and select “Format ...” from the expanded menu. Set the file system to the one that your device supports, usually NTFS. Click "Get Started." All information on the disk has now been deleted and the protection status has been removed.
Changing the file system
When writing a file larger than 4 GB to a memory card, an error notification window may appear due to file system limitations. If the memory card is formatted with FAT32, the file size is one of its limitations for recording data. You should change the file system to NTFS, as described in paragraph 3.
Software tools for microSD
You can reset the write protection on a disk using software without deleting the information. There are various scripts and utilities for this, for example reset.zip. When downloading software from the Internet, you should be careful - it may contain viruses. It is better to use proven applications to remove protection. Low-level formatting of a disk with the Hard Disk Low Level Format Tool erases all data, but will help restore even hopeless flash drives that were not formatted using Windows internal means.
Removing microSD protection via a mobile device
Modern mobile devices: players, PDAs, phones, cameras have a microSD formatting function. Try to find this option through the settings and format the flash drive directly on this device. Memory protection could be software installed in the device to ensure data confidentiality. You can also remove protection in the settings. All types of electronic devices have their own characteristics, so if you have any difficulties, read the gadget’s instructions or get an explanation from a specialist at the service center.
Use only the “native” adapter with a microSD card. With another adapter, even if you were able to format the phone, you most likely won’t be able to write the information to disk.
A memory card is a small storage device that is used to store digital information. Memory cards are widely used in various electronic devices, including cameras, smartphones, phones, tablets, MP3 players, etc. Memory cards come in different formats and sizes, but regardless of this, the same problems may arise when working with them. For example, when you use a flash card in a computer, the latter may tell you that the device is write-protected and it will simply be impossible to write any files to it. Today we will try to solve this problem together.
SDHC format
Most often, the problem, oddly enough, occurs on SDHC cards. This is a removable flash memory card that meets the SDA 2.00 specification introduced by the SD Card Association. SDHC was a development of the SD format, inheriting most of its characteristics. The maximum capacity of such devices is 32 GB.
Today, the SDHC format is used less frequently than, say, 5 years ago, since with each generation they try to reduce memory cards in size. But it has one interesting feature that most users don’t even know about - hardware write protection to the device, thanks to which you will not be able to write anything to the card from any device, be it a computer or a camera.
There is a small switch located on one of the sides (not used on all models, be careful). If you move it, the protection automatically turns on. It is possible that you accidentally touched this lever without noticing it, which led to the problem. Accordingly, it will need to be moved.
USB flash cards
USB flash cards can be equipped with exactly the same switch as in the case of SDHC, although they are becoming less common on sale - the cost of such cards is more expensive, and only a few need write protection.
If your flash drive does not have such a switch, but the computer still reports protection, then you can try formatting the device. To do this, you can use standard formatting of the Windows operating system, but it is recommended to use special programs for this. For example, the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool utility is suitable - an extremely small program that can bring flash cards to life.
MicroSD
One of the most popular drives today is MicroSD, which is used in all the latest devices.
MicroSD is a small memory card. Unlike the same SDHC, there is practically no switch on it, which is necessary for blocking. This means you need to try the following:
- If you removed the flash drive, say, from your phone, and then, using an adapter or adapter, decided to transfer materials from your computer to it, try inserting it back into the phone and removing the protection using the settings, if possible.
- If you use an adapter, do not forget about the lever that turns write protection on and off.
- Be sure to clean the contacts; perhaps they are the problem.
- Try formatting your device.
If all else fails, then perhaps the flash drive has died, which, unfortunately, happens all the time.
Very often, people store important information on removable drives that may be needed at any time: documents, personal files, etc. Some people store “files for the soul” on a memory card: favorite music, movies, photos. But unfortunately, sometimes the unexpected happens and the flash drive stops working, and then you need to figure out how to remove protection from the memory card.
Removable drives can fail for various reasons. Conventionally, they can be divided into five groups:
- Mechanical failure. Perhaps water got into the case or some kind of physical impact occurred;
- Logical fault. This may include a request for formatting, a message about deleting information, or a failure in the file system. Such errors often appear due to unsafe removal of the device;
- Controller malfunction. The malfunction manifests itself as follows: the disc is write-protected, cannot be displayed or read;
- Electrical or thermal damage. Human factor, unstable power supply, incorrect assembly of components, which causes the drive to overheat;
- Wearing out flash memory. Due to the fact that the memory of a flash drive is limited by write cycles, after passing this threshold it may become unreadable.
Removing write protection from MicroSD
There are different ways to remove protection from a card. First, try removing protection in the Windows Registry Editor. To do this, press the Windows + R keys on your keyboard at the same time, type regedit and press Enter. After that, open HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies, in the WriteProtect data change the value from one to zero. Don't forget to save your changes. At the end of the procedure, disconnect the drive and restart the PC. If this doesn't help, try other methods.
Unblocking the card
Place the removable drive on a flat surface with the label facing up. On the left side you will see a small switch lever - the Lock button, which serves to protect the card from accidental erasure. There is no “locker” on microSD, so you need to insert the drive into the adapter and move the lever in the opposite direction until it stops.
Changing disk properties
If the drive's protection prevented you from copying the data to another drive, and you need to save it, try the following procedure. Connect the card to your computer, find its name in the list of devices and right-click on it. A menu will drop down, select “Properties”, then “Access”. The following window will open, in it select “Advanced settings” and check the box next to “Share”. Confirm the changes by clicking "Ok".
Changing the file system
When writing a file to a storage device larger than 4 GB, an error notification window may appear due to limitations in the file system. If the drive is formatted with FAT32, the data size is one of its write limitations. Change the file system to NTFS. To do this, right-click on the CD disk icon and in the menu that opens, click “Format ...”. Set the file system to NTFS and click “Start”.
Removing microSD protection using a mobile device
Almost all mobile devices of the latest generation: smartphones, cameras, players, PDAs can format microSD. You can find this option through the settings and format the flash drive directly through the device. The fact is that the device could have memory protection installed to ensure data confidentiality. Remove protection in settings. Of course, all electronic devices have their own characteristics, and if you have any difficulties, read the instructions for your gadget or contact a service center for advice.
We use software
You can remove write protection using software, but the information on the media will remain intact. Many scripts and utilities have been developed for such an operation; reset.zip is a good example. The main thing is to download programs only from trusted sources so as not to bring viruses to your computer. As a last resort, you can perform low-level formatting using the Hard Disk Low Level Format Tool, but it will erase all data from the flash drive. The main advantage of the utility is that it restores the most hopeless drives that were not formatted by Windows tools.
Perhaps your card has been physically damaged?
Sometimes it happens that when trying to write new data to the drive, physical damage occurs: the card is slightly bent, one of the contacts on the flash drive or on the adapter itself is dirty, and the microSD shorts it out. If the problem is contamination, clean the contacts with a cotton swab, after moistening it in acetone or an alcohol-containing liquid. If the card is severely bent, it will not be possible to restore it. A slightly curved card can be straightened using a press, but you need to act carefully.
For a microSD card, you need to use only the native adapter, since with another adapter it is unlikely that you will be able to “upload files”.
Formatting - if other methods did not help
If you are unable to access the data on the card, you can try to “revive” the card using formatting. But remember, all information will be deleted.
Why format the card:
- Get rid of viruses;
- If it is impossible to “upload” a large file to disk;
- The card is slow.
How to format? Right-click on the flash drive icon. When the context menu opens, select the “format” command.
Summarize
We have described all the possible ways to restore and remove protection from removable drives. Please note that careful use of the flash drive, safe removal from the computer, protection from moisture, etc. will significantly extend the life of the drive and prevent problems from occurring. If your card begins to work incorrectly, choose the right “treatment” - use the above recommendations!
Reading time: 45 min
Using a drive to edit information on it is not always successful, sometimes The flash drive cannot be formatted and is write protected.. Formatting and any other manipulations associated with changing information on the media will be blocked, and the flash drive will turn into a regular CD/DVD disk. The problem has been known for a long time, so solutions have already been worked out and are reliable.
Note that the only worthy use of write protection for a flash drive is its protection from viruses that, without the user’s knowledge, migrate through the system and infect new areas.
The flash drive is not formatted: what to do?
The very first step in solving a situation where a flash drive is not formatted by Windows is to check the physical condition of the drive. Some flash drives are locked using a movable latch, the same applies to microSD cards. The toggle switch may be located on one of the edges of the carrier. To remove the recording ban, you need to move the lock to the Open or Lock position; this is done with something hard or a fingernail, since the toggle switch is quite small.
Most likely, the lock was turned on accidentally, so before further connecting the drive you should check that it is installed correctly.
Another common problem is software write blocking, which is installed at the drive microcontroller level. For normal operation, you need to unlock the flash drive, which can be done using built-in Windows tools.
The flash drive cannot be formatted - the disk is write-protected. Unlocking via the registry
A more common reason why a flash drive will not format is software related. To remove the ban, you need to perform some manipulations with the registry.
- Press Win + R and enter regedit in the window that opens, the editor will be launched with administrator rights;
- Then you need to go to the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE branch and select the SYSTEM folder;
- In the CurrentControlSet – Control section there is the required StorageDevicePolicies folder. In some systems, the item may be missing, in which case you will simply have to create it by clicking on “Edit”, activate “Create” and select “Section”. It is important to name the folder exactly StorageDevicePolicies;
- Next, in the selected section (in the window on the right), you need to right-click and “Create”, then select “DWORD Value (32 bits)” and name WriteProtect;
- Next, double-click to open the created parameter and check the value, it should be 0, if one is set, you need to replace it and save the changes;
- At the end, you need to close the registry, remove the drive and restart the PC. After reconnecting everything will work correctly.
Removing protection using Diskpart
The next way to format a flash drive if it is not formatted is to use the Diskpart command function. This interpreter is used to configure and obtain information about partitions.
In our case it should be used like this:
- Click on “Start”;
- Enter the combination cmd into the search bar;
- RMB on the result and run with highest rights;
- Then enter diskpart in the console and press enter;
- Next, enter list disk and press Enter. Here we need to determine the number of the drive with which we will interact, that is, the flash drive. The easiest way to determine the required partition is to look at the size, which is slightly smaller than the volume indicated on the flash drive;
- Now you need to select a disk using the select disk 2 command, where the individual number just identified is indicated;
- To clear an attribute that is blocking a write, you need to enter the command “attributes disk clear readonly”;
- Then the flash drive needs to be formatted using the standard “clean” command;
- You need to create a partition using the “create partition primary” command;
- At the end, you should install the standard NTFS/FAT file system, which is done with the command “format fs = ntfs”; to edit in FAT, you need to replace ntfs with fat in the command.
Removing protection using the Group Policy Editor
An alternative method to resolve the inaccessible formatting issue is as follows:
- You must press the Win + R combination and enter the service name gpedit.msc, then Enter;
- Next, you need to open the branch called “Computer Configuration”;
- Then select “Administrative Templates”;
- Next, open the “System” category;
- The ultimate goal is “Access to removable devices”;
- You need to deactivate the “Removable drives: Prohibit writing” option, to do this, double-click on the option and in the new window on the left, set the Disable position.
Additional options
If the problem has not been resolved by one of the methods listed above, you should try to find software from an official manufacturer; it is likely that it has some specific function. This is easy to do by simply going to the product manufacturer’s website.
Some users confuse the situation of a protected drive and a separate file. Probably, the problem is not in the flash drive itself, but some separate file is blocking formatting. It’s worth taking a closer look at the error window; if a specific file is indicated there, you need to remove protection from it. Performing the action is quite simple - right-click on it and select “Properties”, then click on the “Security” tab and deselect “Read Only”.
Important! Before formatting, you need to correctly install the file system into which the flash drive will be transferred. The most common types are FAT and NTFS, in the first case the storage capacity will not exceed 4 GB, regardless of its actual size, and in the second case the set volume will be supported.
After all, you need to choose quick or full formatting, the first option is faster and shows errors less often, and the second is of better quality.
Sometimes it is not possible to fix the problem at all, since the flash drive simply cannot be used anymore due to the fact that the resource has been exhausted. Each device has a limited number of rewrite cycles; when this resource is exhausted, the flash drive automatically becomes read-only.
If you still have questions on the topic “How to format a flash drive if it is write-protected?”, you can ask them in the comments