SanDisk Write Protected? Try the SanDisk Write Protection Removal Tool

Updated By

Linda 

Written By

Linda 

Last Updated on April 22, 2024

This page will comprehensively unfold the complete solution on how to remove write protection from SanDisk flash drive in two parts. Have you ever encountered any similar Sandisk write protected issue? Now, that's no more a problem.

Please select one of the SanDisk write protection removal tools listed below to remove the write protection from your SanDisk device and format it with ease. Follow the steps below to unlock it right away:

These methods also work to remove write protection from USB, SD, external hard drive like SanDisk Cruzer, SanDisk Ultra, SanDisk Adapter on Windows 10/8/7/XP/Vista for free.

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In this article, we will learn how to remove write protection from SanDisk Pen Drive/USB/SD Card. Share this article to help more people.

Part 1: How to Remove Write Protection from SanDisk Flash Drive/USB/SD Card

Here, we have compiled five write protection removal tools with which you can follow the respective tutorials below to recover your SanDisk USB flash drive or SD card, and so on. Let's see how to remove write protection from SanDisk USB, pen drive, SD card, etc., using these tools one by one.

Method 1: Use the SanDisk Write Protection Removal Tool

Applies to: Using the Write Protect Removal Tool to remove write protection from a SanDisk storage device.

AOMEI Partition Assistant Free is an all-in-one SanDisk write protection removal tool. With its "Write Protection" feature, you can unlock SanDisk storage devices without damaging any data.

Download SanDisk Write Protection Removal Software:

Step 1. Download and install Partition Master, go to the “Toolbox,” and then click “Write Protection.”

Click on «Remove Write Protection»

Step 2. Select your read-only USB, external drive, or SD card and click “Eject.”

Click on «Remove Write Protection»

After doing these steps, you should be able to use your SanDisk and its contents again with no issues. If this method worked for you, feel free to share it online with more friends:

Method 2: Unlock SanDisk Write Protected Device via CMD

Applies to: Unlock SanDisk device with write protection using the DiskPart CMD command for free.

Using the CMD's `attribute disk clear` command is a free and practical solution to fix a write-protected Sandisk SD card or USB flash drive.

Connect your SanDisk device to the computer, and then follow simple steps to remove write protection:

Step 1: Press the "Windows + R" keys, type cmd, and open Command Prompt as an administrator.

Step 2. Type diskpart, and press Enter.

Step 3. Type each of the following commands and press Enter after each one:

1. **list disk** 2. **select disk #** (replace # with the number of your SanDisk USB/SD card/SSD drive that you want to remove the write protection from.) 3. **attributes disk clear readonly**

Use the Diskpart Command to Remove Write Protection

Step 4: Type exit, and press Enter to close Disk Management.

Once done, reconnect your SanDisk USB flash drive or pen drive and you will find the write protection has been removed. The device is no longer write protected.

Step-by-Step Video Tutorial: How to Write Protect USB Drive or SD Card

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Method 3: Remove Write Protection from SanDisk Flash Drive using Regedit.exe

Applies to: Manually removing write protection from a SanDisk pen drive, USB, SD card, etc., using the Registry Editor (Regedit.exe).

Note that Regedit.exe is a built-in Windows tool used for performing advanced computer management tasks. If you're not familiar with the Registry Editor, try the first three methods instead.

Improper manipulation can cause programs or Windows features to behave unexpectedly. Proceed with caution when performing the following steps to unprotect a write-protected file:

Step 1: Click on “Start” and type Regedit in the search box.

When you find it, double-click “Regedit.exe” to open the Registry Editor.

Step 2: Navigate to the following key:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

Step 3: Double-click the WriteProtect value in the right-hand pane of Regedit.exe.

Change “Numeric data” to 0, and then click OK to save your changes.

Step 4: Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Method 4: Remove Write Protection from SanDisk Using an Antivirus/Virus Removal Tool

Applies to: Clean up SanDisk storage devices that appear write-protected due to a virus or malware infection.

Sometimes, viruses or malware can infect and encrypt SanDisk storage devices, making them inaccessible and displaying as read-only. The most effective solution is to run an antivirus or virus removal software to remove the write protection on the SanDisk device.

Here's a list of the best antivirus software for 2020 that you can try to remove the write protection from your device:

• Norton Antivirus
• McAfee
• ESET NOD32
• Avast
• AVG

Step 1: Download and install an antivirus or malware removal tool on your computer.

Step 2. Connect the SanDisk device that is write-protected to your computer.

Step 3: Run an antivirus or malware removal tool to scan and clean the SanDisk storage device.

Once the process is finished, you can access your SanDisk storage device and use the saved data again. If you need a reliable virus removal tool, TotalAV is a trustworthy choice that you can try out:

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TOTALAV

TotalAV is an award-winning antivirus and security software that provides real-time protection against viruses, malware, and online threats.

 Get Protection Now

Enable Antivirus Protection

Method 5: Remove the Read-Only Status and the Write Protection from the File

Applies to: Removing write protection from read-only files that falsely indicate the device is write-protected.

Sometimes, when a single file is set to read-only, it can prevent you from accessing the file. This can also give the false impression that the device is currently write-protected.

Here's a quick method to remove the read-only status and file write protection from a SanDisk or other brand storage device:

Step 1. Connect the SanDisk device to your computer and right-click on the file showing write protection error.

Step 2: Click on "Properties," and then go to the "General" tab. Look at the bottom under "Attributes."

Step 3: Deselect the "Read-only" option and click "Apply" to save your changes.

Removing the write protection doesn't end there, though.

To make your device secure to store data again, you need to reset the SanDisk file system by formatting. In Part 2, you can use a third-party free formatting tool – AOMEI Partition Assistant Free, which can format SanDisk devices normally with just a few clicks.

Part 2: Format the Device with SanDisk Write Protection Format Tool

Applies to: Format inaccessible, corrupted, unopenable SanDisk USB, flash drive, pen drive, SD card, external hard drive, etc., to make it usable again.

Before formatting, make sure to copy and back up your data to a secure location if you have access to it, to prevent loss of data.

Please note that the free formatter tool can't format a protected device directly, so you'll need to remove the write protection on your SanDisk first. Once you've done that, you can use Partition Master Free to format SD cards, USB flash drives, pen drives, and other storage devices. Download the SanDisk write protected formatting tool to fix the write-protection issue.

Let's see how to format your unlocked SanDisk USB flash drive, SD card, and the like to make them reusable:

- Right-click the external drive or USB you want to format, then click "Format." - Set the Volume label, File system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT), and Cluster size, then click "OK." - Click "Yes" to continue. - Click "Perform 1 task" and then "Apply" to format the hard drive partition.

Upon completion, your SanDisk storage device will be formatted and safe for data saving once more, without the write protection issue. You can save files back to the SanDisk device again.

If you lost files after formatting, don't worry. You can try using a reliable SanDisk recovery software to help you fully recover lost files after formatting.

SanDisk Write Protection Error and Its Causes

"My SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 is write-protected. What do I do?" - forums.sandisk.com

“My SanDisk SD card in my digital camera won't delete or let me take pictures. So, I'm looking for a SanDisk repair tool to fix this issue. When I tried using the Windows Disk Management tool, it shows a write protection error. How do I remove write protection from my SanDisk memory card??”

"I bought a 128GB SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive, but when I tried to reformat it for other purposes, Windows prompted 'The disk is write protected'. How can I remove write protection from my SanDisk USB flash drive and format it successfully?"

"My SanDisk flash drive is unformattable due to write protection. Is there any SanDisk write protection removal tool that can help me format the write protected flash drive?"

SanDisk write protection error usually occurs when you attempt to format a SanDisk storage device. It's a long-standing issue that has plagued many users. What causes a SanDisk device to become write-protected? Below are the main reasons, which you should first understand, followed by finding the appropriate write protection removal tool to effectively resolve this error:

- A locked SanDisk storage device appears as read-only - The SanDisk device is infected with viruses or malware - The device is encrypted by third-party write protection software - The SanDisk device contains bad sectors - Physical damage

Conclusions

This method is efficient, secure, and easy to operate, being the best solution to remove write protection from SanDisk flash drive. You can try it without hesitation when dealing with SanDisk write protected issue with SanDisk Write Protection Removal Tool and write protected formatting tool.

People also ask: how to remove write protection from pen drive SanDisk?

This page covers three methods to fix the write protection error on your SanDisk pen drive, USB flash drive, memory card, or SSD hard disk. Some people also have questions about removing write protection.

If you share these concerns, you might want to watch for answers to the following questions:

1. Why does my SanDisk flash drive show as "Write Protected"?

Usually, when a SanDisk device shows up as read-only, it could be due to any of the following reasons:

≪ li ≫ 1). The SanDisk device lock switch is turned on. ≪ /Li ≫ ≪ li ≫ 2). Your SanDisk USB, pen drive, SD card, external/internal disk is password protected. ≪ /Li ≫ ≪ li ≫ 3). The SanDisk device is write-protected due to viruses or malware. ≪ /Li ≫

How to remove write protection online?

The best approach is to choose the right tool and solution for your device to remove write protection online. We recommend addressing this issue in two steps:

Step 1: Choose a reliable USB write protect remover tool online.

As suggested on the page, you can use Regedit.exe (a third-party write protection removal tool) or CMD to remove the write protection from your SanDisk device.

Step 2: Format the device for reuse.

How do I remove write protection from a SanDisk pen drive on Windows 10?

This page offers a full solution to remove write protection from SanDisk flash drive. These methods work on Windows 10/8/7/Vista/XP operating systems.

Firstly, you need to choose a reliable tool to remove the write protection from your SanDisk flash drive.

You can resolve it using Regedit.exe, the write protection remover tool, or the CMD commands in Part 1 of this guide.

Next, you need to format the device to prepare it to save data again.

4. How do I remove write protection from a USB flash drive?

If your SanDisk USB flash drive has a locking switch, make sure that the Lock switch on the left is slid up (unlock position). Otherwise, you will not be able to modify or delete the contents of the card if it is locked.

If the lock is closed but the USB is still write-protected, you can easily unlock the device using the DiskPart command, the Registry, or a write protection removal tool. For a detailed guide, see how to remove write protection on USB in Windows 10/8/7.