What is a USB Write Protection Formatting Tool and How to Use It? [2024 Guide]

Updated by

Sherly 

Written by

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Key points of USB Write Protect Formatter:

1. 1. You might receive a disk write protected error with your external USB drive, SD card, etc.
2. 2. The best solution to this problem is to resort to a reliable USB write protected formatting tool.

On this page, we will introduce you to two reliable USB write protection formatting tools that you can use to successfully save your USB drive from the write-protected state and format it to a new storage and file transfer condition.

What is USB Write Protection Formatting Tool?

What is USB Write Protected Formatter? Here's its definition:

USB Write Protect Format Tool is first of all a USB formatting tool, which enables USB owners at all levels to successfully remove write protection from USB and reset the USB drive to the required file system format for storing files, transferring data, and creating a bootable USB for Windows installation, etc.

This issue can be resolved on all types of USB drives using a reliable USB Write Protect formatting tool, such as:

• External USB hard drive/ssd
• USB flash drive
• USB memory stick
• USB 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 flash drives

When Do You Need a USB Write Protect Format Tool?

So, when do you need a USB Write Protected Format tool? Here are some symptoms and scenarios – if you encounter one or two of these issues, it means your USB drive is write protected and you need a reliable USB Write Protected Format utility to assist you:

• You set a write protection password for your USB device and forgot it.
• Your USB drive has been locked or encrypted by an unknown virus or malware.
• You receive a "disk is write protected" error on your Windows PC when trying to format the USB drive.

When attempting to copy a file or folder to the target USB drive, you receive the error message, "The disk is write protected. Remove the write protection or use a different disk."

How to successfully resolve the "disk is write protected" error or remove write protection from USB on Windows 11/10? If your USB drive contains important files, follow this guide for assistance:

How to Remove Write Protection from USB Drive in Windows 11

In this guide, we list 3 effective solutions that will help you remove write protection from the disk and get it working normally.

If you just want to format the write protected USB to make it work normally, you can directly refer to the two USB write protected formatting solutions recommended below.

Recommended and free download of USB Write Protected Formatter

Here, you'll find two reliable USB formatting tools, one from a third-party software and another from Microsoft. They are:

• 1. USB Write Protected Formatter Tool for Windows
• 2. Diskpart - Command Prompt Utility

What's the difference between the two USB read-only formatting tools? Check out the pros and cons listed below to decide which one is right for you:

For Windows beginners, or if you prefer a simpler solution, we recommend Method 1 with the help of free partition management tool – tools Partition Master Free.

Now, you can refer to the respective method and use the recommended formatter to remove the write protection from your USB and get it back to its normal state.

#1. Format Write Protected USB with Tool - Partition Master

By following the tool's instructions here, you can fix your USB with just a few clicks and get it working on your computer again.

Firstly, unprotect the USB drive.

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

Click on "Remove Write Protection":

Step 2: Select your read-only USB drive, thumb drive, or SD card and click Disable.

Click on «Remove Write Protection»:

Next, format the USB drive after disabling the write protection.

Next, format your USB drive after removing the write protection. Before doing so, you might want to connect the USB to your computer first to see if you can access the drive and salvage any useful data.

If not, you can simply format the USB drive to make it usable again. The Tool Partition Master Free will give you a seamless formatting process on the drive.

If you have any, copy and save them to a safe location. Then begin the USB formatting process, as explained here:

Step 1: Select the USB drive you want to format.

Plug your USB drive or flash drive into your computer. Download and open a partitioning tool. Right-click the USB drive that you want to format, then click “Format.”

Step 2. Choose the USB drive letter and file system.

Enter a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3/EXT4/exFAT) and cluster size for the selected partition and click “OK”.

Step 3: Check the box next to “Format the USB drive” and confirm.

If any warning prompts appear, click “Yes.” Back up important data on your hard drive beforehand, just in case.

Step 4: Apply the changes.

Click on “Execute 1 Task(s)” first, and then click on “Apply” to format the USB drive.

Once that is done, no, you can use your USB to store new data again.

#2. Format a write-protected USB drive using the DiskPart command prompt

What is DiskPart? DiskPart is an in-built disk management utility in Windows that facilitates handling DiskPart commands on Windows 10, Windows 11, or earlier operating systems to perform disk partition operations for free. This tool also supports removing write protection from storage devices and formatting them to function normally.

Here's the process to easily unlock or format an encrypted or locked USB drive using the USB Write Protect Format tool – DiskPart:

Step 1. Connect your USB device to your computer properly, and then press Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2: Type cmd, and then press Enter.

Step 3: Type diskpart, and press Enter.

Step 4. Enter each of the following lines in order, pressing Enter after each:

• list disk
• select disk * (Replace * with the number of your write-protected USB drive)
• attributes disk clear readonly

Then, type exit to quit DiskPart, and open File Explorer to see if you can access the USB drive. If you can, copy and save your important data to another device. If not, proceed to the next step.

Step 5: Press Windows + R, type cmd, and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.

Step 6. Enter the following commands one at a time, pressing Enter after each line:

1. diskpart
2. list disk
3. select disk * (Replace * with the USB disk number)
4. list volume
5. select volume * (Replace * with the USB volume number)
6. format fs=ntfs quick (Alternatively, replace NTFS with FAT32 or exFAT as needed)
7. exit

Wait for the formatting process to complete. Once it's done, you're free to use your USB drive to store files, videos, games, or even as a burning disc for another system ISO image.

Conclusions

On this page, we've rounded up 2 reliable USB write protection formatting tools to help you effectively fix the USB drive inaccessible write protected error on your Windows PC. If you're looking for a simpler solution, try Method 1 and use the Partition Master tool for assistance.

If you have other questions about write protection, the answers might be here.

Frequently Asked Questions About USB Write Protect Formatter

1. What is the best write protected USB formatting tool?

For Windows beginners, Partition Master is the best tool. For experienced Windows users, Diskpart is an ideal USB write protect formatting tool that you can rely on.

How do I format a protected USB drive using CMD?

1. Connect the USB to your computer and open Command Prompt. 2. Type each of the following commands, pressing Enter after each one: - **list disk** - **select disk *** (replace * with the number of your USB drive) - **attributes disk clear readonly** - **list disk** - **select disk *** (replace * with the number of your USB drive) - **list volume** - **select volume *** (replace * with the number of your USB volume) - **format fs=fat32 quick**

3. Why can't I remove the write protection from my USB drive?

When the USB is locked or write-protected via its physical switch, you can simply unlock it by flipping the switch to the off position.

However, if the USB drive is write protected due to viruses or third-party encryption tools, you cannot remove the write protection from USB drive without professional tools. In this case, you can turn to a reliable USB Write Protection Removal tool.

< strong > 4. What does USB Write Protection mean?

When a USB drive is write-protected, it means that your USB drive is locked or encrypted, and you're unable to access or make changes to anything saved on the drive.

First, the USB drive is locked. Second, you can't modify the content on the USB directly. Lastly, you can't format the drive to fix the write protection error on USB.