How to Remove Write Protection on an SD Card

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This wikiHow teaches you how to remove the "Read Only" status from an SD card so that you can place files on it. Virtually all SD cards have physical locks that can be toggled to enable (or disable) write protection. If your SD card is locked down due to digital write protection, you can use a Windows or Mac computer to remove the write protection.

Things You Should Know

  • Check if your SD card is physically locked, unlocked, or locked by tape or debris.
  • Use Command Prompt on Windows to unlock your SD card.
  • Use First Aid on your Mac to fix any issues that might be plaguing your SD card.
Method 1
Method 1 of 3:

Removing Physical Write Protection

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    Place the SD card on a flat surface with the label facing upward. This helps you find the lock switch for the card.
    • If you are using a micro- or mini-SD card, insert it into an SD card adapter, and place the adapter label-up on a flat surface.
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    It should be on the upper-left side of the SD card.
    • The lock switch is typically a small white or silver tab that protrudes from the left side of the SD card.
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    If the lock switch is down, sliding it upward will unlock the card, allowing you to save and edit data. [1]
    • If the switch was already in the unlocked position or this didn't resolve your issue, continue to the next step.
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    Your SD card should also have a smaller notch on the right edge. This notch can prevent certain card readers and other devices from writing to the card, even when the card is unlocked.
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    The tape you use to cover the notch should be just large enough to cover it—don't use too much tape, or else it could prevent the SD card from seating properly. [2]
    • If the unlock switch keeps falling down, you can use another small piece of tape to keep it in the unlocked position.
    • If you still can't write to the card after covering the notch with tape, try inserting it into a computer and checking for digital write protection. Read on to learn how on Windows and macOS.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 3:

Removing Digital Write Protection on Windows

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    You'll need to be on an administrator account in order to open the Disk Partition tool, which is what you'll use to remove the write protection from your SD card.
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    If your computer has an SD card reader, the card should slide label-up and gold connectors-first into the reader.
    • If your PC doesn't have a card reader, you'll need a USB SD card adapter to do this.
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    Press Windows key + S to activate the Windows search bar, and then type command prompt . Click Command Prompt in the search results to open it now.
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    You'll be asked if you want to allow the app to make changes.
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    The prompt in the Command Prompt window should now say "DISKPART."
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    This displays a list disks connected to your PC.
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    You can find your SD card by looking for a number of megabytes or gigabytes that correlates with your SD card's storage in the "Size" column; the number to the right of "Disk" on the far-left side of this value is your SD card's number.
    • For example, if you see that the storage size for Disk 3 mirrors your SD card's remaining space, your SD card's number is "3".
    • The top disk (Disk 0) will always be your computer's built-in hard drive.
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    Type in select disk number where "number" is replaced by the SD card's number, then press Enter . This tells Disk Partition to apply the next command to your SD card.
    • For example, if your SD card is labeled as "Disk 3" in the list of computer disks, you'd type select disk 3 here.
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    You should see a line of text that reads "Disk attributes cleared successfully" appear in the window below your cursor, signifying that your SD card is no longer write-protected.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 3:

Removing Digital Write Protection on a Mac

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    Attach your SD card adapter to one of your Mac's USB or USB-C ports, then plug the SD card itself into the adapter.
    • If you have an older Mac, your Mac may have an SD card slot on its right side. If so, you can plug the SD card label side-up and gold connectors-first into the slot.
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    In some cases, having one read-only file can cause the whole SD card to lock down until the file is switched to "Read and Write" mode. You can check a file's status by clicking it, clicking File , clicking Get Info , and looking at the "Sharing & Permissions" heading.
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    Click the magnifying glass icon in the upper-right corner of the screen, or press Spacebar + . (period) to activate Spotlight search.
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    Type disk utility into the search bar, then double-click Disk Utility in the search results.
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    Click your SD card's name in the upper-left side of the Disk Utility window.
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    It's a tab near the top of the Disk Utility window. Doing so will prompt First Aid to begin running on your SD card.
    • If prompted, follow any on-screen instructions while First Aid runs.
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    If your SD card is locked down due to an error, the error will be fixed by First Aid.
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Why does my SD card tell me it is write protected if it is set to unlocked?
    Community Answer
    Your SD card must have been encrypted using a password on a mobile device or software.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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    If wikiHow has helped you, please consider a small contribution to support us in helping more readers like you. We’re committed to providing the world with free how-to resources, and even $1 helps us in our mission. Support wikiHow
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    Not Helpful 118 Helpful 125
  • Question
    I tried method two and the SD card wasn't showing up on my computer management screen. There's no physical lock, so without an adapter, I can't use method one either. What else can I try?
    Community Answer
    Try the following: 1. Click Start > type “regedit” and open “Registry Editor”. 2. Now follow the below path after opening registry editor :- HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE/SYSTEM/CurrentControlSet/Control/StorageDevicePolicies. 3. Now you will see “Write Protection” option. Double click on that and set the value data to ‘0’. After setting the value data to ‘0’ again try copying or formatting your sd card. After performing the above step you are still not able to format your sd card then continue to next step. Open Command Prompt and type diskpart and press Enter key. After opening diskpart type “list disk” and again press Enter button. Now type “select disk 1”.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
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  • Question
    How can you tell if it is working?
    Community Answer
    Try to recycle a photo. If it works, write protection is off. If you can't delete a picture, write protection is on. After write protection is off, take the photo from the recycle bin and put it back in the SD card. Keep in mind this was only tested on Windows.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
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      Warnings

      • In some cases, the lock switch on your SD card may become loose and slide into the locked position when you insert the card into a computer or device. If this happens, you may need to either glue the switch in place or replace the SD card.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/1102
      2. ↑ https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=R40ROF7nJ2I

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      1. Place the SD card label-side-up on a flat surface.
      2. Locate the lock switch.
      3. Slide the lock switch toward the gold connectors at the bottom of the SD card.

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