A Guide to Disabling Write Protection

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Start editing stored files and other items by disabling write protection
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This wikiHow article teaches you how to remove write protection from a file or removable storage item, which will allow you to edit the file or item's contents. You must be using an administrator account to do this. Some types of removable storage, such as CD-Rs, have built-in write protection that cannot be disabled.

Disable Write Protection on a USB, SD Card, or SSD

  • If you cannot access a physical storage drive, make sure it is formatted for the appropriate file system. Windows uses NTFS, for example, which is not supported by Mac.
  • Visit the Properties tab for a protected file on Windows and uncheck the Read Only box to allow edit access again.
  • Run First Aid on a removable storage item on a Mac to allow your system to automatically disable write protection (if applicable).
Method 1
Method 1 of 6:

Basic Fixes

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  1. Most SD cards and some USB flash drives have small levers or switches on the casing that control whether the item is writable or read-only, so look for such a lever or switch and move it if necessary.
    • Especially in the case of SD cards, physical locks often prove to be impossible forms of write protection until they're disabled.
    • If your lock mechanism has been broken, you might be able to fix it .
  2. Windows and Mac computers use different file systems by default (Windows uses NTFS and is unsupported by Mac), and many flash drives, external hard drives, and SD cards are pre-formatted for Windows use. If you're having trouble using your drive on a Mac computer after using it on a Windows computer, you can reformat the drive by doing the following:

    Tip: Make sure to back up the drive's contents to a Windows computer, as formatting deletes the drive's contents.

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  3. You may get a write protection error if there is no more space on the drive on which you're trying to write. You can check this by selecting the drive in question in This PC (Windows) or Finder (Mac) and looking at the amount of space remaining on the drive.
  4. Scan your computer for viruses . A computer virus can change how your computer responds to removable storage items, or even render all of your USB items read-only. Running a virus scan should fix any virus-related problems that you're having.
  5. Format your flash drive or CD . Formatting erases the removable item's contents and changes the file system depending on your selected formatting options. Since formatting the item will reset it, formatting should be your last option.
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Method 2
Method 2 of 6:

Removing File Properties (Windows)

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  1. Open Start
    Windows Start
    .     Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
    • Use this if you can access each file individually and remove their "Read Only" status. If, however, you have a batch of files in a USB drive, use diskpart .
  2. Open File Explorer
    Windows Start Explorer
    . Click the folder-shaped icon near the bottom-left side of the Start menu.
  3. Click the folder in which the file is located on the left side of the File Explorer window.
    • You may have to navigate through additional files after doing so to find the file.
  4. Click the file for which you want to disable write protection.
  5. It's in the upper-left corner of the window. A toolbar will appear at the top of the window.
  6. This red checkmark is in the "Open" section of the toolbar. Doing so opens the "Properties" window.
  7. It's at the bottom of the Properties window.

    Tip: If you don't see this option, make sure that you're on the General tab of the Properties window.

  8. Both options are at the bottom of the window. Doing so saves your changes to the file and closes the Properties window. You should now be able to edit your file.
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Method 3
Method 3 of 6:

Using Diskpart (Windows)

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  1. This keyboard shortcut launches the "Run" program so you can navigate to or start running programs quickly.
    • Since editing Registry files can be daunting, use this method instead to remove the write protection on USB drives.
    • If your USB flash drive isn't plugged into your computer already, connect it now.
  2. This opens a command prompt window with the diskpart command ready to use.
    • Click Yes if prompted.
  3. Doing this enters the command in command prompt.
    • You'll see a list of connected USB devices. Find your USB flash drive to continue.
  4. Replace [number] with the digital number of your drive.
    • For example, if Disk 1 is your USB flash drive, you'll enter select disk 1 .
    • After you enter the command, you'll see confirmation that the disk you included in the code is selected.
  5. You'll see a confirmation that the disk's read-only attribute has been cleared.
  6. Doing so will ensure that diskpart closes securely and that the changes are applied to your USB flash drive.
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Method 4
Method 4 of 6:

Editing the Registry (Windows)

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  1. Your USB flash drive, external drive, or SD card should be attached to your Windows computer before you proceed.
  2. Click the Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen.
  3. Doing so will search your computer for the Registry Editor command.
  4. It's a series of blue blocks at the top of the Start window. The Registry Editor window will open.
  5. Click the downward-facing arrow to the left of the "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE" folder that's in the upper-left corner of the window.

    Note: You may have to scroll up to the top of the pane on the left side of the window to find this folder.

  8. Click the folder to do so.
    • If you already see a "StorageDevicePolicies" folder, skip the next few steps and only change the "WriteProtection" entry to "0".
  9. It's a tab at the top of the window. Clicking it prompts a drop-down menu.
  10. You'll find this option near the top of the Edit drop-down menu.
  11. It's at the top of the New pop-out menu. A new folder (also known as a "Key") will appear in the "Control" folder.
  12. Type in StorageDevicePolicies and press ↵ Enter .
  13. To do so:
    • Select the "StorageDevicePolicies" key that you just created.
    • Click Edit
    • Select New
    • Click DWORD (32-bit) Value
    • Type in WriteProtect and press ↵ Enter .
  14. Double-click it to do so. A new window will open.
  15. Select the number in the "Value" text field, then type in 0 to replace it.
  16. Doing so should fix the read-only error that you're running into with your removable storage item.
    • If your flash drive or CD still won't register as writable, you'll need to take it into a data recovery service to recover its data.
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Method 5
Method 5 of 6:

Changing File Properties (Mac)

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  1. Click the blue, face-like icon in your Mac's Dock. A new window will open.
  2. Click the folder that houses your file on the left side of the Finder window.
    • You may have to navigate through additional folders after doing so to find the file.
  3. Click the file to do so.
  4. It's a menu item in the upper-left side of the screen. A drop-down menu will appear.
  5. This option is in the File drop-down menu. Doing so opens the selected file's "Get Info" window.
  6. If the lock icon in the bottom-right corner of the window is closed, click it, then enter your administrator password.
  7. It's near the bottom of the window. The Sharing & Permissions menu will expand to display additional options.

    Tip: If the Sharing & Permissions heading has usernames and "Read Only" options written below it, skip this step.

  8. Below the Sharing & Permissions heading, you should see the name that you use to log into your computer.
  9. Click the "Read Only" box to the right of your name until it says "Read & Write", then close the Get Info window. You should now be able to edit your file. [1]
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Method 6
Method 6 of 6:

Using Disk Utility (Mac)

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  1. Your USB flash drive, external drive, or SD card should be attached to your Mac before you proceed.
    • If you're on a recent model of Mac, you may need to get an adapter that plugs into one of your Mac's USB-C ports for your removable item.
  2. Double-click the hard drive-shaped "Disk Utility" icon to do so. A new window will open.
    • You can find this program in the Utilities folder of Applications in Finder.
  3. Click your storage item's name in the upper-left side of the Disk Utility window.
  4. This stethoscope-shaped tab is at the top of the Disk Utility window.
    • Confirm this action by clicking Run when prompted.
  5. If the item's write protection is enabled because of an error on the item itself, the error will be resolved, and you'll be able to use the drive like usual.
    • If the problem with the item is hardware-based, you'll need to take the drive into a data recovery service to attempt to save the item's contents. [2]
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Community Q&A

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  • Question
    Why can't I format a write-protected disk?
    Community Answer
    You can't format a write-protected disk as it has write-protection on. This is useful for storing data and keeping data safe.
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    Thank you for your feedback.
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  • Question
    How can I format my write-protected pen drive?
    Community Answer
    You should be able to disable read-only status following the procedures in this article. Once you've done that, right click the drive, then click Format.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
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  • Question
    How do I disable my write protection?
    Community Answer
    One way of doing it is by activating the key combination of the Windows key + r to load run. Once loaded, type 'disport'. (To run it you will need to have administrative permissions.) Type in 'list disk', press Enter and then 'select disk x' and press Enter. 'X' is the number of the disk that you want the write protection off. You can see or work out which number it is. Next type 'attributes disk clear readonly' and press Enter. To check if it worked, type 'Attributes disk' and if both 'Current Read-Only Status = No' and 'Read-Only = No' you've done it right.
    Thanks! We're glad this was helpful.
    Thank you for your feedback.
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      Tips

      • Most of the time, your read-only errors occur either because of a hardware limitation (e.g., a read-only switch or a broken component in the storage item) or because of an improper file system format.
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      • When you use the list disk code in Command Prompt, use the disk size to find your USB flash drive. In many and most cases, your computer's drive is larger than the USB flash drive.
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      Warnings

      • If you aren't an administrator or you're trying to remove write protection from a read-only item (like a CD-R), you ultimately won't be able to remove write protection.
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      References

      1. ↑ https://support.apple.com/guide/mac-help/change-permissions-for-files-folders-or-disks-mchlp1203/mac
      2. ↑ https://support.apple.com/en-us/102611

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