Microsoft – Remove USB media write protection

Microsoft – Remove USB media write protection


Problem

In rare cases one may be supplied USB media that has software write protection enabled that you may wish to disable.

 

Resolution

  1. Insert the USB media into the computer as normal.
  2. Navigate to the Windows desktop and double click This PC.
  3. Check to see if the USB drive is listed and make a note of its capacity.
  4. Right click Start button and choose Run command.
  5. At the prompt enter the command below and click OK button:

    Diskpart

  6. When prompted by User Account Control click Yes button.
  7. At the prompt the command below then press ENTER:

    List disk

  8. Then observe the listed drives, and note the capacity of the one closest in size to that you saw earlier in This PC, then check the drive number (far left) and note this.
  9. Then enter the command below replacing the XX with the actual drive number then press ENTER to select that disk:

    Select xx

  10. Then enter the command below and press ENTER:

    Attributes disk

  11. The attributes of the currently select disk will be listed, check what is shown next to Read Only status, if it shows yes it means the USB is write protected.
  12. To disable write protection enter the command below and press ENTER:

    attributes disk clear readonly

  13. Then close the command window when done, the USB drive should now be write enabled.

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