There are several times that you might have experienced while adding or modifying data on your SD card, an alert message appears, “The SD card is write protected”. I have listed a few ways by which you can remove write protection on a micro SD card and make additions smoothly. When the SD card is write-protected, it is in a read-only state. There is no scope for any modification or deletion. But you can turn the card into a usable state again by following some easy steps.

In this article, you will learn about how to remove write protection on a Micro SD card. 

How to Remove Write Protection on Micro SD Card

 

How to Remove Write Protection on Micro SD Card

A write-protected memory card is that on which data cannot be changed and no new data can be added. The data refers to any kind of audio, video, or text file. Such a case arises due to multiple reasons, for example, the card may be locked, damaged, encrypted by a virus, etc. To remove write protection from the card, certain steps need to be followed. The below article takes you through all the necessary information.

Below mentioned are eight ways to fix write protection from a micro SD card.

Unlock the micro SD card

The first step to removing write protection on your SD card is to check the SD card lock switch. Physical locks are installed in the storage devices usually to ensure protection. If we talk about full-sized cards, almost all of them have a slider on the side of the card. When the slider is towards the Lock arrow that means the card is in a read-only state. Move the slider in the other direction to unlock it. In the case of micro SD cards, the slider does not exist. Instead, insert the card in an adapter to achieve the same locking-unlocking effect.

Run Antivirus Software

There is a huge possibility that your micro SD card has been damaged due to a virus or malware. In such a case, you must connect your memory card to your computer system and run the antivirus software to remove possible viruses or malware. Some recommended antivirus software are Norton Antivirus, McAfee, ESET NOD32, Avira, Avast, AVG, etc.

Remove SD Card Write Protection Using Registry Editor

Before moving on to this step, make sure you have backed up the registry.

Step 1: Connect the SD card to the system using a card reader.

Step 2: Press Windows + R.

Step 3: In the Run dialog, type regedit, and press OK.

Step 4:  Go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies.

Step 5:  Locate StorageDevicePolicies or create one

Right-click on “Control” > Click “New” > “Key”, name it “StorageDevicePolicies”.

Step 6: Right-click on StorageDevicePolicies and click “New” > “DWORD Value”. Name it “WriteProtect”.

Step 7:  Double-click on “WriteProtect” change the Value Data to “0” and then click “OK.”

Step 8: Restart the system and re-connect the card to the device.

Reset the Card’s Attributes via CMD

Another way to remove write protection is by using the command prompt on Windows 10. Follow the below steps to remove the write protection attribute from the micro SD card.

Step 1: Connect the SD card to the system.

Step 2: Press Windows + R.

Step 3: In the Run dialog, type cmd and click OK.

Step 4: Type diskpart in the cmd window and click Enter.

Step 5: Type the following commands one by one.

  • list disk. Click Enter.
  • select disk * (replace “*” with the disk number of the micro SD card). Click Enter.
  • attributes disk clear readonly. Click Enter.

Use CHKDSK to monitor space

If the SD card has some bad sectors and has been corrupted somehow, the CHKDSK command in CMD can help you trace the available space and fix errors on the disk.

Step 1: Connect the SD card to the system.

Step 2: Press Windows + R.

Step 3: In the Run dialog, type cmd and click Ctrl + Shift + Enter to run CMD as administrator.

Step 4: Type chkdsk *: /f /r  (where ‘*’ is the drive letter of the SD card example chkdsk h: /f /r).

Step 5: Click Enter to start the process.

Recover Data from Corrupted SD card

If you are experiencing some trouble with your SD card and it has errors due to which some files have been lost. You can try to recover the data from the corrupted SD card.

Step 1: Connect the SD card to your system.

Step 2: Install data recovery software like MiniTool Power Data Recovery.

Step 3: Select the SD card drive and click Scan to recover data from a corrupt or formatted SD card.

You can now locate the files and save them to a new location.

More info on corrupted SD cards and how to fix this problem is here

Formatting the micro SD card

Formatting the micro SD card is another way of clearing the card of all possible errors and removing write protection as well. Before formatting makes sure to back up the required data.

For ways to format micro SD cards visit here

Using a new micro SD card

First, check the properties of the card. Connect it to the system. Right-click on your SD card drive and choose Properties. Ensure your SD card isn’t maxed out and the Write Protection property has been turned off. If nothing works, try switching to a new micro SD card.

 

How Do I Remove Write Protection From my SanDisk

To remove write protection from your SanDisk device, you can try the following solutions:

  • Check the write-protection switch: Some SanDisk devices, such as SD cards and USB drives, have a write-protection switch on the side or back of the device. Make sure that the switch is in the “unlock” position.
  • Disable write protection using Diskpart: Open Command Prompt as an administrator, type “diskpart” and press Enter. Then, type “list disk” and press Enter. Find the disk number of your SanDisk device and type “select disk X” (replace X with the disk number). Type “attributes disk clear readonly” and press Enter to remove write protection.
  • Format the device: Formatting your SanDisk device can also remove write protection. However, this will erase all data on the device. To format the device, right-click on the device in File Explorer and select “Format.” Choose the file system and allocation unit size, and uncheck the “Quick Format” option. Then, click “Start” to begin the formatting process.

If none of these solutions work, your SanDisk device may be damaged and you may need to replace it.

256gb sandisk

 

Why is My Micro SD Write-Protected?

A micro SD card may become write-protected due to various reasons, including:

  1. Physical Write-Protection Switch: Some micro SD cards have a physical switch that can be used to enable or disable write protection. If this switch is turned on, the card becomes write-protected.
  2. File System Errors: If there are errors in the file system of the micro SD card, it may become write-protected. This can happen due to improper ejection of the card from a device, virus/malware infection, or other issues.
  3. Registry Settings: Sometimes, the registry settings on a computer or device can cause a micro SD card to become write-protected. This can happen due to misconfigured settings, malware, or other issues.
  4. Card Reader Issues: If there is an issue with the card reader or adapter being used to access the micro SD card, it may become write-protected.

 

 

How Do I Format a Write-Protected Micro SD Card

If you have a write-protected micro SD card, you can try the following steps to format it:

  1. Check the Lock Switch: Most micro SD cards come with a physical lock switch on the side that can protect the data from being overwritten or deleted. Make sure the switch is not in the “locked” position. If it is, slide the switch to the unlocked position.
  2. Use Diskpart (for Windows users): Connect the micro SD card to your computer and open a Command Prompt window. Type “diskpart” and press Enter. Type “list disk” and press Enter. Locate your micro SD card from the list of disks and type “select disk X” (replace X with the number of your disk). Type “attributes disk clear readonly” and press Enter. Now, you should be able to format the micro SD card.
  3. Use a Third-Party Tool: There are various third-party tools available that can format a write-protected micro SD card.

why do your sd card have a write protection?

 

Third-party tools for formatting write-protected micro SD cards

  • EaseUS Partition Master: This is a free partition manager tool that allows you to format your write-protected micro SD card easily. It supports various file systems, including FAT, NTFS, and EXT, and can also resize, move, or merge partitions.
  • HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool: This is another free tool that can format write-protected micro SD cards. It allows you to format your micro SD card in various file systems, including FAT, FAT32, and NTFS.
  • SD Memory Card Formatter: This is a free tool developed by the SD Association that can format SD, SDHC, and SDXC memory cards, including micro SD cards. It ensures that your micro SD card is formatted according to the SD standards.
  • MiniTool Partition Wizard: This is a free partition manager tool that supports various file systems and can format write-protected micro SD cards. It also allows you to resize, move, or merge partitions.

 

 

 

Thanks for reading!

I hope this guide helped you gain all the information about how to remove write protection on micro SD cards 🙂 

  

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