Pen drive write protected cannot format​

A detailed guide on how to resolve the issue of a write-protected pen drive that cannot be formatted can be quite helpful, especially when users encounter this frustrating problem. 

How to Fix a Write-Protected Pen Drive That Cannot Be Formatted

Pen drives, also known as USB flash drives, are one of the most convenient and widely used storage devices in the digital age. Whether for personal use, work, or data transfer between computers, pen drives provide a quick and easy solution. However, users sometimes encounter an issue that prevents them from formatting the drive write protection. When a pen drive is write-protected, it essentially locks the device and prevents any changes from being made, including formatting. This issue can arise for several reasons, but the good news is that there are multiple methods to resolve it. 

What is Write Protection on a Pen Drive?

Write protection is a feature that prevents data from being written to or erased from a storage device. When enabled, it effectively blocks any changes to the files on the pen drive, ensuring that the data cannot be modified, deleted, or overwritten. This feature is useful in certain scenarios, such as when a user wants to prevent accidental deletion or virus infection. However, when the write protection is not intended and there is a need to format the device, it can become a major hindrance.

There are several ways write protection can be applied to a pen drive:

Physical Lock Switch: Some pen drives have a physical switch that allows users to enable or disable write protection.

Software Lock: Some operating systems or third-party software might apply write protection to the device to prevent accidental data loss.

Corrupt File System: In some cases, a corrupted file system on the pen drive may trigger write protection, rendering it unusable.

Registry Entries: The operating system’s registry may be modified to enforce write protection on a USB device.

Virus or Malware: A virus or malicious software can also cause write protection to prevent the pen drive from being formatted.

Why Can’t You Format a Write-Protected Pen Drive?

When a pen drive is write-protected, it blocks you from making any changes to its contents, including formatting. Formatting a drive involves deleting its contents and potentially changing the file system type (e.g., from FAT32 to NTFS). If the write protection is active, Windows or other operating systems will not allow any modifications to the device, including formatting.

There are several common reasons why you might be unable to format a pen drive:

Physical switch: The pen drive may have a physical switch that enables write protection.

Corrupt file system: If the pen drive’s file system is corrupted, it may become write-protected to prevent further damage.

Virus or malware: Certain types of malware can trigger write protection to prevent the pen drive from being formatted or cleaned.

Registry settings: The Windows registry may have been altered, causing the pen drive to be write-protected.

Permissions issues: The user may not have sufficient permissions to modify or format the device.

Understanding these potential causes can help you identify the issue and apply the appropriate solution.

Methods to Remove Write Protection and Format a Pen Drive

1. Check for a Physical Write Protection Switch

Some pen drives come with a small physical switch on the side or the back of the device. This switch can be toggled to enable or disable write protection. Before trying any other solutions, check your pen drive for this switch.

Step 1: Inspect the pen drive for a small switch, typically located on the side.

Step 2: If you find it, toggle the switch to the “off” position.

Step 3: Once the switch is off, try formatting the pen drive again.

If the switch is already in the “off” position, proceed to the next method.

2. Use Diskpart in Windows

Windows includes a powerful command-line tool called Diskpart, which can be used to manage disks, partitions, and volumes. With Diskpart, you can remove write protection from a pen drive.

Step 1: Insert the pen drive into the USB port of your computer.

Step 2: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 3: Type cmd and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.

Step 4: Type diskpart and press Enter to launch the Diskpart utility.

Step 5: Type list disk and press Enter. This will show all the connected storage devices.

Step 6: Identify your pen drive in the list (by its size), and type select disk X, replacing X with the number of your pen drive.

Step 7: Type attributes disk clear readonly and press Enter. This will remove the write protection from the pen drive.

Step 8: Type exit and press Enter to close Diskpart.

Step 9: Try formatting the pen drive again.

3. Modify the Windows Registry

If the previous method did not work, the write protection may be enforced by a registry entry. You can edit the registry to disable write protection on the pen drive.

Step 1: Press Windows + R to open the Run dialog box.

Step 2: Type regedit and press Enter to open the Windows Registry Editor.

Step 3: Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies. If you don’t see the “StorageDevicePolicies” folder, you can create it by right-clicking on Control, selecting New > Key, and naming it StorageDevicePolicies.

Step 4: In the StorageDevicePolicies folder, look for a key named WriteProtect. If it’s present, double-click it and set its value to 0 (zero).

Step 5: Close the Registry Editor and restart your computer.

Step 6: After restarting, try formatting the pen drive again.

4. Check for Malware and Viruses

Malware and viruses are another common cause of write protection on a pen drive. Certain types of malicious software are designed to prevent users from formatting or accessing the contents of their storage devices. To check for and remove malware:

Step 1: Install or update your antivirus software.

Step 2: Run a full system scan to detect and remove any malware or viruses.

Step 3: After the scan completes, try formatting the pen drive again.

5. Use a Third-Party Formatting Tool

If none of the above methods work, you can try using third-party software to format the pen drive. Several tools are available that can override write protection and help format storage devices:

SD Formatter: A free tool designed to format SD cards and USB drives.

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool: A tool from Hewlett-Packard that can format USB flash drives, including those with write protection.

EaseUS Partition Master: A more advanced partition management tool that can help with formatting write-protected drives.

Simply download and install one of these tools, select the pen drive, and follow the on-screen instructions to format the device.

6. Perform a Low-Level Format

A low-level format (LLF) is a process that erases all data and structures on the pen drive, effectively removing all partitions, file systems, and any potential write protection issues. This method can be useful if all other methods fail.

Step 1: Download a low-level format tool, such as HDD Low Level Format Tool.

Step 2: Install and launch the tool.

Step 3: Select your pen drive from the list of available drives.

Step 4: Choose the “Low-Level Format” option and proceed.

Step 5: Wait for the process to complete and then try formatting the pen drive again.

7. Try the Pen Drive on Another Computer

Sometimes, the issue may be specific to the computer or operating system you are using. Try plugging the pen drive into another computer to see if it can be formatted. If it works on another computer, the issue may lie with the operating system or settings on the original machine.

8. Consult the Manufacturer’s Support

If you have tried all the above methods and are still unable to format the pen drive, the issue may be hardware-related. In this case, it is advisable to consult the manufacturer’s support for further assistance. They may have specific tools or firmware updates that can help resolve the issue.