What Is USB Write Protected Formatter and How to Use It? [2024 Guide]
Key Takeaways of USB Write Protected Formatter:
- 1. The disk is write-protected error often occurs on external USB drives, SD cards, and other storage devices, making it difficult to save or edit files on them.
- 2. There is no issue mentioned in your query, could you please provide more context or information about the issue you are facing so I can assist you better?
If your USB drive has become write-protected and you need to rescue it, consider using one of two reliable USB write-protected formatters that can help you successfully format and restore your drive to its original state, allowing you to store and transfer files once again.
What Is USB Write Protected Formatter?
What is USB Write Protected Formatter? Here is the definition:
USB write-The protected formatter is a USB formatter that allows users to remove write protection from their USB drives and reset the drive to a desired file system format, making it available for storing files, transferring data, and creating bootable USB drives for Windows installation.
A reliable USB write-protected formatter tool could be applied to fix this issue on all types of USB drives, including flash drives, memory sticks, and other portable storage devices, by reinitializing the drive and restoring its original factory settings, thereby resolving the problem of the USB drive not being recognized or accessible.
- USB external HDD/SSD
- USB pen drive
- USB memory stick
- USB 2.0, 3.0, and 4.0 flash drives
When Do I Need a USB Write Protected Formatter
If you're experiencing issues with your USB drive, such as being unable to write or format it, or having it show up as read-only in your computer, it may be write-protected. A USB write protected formatter can help resolve these problems, including symptoms like the drive being inaccessible, showing up as a CD/DVD drive, or having a "write protection" error message. If you're having one or two of these issues, it's likely that your USB drive is write-protected, and a reliable formatter can help you regain access to your device.
- If you've forgotten the write protection password on your USB drive, you can't directly retrieve it. However, you can try to reset the USB drive to its factory settings by using a USB recovery tool.
- If your USB drive gets locked or encrypted by an unknown virus or malware, you can try to recover it by using a data recovery software. However, it's essential to be cautious and avoid any actions that might make the situation worse.
- When you try to format a USB drive on a Windows computer, you may see a warning message saying "The disk is write protected." This is not a problem with the drive itself, but rather with the USB drive being used in a write-protected mode, which prevents any data from being written to it.
- The computer displays a warning message saying the disk is write protected, prompting you to either remove the write protection or use a different disk when attempting to copy files or folders to a target USB drive.
If you're experiencing the issue of a write-protected USB drive on Windows 11/10, don't panic! If you have essential files saved on the drive, follow this guide to successfully remove the write protection and access your files again.
How to Remove Write Protection from Pen Drive Windows 11
To make a write-protected disk work again, we've compiled three effective solutions. These solutions can help remove the write protection from the disk, allowing you to use it as needed.
If you need to directly format a USB drive from a write-protected state to a normal working state, you can refer to the next two recommended USB write-protected formatter solutions for immediate help.
USB Write Protected Formatter Recommend and Free Download
Here are the two reliable USB formatter tools provided by Qiling software and Microsoft, listed in one paragraph:
The two USB write-protected formatters have distinct differences. One has pros such as being able to format a USB drive without deleting its contents, and being able to make the drive read-only. However, it also has cons like being slower and having compatibility issues.
| Comparison | Qiling Disk Master | Diskpart |
|---|---|---|
| Pros |
|
|
| Cons |
|
|
For Windows beginners, or if you prefer an easier solution, we recommend that you turn to Method 1 and apply Qiling Disk Master Free for help.
You can now refer to the respective method and apply the recommended formatter to remove write protection from the USB and format it back to a normal state.
#1. Format Write Protected USB with Qiling Software - Partition Master
Follow the guidelines provided by Qiling software to repair your USB and get it working normally again with just a few simple clicks on your own.
First, Unlock the Write-Protected USB
Step 1. Download and install Qiling Disk Master, then navigate to the Disk management section.
Step 2. Right-click your write-protected USB, USB external disk, or SD card, and select "Advanced" -> "Remove disk readonly".
Next, Format the USB after Removing the Write Protection
To format your USB drive, first, connect it to your PC. If you can access the USB drive and find some useful data, it means the drive is not in a write-protected state. Next, open File Explorer, right-click on the USB drive, and select "Format" to format the drive.
If the USB drive is not recognized, format it to make it usable again using Qiling Disk Master Free Edition for a seamless formatting process.
If yes, copy and save those files to another safe location. Then start the USB formatting process as listed here:
Step 1. Select the USB drive to format.
To format a USB drive, connect it to your computer and download the Qiling partition software. Then, launch the software and right-click on the USB drive you want to format, selecting "Format" from the options. This will erase all data on the drive and prepare it for new files.
Step 2. Set the drive letter and file system on USB.
Assign a new partition label, file system (such as NTFS, FAT32, EXT2, EXT3, EXT4, or exFAT), and cluster size to the chosen partition.
Step 3. Apply the changes.
Click the "Proceed" button to format the USB drive.
Step 4. Check "Yes" to confirm formatting USB.
If you see a warning window, click yes and back up your data before proceeding.
Once the process is complete, your USB drive is ready to store new data again. You can safely plug it back into your computer to use it for storing files.
#2. Format Write Protected USB with DiskPart Command Prompt
DiskPart is a Windows built-in tool that allows users to manage and manipulate disk partitions, including formatting and removing write protection from storage devices, all for free.
To unlock an encrypted or locked USB drive, use the USB write protected formatter - DiskPart. First, open Command Prompt as an administrator and type "diskpart" to open the DiskPart tool.
Step 1. Connect the USB correctly to your PC and press the Windows + R keys to open the Run dialog. In the Run dialog, type "cmd" and press Enter to open the Command Prompt.
Step 2. Type cmd and hit Enter.
Step 3. Type diskpart and hit Enter.
Step 4. Here are the command lines to type one by one:
- list disk
- select disk * (Replace * with the disk number of your write-protected USB.)
- attributes disk clear readonly
If the USB drive is still not accessible, you can try to recover data from it using a data recovery software. There are many free and paid options available, such as Deep Data Recovery Wizard, Recuva, or Disk Drill. Follow the software's instructions to scan the USB drive and recover any recoverable files. Be aware that the success of data recovery depends on the severity of the corruption and the quality of the software used.
Step 5. To open the Command Prompt, press the Windows key + R, type "cmd" and press Enter.
Step 6. Type the following listed command lines one by one and hit Enter each time:
- diskpart
- list disk
- select disk * (Replace * with the USB disk number.)
- list volume
- select volume * (Replace * with the USB volume number.)
- format fs=ntfs quick (or, replace NTFS with FAT33 or exFAT.)
- exit
Wait patiently for the formatting process to complete. Once done, you can use your USB drive to store files, videos, games, and even burn system ISO image files on it again.
Conclusion
On this page, we collected 2 reliable USB write protected formatter tools to assist you in efficiently fixing USB drives inaccessible with write protection errors on Windows PCs, with Method 1 using Qiling Disk Master for an easier solution.
If you have further questions about write protection, follow and find answers below.
FAQs about USB Write Protected Formatter
1. What is the best write protected USB format tool?
- For Windows beginners, Qiling Disk Master is the best.
- For experienced Windows users, Diskpart is a reliable USB write-protected formatter that can be used.
2. How to format write protected USB using CMD?
- Plug in the USB drive to your computer and open the Command Prompt on your PC.
- Type the following commands and hit Enter each time:
- list disk
- select disk * (replace * with USB disk number)
- attributes disk clear readonly
- list disk
- select disk * (replace * with USB disk number)
- list volume
- select volume * (replace * with USB volume number)
- format fs=fat32 quick
3. Why can't I remove write protection from USB?
When a USB is locked or write-protected by its physical switch, it can be unlocked by sliding the switch to the off position.
If a USB drive's write protection is caused by viruses or third-party encryption tools, a professional tool is needed to remove it, as regular methods won't work.
4. What does it mean when a USB is write-protected?
When a USB drive is write protected, it means that the drive is locked and cannot be opened or modified, even if the content is encrypted.
The USB drive is locked, preventing direct changes to its content, and cannot be formatted to fix write protection errors.
Related Articles
- How to Install Windows 11 on New SSD (SATA/M.2/NVMe) 🔥
- How to Format Read Only Disk to Normal Windows 11
- How to Format BitLocker Encryted Drive With or Without Password
- How to Format Write Protected SD Card and Repair It to Usable Again [2024 Newest Guide]