How to Fix Write-Protected MicroSD Card

Eleanor Reed

Apr 10, 2023 • Filed to: SD Card Solutions • Proven solutions

"My microSD card has become useless because it is write-protected. I can't copy files to it or format them. And, whenever I try to format or copy it, I get an error message. Please provide solutions for me."

If you are having issues with your microSD and need a MicroSD write-protected fix, you can follow the steps given in this article. This guide will help you get rid of the problem and you will be able to save new data again. Keep reading to find the solution:

What’s a Write-Protected microSD Card

You need a MicroSD write protected fix when you cannot change or add data to a storage device like a USB or memory card. The data can be an audio/video files, documents or pictures.

Such a problem may arise when the SD card you have is:

Signs of a write-protected device are easy to identify. You will notice something is wrong when you cannot make any changes to the device you are using. You will not be able to add, delete or alter any of the information on the microSD. This can become problematic if you have to use the device urgently.

Now that you know the reasons, causes & signs of a problem that needs a microSD card, write a protected fix. Let’s read out to now the solution to address the issue quickly.

Remove microSD Card Write Protection in Windows

There are several different methods to address the problem when you cannot change or write content to your microSD. Let's explore these methods one-by-one in details:

Method 1. Unlock the MicroSD Card

The best way for a micro SD write protected fix is to unlock it. Physical locks are available on storage devices to provide security. If you have a card that is locked, you can find a solution by switching on the lock on the card to the other side.

However, if you are using a micro or mini card, you can fix the problem by using an adaptor. These adapters will help you to achieve the similar locking and unlocking effect mentioned above. Once done, you will be able to write on the storage device you have.

Method 2. Remove Virus or Malware

The second method to remove write protection on micro SD card is scanning the card for any malware or viruses. If there are any reasons why your SD card may be infected, you will not be able to make any changes to it.

An anti-virus application can scan your SD card for any suspicious files, such as viruses, malware, spyware, or malicious software. This is an easy way to achieve a micro SD card write protected fix.

All you need to do to easily scan for viruses is plug in your SD card to your laptop. Next, right-click on it to find the option to scan the device from pre-installed anti-virus software.

Method 3. Use DiskPart to Disable Write Protection

Another easiest way to remove write-protection on a micro SD is to use Diskpart. You can access this by opening the Command Prompt in your computer. Next, type in 'Diskpart'.

Once you enter the Diskpart command, you should type in 'list disk.' Find the card facing issues and type in 'select disk number' with the 'number' being replaced by the number you saw your card displayed at.

The next step you have to take is to clear the 'read-only' attributes by typing in 'attributes disk clear readonly.' This should clear up your SD card issues, letting you get a simple micro SD card write-protected fix.

Method 4. Use CHKDSK to Check Space

Another solution to unlock a write-protected micro SD card is to use the CHKDSK command. To do this, you will have to right-click on the CMD program and chose 'run as administration.'

Then, you can begin typing in 'CHKDSK.' This will display any errors or corruptions that exist on your SD card & attempt to recover the card itself. This is a convenient method to fix a write-protected micro SD card. It will help solve the problem within minutes.

Method 5. Use Registry Editor to Remove Write-Protection

Another solution is using the system registry to remove write-protection. This method can only work for users who are PC users. Here are the steps to use this solution to fix the problem:

Step 1: Plug in your SD card to the PC.

Step 2: Click on Start & write 'regedit,' click enter to open the application.

Step 3: On the left side tab, write in 'HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies'.

Step 4: Click on 'DWORD 32-bit' if your window is a 32bit, or else you can click on 'DWORD 64-bit'. Rename the file to 'WriteProtect,' and then double click on it to change the DWORD value box to '0'.

Step 5: Choose 'OK' to save the changes. This will lead to the write protection being removed.

This is how you can fix the problem on your Windows computer. But, what if you own a Mac, or want to try to recover your data?

Here’re the solutions you need to follow:

Fix Write-Protected SD Card on Mac

On a Mac, a write protected error can pop up, not letting you access any of your important data. If you want to know how to find a microSD write protected fix for your Mac, you can follow the following instructions.

Method 1. Open Disk Utility

Mac users can remove write protection on micros SD card through Disk Utility and First Aid. Follow the instructions & let First Aid scan your card for any errors or issues. It will automatically fix them.

Place your microSD in the laptop, and search for the Disk Utility option. You can do this by opening the Spotlight, which is an icon shaped like a magnifying glass on the top of the screen.

Once it is open, you can choose your card and then click on the 'First Aid' option, which is available on the top of the Disk Utility window. This will allow the First Aid process to scan your SD card.

Method 2. Change Read-only Mode

Another solution for Mac users is to remove any single file that may be a read-only file. If your storage device has one read-only file, it can lock the SD card, until permission is granted to access it.

You can grant permission by plugging in your card to the laptop, looking for any files that are read-only & then right-clicking on them, & selecting 'File,' & then 'Get Info.' Here you will find the 'Sharing & Permissions' option, where you can change the 'read-only' files to 'read and write.'

Method 3. NTFS Driver

If your micro SD card is not damaged or corrupted, and you cannot find any files on the storage device that are in 'read-only’ mode, it is possible that the issue is being caused due to the NTFS formatting of the files.

macOS is not able to read files that are Windows NTFS formatted. Therefore, to make any changes to your card, you will have to install an NTFS driver. This will then let you edit, copy, move or delete documents that you have on your card.

Continue reading to find some more tips for removing the protection and some ways through which you can recover the data you lost.

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Tips on Removing Write Protection on SD Card

• Removing the physical switch from the memory card by using a slider.
• Ensure that you have space on the SD card by accessing the storage device's properties through your laptop.
• Remove the protection from the Disk-part Utility, which can be accessed from the Command Prompt.

Once you have found the solution, you can recover your lost data. Recoverit Data Recovery for Windows and Mac lets you find all the documents, pictures, videos, audio, emails & other data that you had lost from your microSD card. Therefore, you do not have to worry about what steps to take after fixing the issue.

Here are the steps to use Recoverit to recover your lost data:

Step 1: Download & run Recoverit for data recovery on your laptop.

Step 2: Next, select a location from where you want to scan files to start the process of recovering them.

Step 3: Once the scanning starts, you can preview all files you want to save. You can select the ones that you need by file path, file type, filter, search, or choose to download all the files you had on the microSD. During the scanning, you will be able to see your files.

By following the above-mentioned steps, you can get a microSD write-protected fix while retrieving the information you lost. You can back up data to avoid needing to fix the problem by storing your data on multiple devices or online.

This article has provided the necessary detail you need to help you remove write protection quickly. You can use these solutions on this page on any storage device, such as a USB, memory card, internal or external hard drive.