If you're having problem copying a file to a bulldoze in Windows, can't delete files or are facing an action camera or dash cam that'due south refusing to work with a microSD bill of fare, information technology could be that the storage is write protected.

Some USB drives and SD cards (but not microSD) take physical switches which let y'all 'lock' the drive to cease any files being accidentally overwritten or wiped.

Sometimes these switches get moved to the locked position past blow, so have a look for a switch on your drive /  menu and make sure it isn't in the lock position.

You'll still exist able to view files on a locked storage device similar this (because it'southward basically in read-only mode) but yous won't exist able to delete them or add together whatever new files.

If it turns out that this isn't the problem, at that place are three ways - below - that might get your drive up and running properly.

Also, if y'all're having bug with an SD carte du jour, effort using a different card reader if yous have one available, or insert it into a unlike device.

There is a risk, though, that your card or drive may exist decadent or physically broken. The simply option in this case is to purchase a new drive. Hither are the microSD cards nosotros recommend and the all-time USB drives.

And if you're simply trying to get back lost data, read our step-past-footstep guide on how to recover deleted files for complimentary.

Remove Write Protection With Regedit

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In any version of Windows run Regedit.exe.

If y'all're not sure how to find information technology, searching 'regedit' in the Outset bill of fare will usually show Registry Editor at the meridian of the listing.

It'southward a bit like File Explorer, then use the pane on the left to navigate to the following cardinal:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

Annotation: if you can't find StorageDevicePolicies, see the next step.

Double-click on the WriteProtect value in the right-paw pane. Y'all can now change the Value data from i to 0. Then click OK to save the change. Close Regedit and restart your computer. Connect your USB drive once more and, with a bit of luck, you should observe it is no longer write protected.

Y'all can now proceed to use the bulldoze, but it's worth copying off any files you desire to keep and so formatting it by correct-clicking on information technology in the list of drives in File Explorer and choosing Format.

StorageDevicePolicies Is Missing

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If you can't find StorageDevicePolicies, you tin can create it by right-clicking in the white space in the 'Control' binder and choosing New > Key and entering the name StorageDevicePolicies.

Now double-click on the new key (it will prove equally a binder) and right-click once again in the white space and choose New -> DWORD. Name this WriteProtect and gear up its value to 0. Click OK, exit Regedit and reboot your computer.

If this method doesn't work, go to the next step.

Disable Write Protection Using Diskpart

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With your USB bulldoze or memory card attached to your calculator, launch a command prompt. You tin can practise this past searching for cmd.exe or 'Command Prompt' in the Starting time menu.

Annotation: you may need to run cmd.exe with administrator privileges if you see an "access is denied" message. To do this, correct-click on Command Prompt in the Get-go menu and choose 'Run as ambassador' from the menu that appears.

If you have Windows 10, merely correct-click on the Start push button (bottom left of the screen) and choose Command Prompt (admin).

Now, at the prompt, blazon the following and press Enter after each command:

  1. diskpart
  2. list disk
  3. select deejay x (where ten is the number of your not-working drive – use the capacity to work out which 1 it is)
    attributes disk clear readonly
  4. clean
  5. create partition primary
  6. format fs=fat32  (you tin bandy fat32 for ntfs if you just demand to utilise the drive with Windows computers)
  7. exit

Now open File Explorer, navigate to your drive and try to copy a file to information technology, or delete an existing one. If it doesn't work, information technology's bad news and your stick or memory card is probably broken. But the good news is that storage is cheap, so you tin supervene upon a USB flash drive or SD card for little money.