Learn How To Remove Write Protection From USB Windows 7

This post will explain how to remove write protection from USB Windows 7. If you have been looking for the ways to unlock your write-protected USB, your search ends here. This will help you and friends as well, so don’t forget to share with them if you find it helpful.

Nowadays, most of us have USB drives to store and transfer data from one device to another. Some of us lock the USB by activating the ‘Write Protection Feature’ to prevent data loss. It enables your device to be write-protected after activating the lock that means you neither format nor make any changes to the device.   

Now, when you need to make changes in your data; want to delete any information or modify it, you would require to remove the write protection from USB. Don’t panic, if you don’t know how to do it. We bring you a simple guide on how to remove write protection from USB Windows 7 in five simple ways. Learn and access your USB!

Before that let’s discuss the reason that can cause write protection on USB if you’ve not activated write protection.

Reasons of Causing Write Protection on USB

Sometimes we, ourselves, activate the write protection in order to protect the files from being mistakenly modified or erased. But, on the other hand, your internal or external hard disk may become write-protected due to the following reason. 

• The physical button on the USB is ON,

• USB is set to Read-only option already, 

• BitLocker option is turned ON on USB Volume,

• Third-party encryption software or virus causing write protected error to USB. 

The solutions on how to remove write protection from USB Windows 7 we are going to discuss here are compatible with Windows 7, 8, 10, and 11. So whether you’re using Windows 7, 8, 9, or 10, these methods will help you remove the write protection from your USB. 

Have a quick glance at the solutions for your knowledge; we will later cover the steps to perform these solutions. 

• Check Physical Lock Switch on the USB

• Run Diskpart Command

• Run Write Protection Remover

• Edit Registry

• Turn Off BitLocker Partition

Note: The solutions listed above are easy to complex. Follow them one by one to remove the write protection from your USB. 

Method 1. Remove Write Protection through Physical Button on USB

Tired of searching ‘how to remove write protection from USB Windows 7’? Here is one of the simplest ways on the list. Sometimes, when the USB or SD card physical switch is OFF, the device shows the write protection is activated. Let’s learn how to resolve it in simple steps. 

• Check the physical button located on the USB device, turn it ON if it is OFF,

• Now connect your USB to the computer or laptop and check if the write-protected status has disappeared. 

• Probably it has now disappeared if the physical button was the case.

Methods 2. Remove Write Protection Via Diskpart Command

On the list of solutions to ‘how to remove write protection from USB Windows 7’, using the diskpart command is another effective solution. Let’s find out the step-by-step guide to performing diskpart commands. 

• Press Windows + R simultaneously, it will pop up a box. Type cmd in that and it will launch the command prompt,

• No, in the Command Prompt window,  type diskpart and hit Enter, 

• Type List Disk, press Enter, view the available disk, 

• Type Select Disk 2, hit Enter, 

• Change protected device number with 0,

• Next Type Attribute Disk Clear Readonly and again press Enter,

• Once you have done this, type Exit to quit diskpart.

It's time to restart your PC and check if you can access the saved data on USB. If not, don’t be disheartened, try another method on how to remove write protection from USB Windows 7 discussed below. 

Method 3- Remove Write Protection Via Third-party Removal

If you don’t consider yourself a pro computer user and are not familiar with the computer commands but have to remove the write protection from USB, a third-party tool can help you. There are several graphical-based solutions such as EaseUs CleanGenius that make the task easier. Here is an easy-to-follow guide to using third-party tools. 

• Download and Install the tool on your computer; it is for free,

• Run the software, select Optimization and Choose Write Protection mode,

• Now choose the device that is write-protected and click Disable button to remove the write protection,

This is how you can remove the write protection from your USB simply. Learn more methods on how to remove write protection from USB Windows 7 below. 

Method 4- Remove Write Protection Using Edit Registry

The registry editor will also work to remove write protection from your USB. This is an advanced level procedure, you should probably not use this method if you are not aware of this. A single wrong step can cause many issues, so be cautious while using this method. Follow a step-to-step guide to keep the risk at bay. 

• Connect your USB to the computer,

• Press Windows +R to open the registry editor,

• Type Regedit in the Run box, hit Enter,

• Now click on HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and expand the system,

• Click Current Control Set>Control, 

• Check the storage device and replace the DWORD value with 0 and click OK,

• Exit the Registry Editor

• Reboot your PC. 

Wait to restart your computer. Once it starts, check if the device is accessible. 

Hopefully, this method is effective to help you understand how to remove write protection from USB Windows 7. If not, you can mention your issue in the comment section. We will try to resolve it in a short turnaround time. Or you can attempt our next solution on the list. 

Method 5- Remove Write Protection By Turning Off BitLocker

If ‘how to remove write protection from USB Windows 7’ is still your concern, try making some changes in your BitLocker. When BitLocker is enabled on your system, it protects some files with your encrypted feature. To remove write protection from your USB, you need to first turn OFF the BitLocker. Here are details to unlocking write protection from USB through BitLocker. 

• Navigate to File Explorer, right-click on your BitLocker partition or USB drive, 

• Select the Manage BitLocker locked device and click Turn OFF BitLocker,

• Wait for BitLocker to decrypt on its own.

• After this, BitLocker will be turned OFF,

• Now your USB will be unlocked and you can either manage or save files to it again. 

This page consists of five methods on how to remove write protection from USB Windows 7. You can use either of these according to your convenience. Maybe you will be able to access your USB after the first method and you don’t need to try any other method. There can be any case, depending on the reason that is causing this problem. 

Whatever the case is, leave a reply in the comment section!

Frequently Asked Questions

1. How to remove write protection from a micro SD card?

By using the ‘diskpart command’ method from the above guide you can easily remove write protection from the micro SD card. 

2. How can I remove the write protection from a single file?

Another important question that people often ask. Here is the possible solution. 

If your file or folder is locked with the read-only option, it can be unlocked easily with the following tips. 

• Right-click on the folder

• Select Properties

• A general tab will open, uncheck read-only from there and click OK.

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