How to Fix Read-only File System to Read-Write

Read Only

• "This Word document is read-only" indicates that you're unable to make a modification you want to make to it.
• "The pen drive comes with read-only status" suggests that you can't change what is on it. i.e. once the data is written on it, you can read it but can't do any other operation on it.

In conclusion, if data is truly read-only, you can read it with a device, but you can't modify, erase, append to, concatenate, copy, or move it. The main purpose of read-only is to control how you use the data.

Remove Read-only Mode by DiskPart Partitioning Utility

Devices and media are often characterized as read-only mode, which actually can be changed to read-write by the user for further usage. When a drive has become locked in a read-only state, try to fix read-only error with the following simple instruction.

Step 1: Click on your "Start Menu", type cmd in the search bar, then hit "Enter".

Step 2: Type command diskpart and hit "Enter". A new command line window will open.

Step 3: Type list disk and hit "Enter". (make sure your devices has been listed out, for example, it is listed as disk 0)

Step 4: Type the command select disk 0 and hit "Enter".

Step 5: Type attributes disk clear readonly and hit "Enter".

Now you've removed the read-only attribute from the storage devices. Type exit and hit "Enter" to leave the DiskPart utility.

CMD Alternative - Clear Read-Only by Removing Write-Protection

If you are not professional in computing management and not familiar with command lines, don't worry. EaseUS R&D team has promoted a fresh kit for helping you resolve the write-protection issue on your hard drive, external hard drive, USB or SD card, etc., devices.

EaseUS Tools M is a practical computer fixing tool that is safe and light-weighted. It's a perfect alternative to the command line. 

Use this one-click tool to solve the write-protection issues on your own:

Step 1:  DOWDLOAD and install EaseUS Tools M for free.

Step 2: Run EaseUS Tools M on your PC, choose "Write Protection" mode.

Step 3: Select the device which is now "Write-Protected" and click "Disable" to remove the protection.

Correct Read-Only Disk Error by Reformatting

What if the given suggestion does not work in your case? If so, there is an alternative way for you, which is to format a Read-only USB Drive, SD Card, Pen Drive, Floppy Disk, etc. to a proper file system with EaseUS free partition manager.

Many storage devices such as USB drives, pen drive, floppy disk, SD card, and external hard disks are preformatted with a certain file system, which may not be compatible with a Windows computer or a Mac, so you can only read it other than writing new data on it. So in this case, try to reformat it to the desired file system like NTFS, FAT, EXT2, EXT3 and so on. (Back up the important information on your disk before doing the format, because formatting a disk will erase all data on it.)

 

Step 1: Launch EaseUS Partition Master, right-click the partition on your external hard drive/USB/SD card which you want to format and choose the "Format" option.

Step 2: Assign a new partition label, file system (NTFS/FAT32/EXT2/EXT3), and cluster size to the selected partition, then click "OK".

Step 3: In the Warning window, click "OK" to continue.

Step 4: Click the "Execute Operation" button in the top-left corner to review the changes, then click "Apply" to start formatting your external hard drive/USB/SD card.

Smaller cluster size makes less wasting of disk space. The smaller cluster size is, the bigger file allocation table (FAT) will be. The bigger the FAT is, the slower the operating system works with the disk.