I wrote a Chromium OS image to my 4GB HP USB flash drive with Win32 Disk Imager. But now I cannot reformat my USB flash drive. It tells me that the USB flash drive is write-protected. And there is no physical switch. I have tried some methods, like disk management, diskpart, and Disk Storage Format Tool. But all of that did not work. How should I remove the HP USB flash drive from write protection? Help.
Roxanne· Answered on Apr 11, 2023
Based on your description, I can learn that your USB flash drive has been write-protected, and you cannot modify or delete any data on it. Therefore, it is impossible for you to reformat your HP USB flash drive. What you need do is to remove the write protection for your HP USB flash drive, and then you can reformat it.
Actually, some USB flash drives have write-protect switches, which are very well hidden. Therefore, you need to ensure whether it has a physical switch. If it indeed doesn't have, here are some methods for you.
Firstly, you can remove disk write protection using the registry editor.
Registry Editor can work to fix USB flash drives, SD cards, or external HDD or SSD write-protected errors. It is an advanced-level procedure, and if you aren't sure what you're doing, you should avoid using this method as much as possible because a wrong operation to your computer's registry will cause more issues.
Remember to be cautious with this method on your computer, and here are some steps for you as follows:
Step 1. Connect your HP USB flash drive to the PC.
Step 2. Press Windows + R to open the Registry Editor, type regedit in the run box, and select Enter.
Step 3. Select HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE and expand the System.
Step 4. Select Current Control Set, and select Control.
Step 5. Check Storage Device Policies, and change the DWORD value to 0. After that, select OK.
Step 6. Exit the Registry Editor, and then restart your PC.
Wait for some minutes. Then, check if your USB flash drive is accessible.
But if you think the first method is difficult for you to operate, the second method is recommended: EaseUS Partition Master.
Compared with the first method, the second one, as a third-party tool, is more friendly for inexperienced users. By using this software, you can fix your error in a quick way with simple clicks.
Some steps for you are as follows:
Step 1. Download and install the EaseUS Partition Master.
Step 2. Enter the Toolkit section, and click "Write Protection."
Step 3. Select your write-protected HP USB flash drive, and click "Disable."
It only takes three simple steps, and you can remove the write protection for your USB flash drive. Besides the above function, the EaseUS Partition Master also provides you with other functions as follows:
If you have other issues to fix in the future, the third-party tool is believed to be a good option for you. Now you can try to remove the write protection for the HP USB flash drive. After that, then you can reformat your HP USB flash drive.
How to Remove Write Protection Is on Error for USB Flash Drive
Have you met a problem with your USB flash drive not working on the computer? Do not worry. This article will help you remove write protection is on error for the USB flash drive to get the USB flash drive working again.
Roxanne
Apr 04, 2023
How Do I Write Protect My USB Flash Drive, Help
This article will help you learn how to write-protect your USB drive, preventing your data from being changed or written. Two solutions were provided.
Roxanne
Apr 11, 2023
How Do I Enable Write Protection for a Pen Drive?
Write protection can keep your data safe, then I guess you want to know how do I enable write protection for a pen drive. Read this post and find the answer to this question.
Roxanne
Apr 19, 2023
How to Remove Write Protection for 3DS SD Card
Have you met a situation in that your computer shows that your 3DS SD card is write-protected? Do not worry; this passage will help you to know how to remove the remove write protection for 3DS SD card.
Roxanne
Apr 12, 2023
Can't Delete Files or Format My SD Card, What Should I Do?
Why can't delete files or format my SD card? This article provides a detailed guide on this issue and introduces an efficient way to help format a write-protected SD card.
Sherly
Feb 22, 2023
How to Remove Write Protection for a 16GB USB Flash Drive
You may meet a situation where you can not format the flash drive. Do not worry. This article will help you remove write protection for a 16GB USB flash drive, and then you can format your USB flash drive that displays disk write-protected. You can read on.
Roxanne
Apr 04, 2023