I can’t access or format my Sandisk Ultra Fit sdcz430. It appears to be read only. How I change read only position or format the unit?
I tried to format, Diskpart, Regedit, SanDisk SecureAccess software or other softwares. Nothing works.
Does anybody know how to fix it?
Have you checked our knowledge base articles?
(Get Support for Your SSDs and Flash Products | Sandisk)
Try this one
Have you opened a Support Case?
If not, contact SanDisk Technical Support for assistance.
(Contact Support | Sandisk)
Yes. I tried it. Nothing worked.
Unfortunately, when a SanDisk USB drive like the Ultra Fit becomes permanently “read-only,” it’s often a sign that the firmware has locked it in write-protect mode due to failing NAND memory (a built-in protection mechanism to prevent data corruption).
If it’s under warranty → request an RMA from SanDisk.
If not, → recover what data you can and replace the drive; it’s likely reached end-of-life. You can use Stellar Photo Recovery software to recover your lost data.
Thanks a lot for your information. Warranty expired ![]()
Sorry to hear that your warranty has expired. Unfortunately, as @Ellinor_William mentioned, a SanDisk drive stuck in permanent read-only mode usually indicates internal hardware failure, especially with older Ultra Fit models. At this stage, recovery is your best option.
Since formatting and registry edits haven’t worked, try using free data recovery software—it can scan and recover accessible data even from write-protected drives. After recovery, replacing the drive is the safest choice to avoid future issues.
Your SanDisk Ultra Fit has probably gone into a “read-only” mode, which happens when the drive detects corruption or hardware issues. Once that happens, Windows and most formatting tools won’t let you write to it.
If you need the data, the safest option is to try recovery tools before doing anything else. Otherwise, the drive may be permanently read-only, and replacing it could be the only reliable solution.