Disk write protected

USB Flash Drives Phone Drive
1

My recently purchased SanDisk Ultra USB 3.0 Flash Drive - 128GB (Model Number: SDCZ48-128G-U46) keeps showing it is write-protected. I am not able to find a place to unlock it. Please suggest it.

2

@jorj
Did you purchase the drive from SanDisk Store or authorized reseller?

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)

3

I purchased it from BestBuy, an authorized dealer.

4

Since you purchased it from BestBuy (an authorized dealer), you should still be covered under warranty. If the drive remains write-protected after trying the troubleshooting steps from SanDisk’s support articles, consider the following:

  1. Confirm if Diskpart can remove write protection (attributes disk clear readonly).
  2. Try formatting the drive (backup data first).
  3. Check with BestBuy – If the drive is defective, they may offer a replacement.
  4. Contact SanDisk Support for warranty assistance if needed.