How to format my write-protected SD card? NEED HELP!

Memory Cards SD | microSD | CFast | CFexpress | CompactFlash
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Hey guys. I bought a SanDisk SD card about three months ago for my Canon camera, and it’s been working fine… until last night. Out of nowhere, it became write-protected. I can’t delete anything, and trying to format it in Windows just gives me “The disk is write-protected.”

The little switch on the card is definitely in the right position so that’s not the problem. Before I give up and buy a new one I wanted to check if anyone knows a way to force-format a card like this. So, how to format a write-protected SD card? Any tips or tools that actually work? TYSM!

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@laineykk

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 )

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:frowning: doesn’t work…

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You can try SD Memory Card Formatter (official tool from the SD Association) or HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool.

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You can try the following:

  • Check the lock switch on the side of the SD card—make sure it’s unlocked.
  • Use Diskpart in Windows: open Command Prompt, type diskpart, select your SD card, then type attributes disk clear readonly.
  • Try SD Formatter: use the official SD Formatter tool from the SD Association.
  • If none of this works, the card may be failing and will need to be replaced.