“Hello everyone! I’m having trouble with my SanDisk card—it’s showing as write-protected, and I can’t add or delete files. I’ve checked for any physical lock switches but no luck. Any advice on how to remove this write protection? Thanks in advance for any help!”
3 Likes
Have you checked our knowledge base articles?
(Get Support for Your SSDs and Flash Products | SanDisk)
Try these
- How to Unlock a Write Protected SD/SDHC/SDXC Memory Card | SanDisk
- Solutions to a Write Protected or Locked microSD Memory Card | SanDisk
Have you opened a Support Case?
If not, contact SanDisk Technical Support for assistance.
(Contact Support | SanDisk)
Hello! Write protection on a SanDisk card can be frustrating. Here are some steps you can try:
Check the Lock Switch Again: Even if you’ve checked, try toggling it a few times, as sometimes it can get stuck or be loose.
Use Diskpart (Windows): If you’re on Windows, you can use the Diskpart utility to remove write protection:
Open Command Prompt as an Administrator.
Type diskpart and press Enter.
Then, type list disk to see the connected drives.
Find your SanDisk card’s number, then type select disk X (replace X with your disk number).
Type attributes disk clear readonly and press Enter.
Check Registry Settings (Windows):
Press Win + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
Navigate to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies.
If you see a key called WriteProtect, double-click on it, set the value to 0, and restart your computer.
Try Disk Utility (Mac):
Open Disk Utility, select your SanDisk card, and try reformatting it (be sure to back up any important data first).
Also, check permissions by right-clicking on the card icon on your desktop and selecting “Get Info.” Ensure permissions allow read and write access.
Try a Different Card Reader: Sometimes, the issue is with the reader or USB port rather than the card itself.
Format the Card: As a last resort, try formatting the card. This will erase all data, so be cautious.
Hopefully, one of these steps will help you get rid of the write protection!
1 Like
People on Reddit have reported similar issues where an SD card becomes write-protected for no apparent reason, even when the physical lock is set to “off.”
You can check this blog post to learn how to remove write protection from SanDisk SD Card, but if the methods there don’t work, I recommend replacing the SD card.
If there’s no physical lock switch or it’s not set to "lock, you can still remove the write-protection from SD card using Diskpart command, Windows Registry Editor or Group Policy.
Mostly Formatting will save all your issues, but I suggest try some manual methods to remove the write protection. Check out this article to know 5 Ways to Remove Write Protection from SD Card without Losing Data.
Have you tried to format it? If the lock switch is disabled, you can try the CHKDSK, or regedit via cmd. If it still shows “this drive is write-protected”, your SD card may be corrupted; consider buying a new one.
That must be very annoying! When you’re trying to move or remove files and your SanDisk card suddenly stops cooperating—displaying that dreaded “write-protected” error—it’s annoying. But don’t worry, you won’t have to throw your card in the trash just yet because this can usually be fixed. The card may lock itself due to corruption or incorrect ejection. A card might at times self-lock to safeguard your data if it is nearing the end of its useful life.
As long as the card is readable, you can still retrieve your files even though you are unable to write to or alter it. A decent data recovery tool can get around the write-protection by reading data at a deeper level, even if your SanDisk card won’t let you copy or remove files. To safely recover your files without formatting or unlocking the card, try the BLR Tools Data Recovery Tool.
1 Like
Did you see an error message like ‘Your SD card is locked’?
I think Lslizzysmith002’s method of running Diskpart to remove the write protection is correct.
You can also try other methods to remove write protection, such as:
-
Connect your card to a Windows computer and change file permissions in the Properties.
-
Unlock the SD card using the Registry Editor (this method is more advanced and requires more steps).
