HELP!!!!! how do i reomove 'write protected' message from my 16gb flash drive?

This is a known hardware error and can’t be fixed. Sandisk is aware of the issue, although there is no official recall for the product. This is an offical answer if you contact customer service:

"I understand that you are getting write protection error while accessing your Cruzer flash drive. The flash drive has detected a potential fault and has become write protected to prevent data loss. There is no method to fix this. You will need to backup your data and replace the flash drive.

Our team of developers is in combination with the OS developers looking into a solution to resolve this issue.

Please note that only a minor percentage of users are experiencing the write protection issue and these are the customers posting on the internet to find a solution."

SOLUTION 1: Return to where you bought and get a refund (as others usb drives might have the same issue)

SOLUTION 2: Contact Sandisk costumer service and get a refund, for the same reasons

Hello,

please … please help me how to remove write protection from my 16GB flash drive.

@nmartenez wrote:

Hello,

 

please … please help me how to remove write protection from my 16GB flash drive.

Did you _ read _ any of the above posts in this thread? :confounded:

It sure seems like most posters don’t.  Which makes one wonder, do they read our replies? :dizzy_face:

:smileyvery-happy:Ed_P, This topic is not funny but!!! your comment and tapeworm’s gave me a good laugh,

or if your reply was verbal “In one ear and out the other” hehe sry! mmmm no i’m not, i have a near new 32Gb sandisk

cruzer. So really can’t even function now as a usefull paperweight…mm should be cranky now nah can’t be bothered its friday and my mood always improves by friday afternoon )) Ed_P DON’T stop wondering as Sheldon doesn’t.:smiley:

have a good weekend anyway,

cya.

Hello

I Just used for less 2-3 minutes, while downloading a short clip from the youtube, using the famous pluging (downloadhelper) of the mozdila.

I just bought this pen (exactly the same 16GB of the member who created the topic) to solve a problem of my nootebook to fix erros of my windows 7 services startup (…)

Anyway, this was my first product and for sure the last one…very disappointed!

SanDisk, you the Kewn it all the time the problem, the issue…whatever and you still send this piece of “tecnology” to the resellers…

Are you serious manufactured…are you kidding with our money!

Where is the proper solution

There’s no word’s to describe how you disrespectful the consumers, i bought today por 42 reais (brazillian currency, i’m not brazillian guy…it doesn’t matter…) about 21 dolars…

I’m prety sure, that i’ll not get a refund, from the shop (this is brazil…).

I just like to end and to say…shame on you SanDisk, and thank you very much for not presenting a decent software solution!!

Cheers,

César.

“Where is the proper solution”

As posted numerous times RETURN IT.  If the store you bought it at won’t replace it then contact SanDisk directly for a replacement.

http://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/5232/~/return-material-authorization-(rma)-process

@Sevens.

Enjoy your weekend.  :wink: 

Sorry SanDisk Guru,

I know you are doing your best to trying to help everyone here :smiley:

But this is a serious problem…a real one!

The big majority of the stores here in the Brasil they don’t give you a warranty, only a receipt or a just simple invoiced (if i were Portugal would be a lot different…)

Anyway, as i told before, SanDisk should have a proper solution, a simple software solution with just 2 click’s (like  format too** l in house by SanDisk**, and there’s none) and not paying the transportation and actualy that is very expensive…at minimum half of price of the product.

Cheer’s

I know you are doing your best to trying to help everyone here

Thank you.  We try.

"_ SanDisk should have a proper solution, a simple software solution with just 2 click’s_ "

No question that would be preferred by everybody, SanDisk included.  Which leads me to believe the problem is more serious than a software glitch. I suspect something is getting shorted out inside the chip.  It could be caused by heat, low voltage or a high voltage spike but once done there is no fix.

On the bright side, at least the error doesn’t cause one to loose all their files.  Imagine how you’d feel if that happened. :wink:

Send your USB drive back to SanDisk, the least expensive way you can, and get a replacement drive.  That way your purchase won’t be a complete lost.  Sorry, but it’s the only way.

Howdy Ed,

I really apreciated your attention and i agreed with you about the different causes of the issue…there is so many possibility’s (…)

On my case, it was very strange perhaps it was just high voltage spike when i switch the computers, but today it was my lucky day, and went to the store were i purchase the pen drive and they…exchange for a new pen!

After all, the quality of the stores in Brazil it’s improving…that’s a good sign!

The knew one works perfectly! :smileyhappy

have a nice weekend,

César.

Thank you for the update azores.  Good to hear you got a working replacement. 

FWIW I read on another thread today that someone who returned their Cruzer to SanDisk did so with a prepaid shipping label. So the replacement service doesn’t cost anything.  Good to know right.  :smiley:

Howdy,

Thank you Ed, for this worderfull news.

Cheers,

César

I sincerely hope that doesn’t happen to 4GB blades too.

They are so inexpensive that sending them back to Sandisk would cost much more than buying a new one.

And that’s a real shame.

I also read theat Sandisk offerend prepaid postage. That’s good but terrible for sandisk!

Sandisk should inspect the problem and offer a tool to “re certify” the devices (as all hdd manufacturers do).

Oh and by the way, a utility to SET the write protect would be very nice too!

Don’t make me (or anyone else) hack them… come on :slight_smile:

same problem is here how can i remove it

Is 16gb cruzer fixed as error product?? and cannot repair with LLF or jump some pin at hadware? it was 7 months after first posting about “write protect” and i wait for it, but vendor never give tecnichal information about this product, resend is not a good option for storage cause data contained on it. Time to resend product is not suitable with the price too. I suggest if vendor technician cannot analyze their own product, vendor should posted this product fixed error and connot repaired, so no one will ask about this case agian in this forum.

RMAs provide free shipping and it has been posted that some RMAs allowed the user to smash the drive before returning it.  So your arguments don’t hold up.

  • Open Start Menu >> Run, type regedit and press Enter. This will open the registry editor.

  • Navigate to the following path:

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

  • Double click the key WriteProtect in the right pane and set the value to 0

  • In the Data Value Box, press OK

  • Exit Registry, restart your computer and then re-connect your USB pen drive to your computer.

 how do i reomove ‘write protected’ message from my 16gb flash drive?please answer.

Have someone read the solutions posted previously to you. 

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