Got stuck with your Windows 7 computer system when copying data to your pen drive or an external USB storage? All failure? Maybe the USB storage is write-protected. Are you wondering how to remove the write protection from USB windows 7? Write protection enabled on the universal serial bus drive disallows copying or transferring any data to the drive. It is for the safety of the USB drive and the data stored on it. The USB storage drive remains unusable until you remove the write-protection from it. Neither user can save anything on the USB drive nor delete anything stored on the drive.
If you want to remove write protection from USB on Windows 7, the ways spelt out here in the post can help you. Below you can find different ways to remove the write protection from any USB drive. Give a go-through to the text to understand the purpose behind write protection. You will get to know how you can get rid of the protection from the USB drive, just in case you want restriction-free access to copying, pasting, and deleting the files saved on the storage drive.
Why Is There Write Protection?
The write protection is for the privacy and security of the data stored on the USB drive. For instance, you save anything confidential on an external storage drive and leave it unprotected, and anyone can access the secret files you saved on the drive. Write protection turns out to be a handy tool when ensuring the safety and privacy of your data stored on the external USB drive. With the protection enabled on the USB drive, no one will be able to copy or transfer the files to his personal disk from the drive nor will anyone be able to wipe your drive out – out of any wrong intention.
Why You Need To Remove The Write Protection
Write protection is there for good reasons. It locks everything down in the safe drive so that no one can access the sensitive data saved on it. If you remove the write protection from the USB drive on Windows 7 PC, the drive and its data will be accessible to everyone who uses it. Unlock the drive only when you want it, i.e., when you want to change anything with the files and the drive setting. Be sure before you go to unlock your USB drive. You will know how to remove the write protection from USB on Windows 7, but be double sure whether or not you really need it.
Check If The Lock Switch Is On
Some portable USB drives come integrated with a lock switch. The drive data remains locked and protected when the lock switch is on. The lock switch enables the restricted permission on the drive, making it accessible to anyone. When a user wants to change anything on the drive, e.g., saving a file or deleting some data from the drive, he can unlock the lock switch to remove the restricted permission. So before you know how to remove the write protection from USB on a Windows 7 computer, you need to be sure if the lock switch is not enabled on the drive.
The lock switch is a sliding lock system integrated into a USB drive. Sliding the lock one way locks the drive and data in it while the other way unlocks it making the drive and data accessible to a user. However, the lock switch location may vary depending on brand to brand and the make and model of the drive. However, the functionality, purpose of the lock switch is the same. Since most lock switches are colour coded, you can easily locate them on your USB drive.
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Unlocking Write Protection From USB On Windows 7
In the post below, we will let you know how to remove write protection from USB on Windows 7, but before you go ahead, make sure that the USB drive is password protected. If the drive is password-protected, you will not have access to the drive for unlocking write protection. Unlocking a write-protected USB drive is easy unless no password has restricted its access.
Standard Method To Remove Write Protection From USB
Let’s get to the steps on how to remove the write protection from USB on Windows 7 computers. Here are the easy steps:
1. Click the Start button on the desktop;
2. Select Computer from the Start menu; here, you can see all drives on your Windows 7 computer;
3. Locate the external USB drive on your Windows 7 computer;
4. Right-click to locate the Property of the USB drive;
5. Go to the Security tab and then click on the Edit button;
6. As you see the Permission setting, click on the username as showing;
7. Select Allow Radio Button;
8. Save the setting and exit.
Going with the above 8 steps doesn’t require you to be a computer nerd. You will see the steps as pointed out above. You will get rid of the restricted permission access that was there because of the write protection. The flash drive will be accessible now, and you can now do whatever you want to with the drive data.
Removing Write Protection Through ‘Regedit’
Now you know how to remove write protection from USB on Windows 7. However, the write protection may still be there despite following the above steps, keeping everything inside. If the above trick fails to remove the write protection, you can try ‘Regedit’ to remove write protection. Regedit.exe is the registry editor that can help you remove write protection and have unrestricted access to your flash drive.
Here is how you can go with Regedit.exe on your windows 7 computer to remove write protection from the USB drive:
1. Locate ‘regedit’ on your Windows 7 PC through the search box;
2. The file explorer look-alike window will open;
3. Navigate to the Computer>HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE>SYSTEM>CurrentControlSet>Control>StorageDevicePolicies.
4. Locate Write Protect value under Storage Device Policy and double click on it;
5. Now, change the value from 1 to 0.
6. Click OK and save the value.
Note: While you go step-by-step to remove the write protection from USB on Windows 7, the USB drive should remain connected to the computer system. You can continue to use the drive for whatever the purpose is, e.g., complying, deleting, or transferring the data on it.
Disable Write Protection Using Command Prompt
Command prompt remains the last option if any of the above two options don’t work out to remove restricted access to your flash drive. If you are confused about how to remove write protection from USB on Windows 7 through Command Prompt, here are the points to find your cue:
1. Locate cmd.exe on your computer through the Run command;
2. Right-click on the Command Prompt and Run as Administrator;
3. Now put in the commands in the window as list disk>select disk x ( x is the number of the non-working drives on the computer)>create partition primary>format fs=fat32.
4. Save and exit.
Check if the write protection is still there. If the restricted permission is more there to prevent your access to the drive, be happy. If not, check if the flash drive has physical damage.
Final Thought
The Guide brings you enough tricks to remove write protection from USB on Windows 7 computers. Hopefully, you will now have restriction-free access to your flash drive and data saved on it.
