Fix media is read-only or write protected message in Windows 10

 If you are getting “ media is write protected ” message while copying files to USB drive or SD card , this post will help you to solve the problem. The same problem can occur when deleting a file or overwriting a file on the media.

What is write protection?

Write Protection is a feature available in some USB/SD devices that ensures the files are not accidentally deleted or modified. This way, every original file on the drive stays safe and nobody can delete the files either.

Remove media is read-only message in Windows 10

Follow these suggestions to disable USB write protection:

1. Turn off the hardware switch
2. Use Diskpart to remove read-only status
3. Disable BitLocker
4. Disable write protection using the registry
5. Disable write protection with group policy

You need an admin user account and a clear understanding of Disk Part and BitLocker tool we propose.

1] Turn off the hardware switch

Some media devices come with a small notch or write-protect switch that write-protects when you pull it up. They are clearly marked but might be too small to be noticed. While they're sturdy enough to be accidentally activated, there's a chance you've flipped the switch. Turn it off and it can remove write protection on a USB or SD card. If you post this you should be able to write to the floppy.

2] Use Diskpart to remove read-only status

If it is not a hardware lock, the disk may be in the read-only state. You can remove this by using the Diskpart tool to remove the read-only attribute. Follow the steps to remove read-only status.

• Press Windows + R to open the Run prompt.
• Type cmd and use Shift + Enter to open it with administrator privileges
• Type diskpart and press Enter
• Type list drive and press Enter . All hard drives on the Windows PC will be displayed.
• Select Disk x and press Enter. The letter x is the number of your SD card
• Typ attr disk clear readonly.

Try deleting a file and you will know if the problem has been resolved.

3] Disable BitLocker

Bitlocker is a brilliant feature in Windows if you want to protect and encrypt files. You may have enabled Bitlocker for the media or SD card and forgot about it.

Any drive that has Bitlocker enabled will show a lock when viewed in File Explorer. If it is, right-click on it and choose Disable Bitlocker. Once you have done that, you can no longer change the files.

Depending on the memory size, decryption may take some time. So wait it out and then try to disturb some files in it. Remember that Bitlocker is not a read-only removal tool, it only works if the files have been previously encrypted with Bitlocker.

Also read our detailed guide on how to use registry or group policy to disable the use of BitLocker on USB drives.

4] Disable write protection via registry

Editing the registry can be difficult. I strongly recommend you to create a backup or do a system restore before using this method. If something goes wrong, you can always go back to the state where everything worked as expected. Follow these steps:

Use Win + R to open Run Command Prompt . Type Regedit and press Enter . If prompted by UAC, click Yes. Once Registry Editor is open, navigate to the following path.

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

Double-click the WriteProtect DWORD and change the value from 1 to 0 to remove the read-only status.

If you cannot find the StorageDevicePolicies folder, you need to create it.

• Right-click the Control folder, select New, and then Key
• StorageDevicePoliciesDevice folder name
• Right-click the StorageDevicePolicies folder and select New > DWORD
• Name it WriteProtect and press Enter.
• Double-click the WriteProtect DWORD and set the value as 0

5] Disable write protection with group policy

You can use this directly on Windows 10 Pro and Enterprise and Windows 10 Home by enabling Group Policy.

Use Win + R to open Run prompt, type gpedit.msc and press Enter. This will open the Group Policy Editor

In Notepad, navigate to the following path

Computer Configuration\ Administrative Templates\ System\ Access to removable storage

Depending on the media device, i.e. USB, CD or tape, you can change write access to disabled. Close the Group Policy Editor and you should be able to make the changes without any problems.

Here’s how to remove Media is read-only message in Windows 10. This ensures that you can write and modify files in it.