How to Remove Write Protection from SD Card Without Data Loss

If you are trying to add or remove some data from an SD card, it may not let you do it. If you get an alert of “write protected”, then it means you cannot add, erase, or modify data on the SD card. This is a common issue many users face, which makes them search the web for how to remove white protection from SD card. So, if you are also one of them, then you are reading the right article.

In this article, we will first clarify your concepts around what is write protection and then talk about best-proven ways on how to remove write protection from SD card. Lastly, we will also highlight how to recover data from white protection SD card. So, let’s begin our discussion. 

Part One: What Is Write Protection?

If you see the prompt “The disk is write protected”, then it basically means that your SD card data is locked. Simply put, it is currently in read-only mode. 

Write protection means that you cannot overwrite or alter the data currently present in the SD card. All you can do is just view the data. However, the interesting question here is: how is an SD card write-protected?

You can easily write-protect an SD card physically or via software. You can flip the switch located on the SD card’s left side to physically write-protect it. Alternatively, you can write-protect an SD card using any relevant software solution. Besides that, a malware/virus attack can also make the SD card white-protected.

Now that we are clear about what is write protection, let’s shift our focus on how to remove white protection from SD card. 

Part Two: How to Remove Write Protection from SD Card – 6 Best-Proven Ways

There are multiple ways to remove write protection from SD card. Below, we have shortlisted seven quick and best ways you must try:

Way 1: Toggle the Physical Write Protection Switch

Almost all SD cards contain a lock switch in the form of a slider on the left side. This switch is designed to physically enable/disable write protection. So, unplug your SD card and check if that switch is at the bottom position. If yes, then it justifies why you are getting a white-protected error. 

Follow the below steps to learn how to remove write protection from SD card by toggling the physical write protection switch:

Step 1. Unplug the SD card and look for the slider button on the left side of the SD card.

Step 2. Toggle the slider to the upward position to unlock it.

Step 3. Plug the SD card back, and you will notice that you can now add, remove, and edit data. 

This way, you can quickly fix the write-protected SD card issue by doing a simple switch toggle.

Way 2: Remove SD Card Write Protection Using CMD

You can also easily remove the write protection error with the help of the command prompt. Follow the below steps to remove SD card write protection using CMD:

Step 1. Click the “Windows + H” buttons to open the command window. Type “diskpart” and click “OK”.

Step 2. Type and run the “list disk” command. Remember the SD card disk number from there.

Step 3. Type “select [disk number]” and replace the disk number with your SD card disk number. 

Step 4. Lastly, type the “attributes disk clear readonly” command and tap Enter. 

That’s it! CMD will fix the write-protection error and make your SD card work normally like before. 

Way 3: Remove Write Protection From an SD Card in Properties

Some SD cards allow you to remove write protection from it through the Properties window. All it requires is pressing a few simple clicks to remove the read-only mode. 

Follow the below steps to remove write protection from an SD card in “Properties”:

Step 1. Open “This PC” and look for your SD card.

Step 2. Right-click the SD card drive and tap “Properties”.

Step 3. Unselect the “Read-only” or “Write Protection” option.

Once done, the read-only limit will be removed, and you can start accessing the SD card like before. 

Way 4: Run CHKDSK to Fix the Corrupted SD Card

In case your SD card got corrupted due to white protection or became stuck while writing data, you can fix it through the CHKDSK command as follows:

Step 1. Open the Windows Start menu and search for “command prompt”. Right-click it and tab “Run as administrator”.

Step 2. Type and run the “chkdsk [sd card drive letter]: /f /r”. Change the SD card drive letter that matches with yours, such as “chkdsk h: /f /r”.

Once you execute the command, the command prompt will fix the bad patches and errors on your SD card.

Way 5: Use Anti-Virus Software

Oftentimes, malware or viruses may encrypt the SD card and put it in white protection to prohibit you from accessing your data. So, if you suspect the presence of malware/virus, you can use antivirus software to fix the issue. 

Follow the below steps to learn how to remove white protection from SD card using antivirus software:

Step 1. Download and launch any reliable antivirus software on your PC. The recommended antivirus software are Avast, AVG, Avira, McAfee, and similar others.

Step 2. Plug the SD card into your computer.

Step 3. Launch the antivirus software and scan your SD card. 

The antivirus software will scan and remove any traces of virus/malware. Once done, you can open the SD card and start reading/writing data. 

Way 6: Replace with a New SD Card

If you are unable to remove write protection from SD card even after trying all the above methods, then your SD card is unfortunately damaged beyond repair. So, you are left with no other choice than to buy a new SD card. This also means that you will lose access to the data on your previous SD card.

Bonus Tip: If you want to recover lost data from a white-protected SD card, read Part 3 of this guide. 

Way 7: Go to the Nearby SD Card Restore Store for Help

Repairing an SD card is very challenging due to its compact size and the need for high expertise. That’s why it is recommended that you buy a new one. However, if you don’t want to lose data, you can take your SD card to a nearby local repair store and ask the repair specialist to repair it.

Part Three: How to Recover Data from Write Protection SD Card

If you have formatted the SD card or purchased a new one to resolve the write protection issue, you might believe you have lost all data. Luckily, you still have a strong chance of recovering data using a powerful data recovery tool like the Tenorshare 4DDiG data recovery tool.

Tenorshare 4DDiG data recovery is an advanced data recovery tool that can intelligently recover data from write-protected, corrupted, or formatted SD cards. No matter whether you want to recover images, videos, documents, or other data types, it can conduct a deep scan and recover all the lost data with a high success rate.

The key features of the 4DDiG data recovery tool are as follows:

• It provides a click-based interface to scan and recover data from write-protected, corrupted, or formatted SD cards.
• It can recover 2000+ data types, including photos, videos, audio, files, etc. 
• Its intelligent design ensures a 99% success rate.
• It offers ultra-fast recovery speed.
• It can also recover data from the internal storage of the PC.
• It is compatible with both Windows and Mac.

In short, the 4DDiG data recovery tool offers an intuitive and reliable way to recover data from write-protected or corrupted SD cards. Let’s now see the tool in action by discussing the steps to follow:

Step 1. Download and launch the 4DDiG data recovery tool on your Windows/Mac computer and connect the SD card to the computer. Select the SD card and then click “Scan”.

Step 2. Wait for the tool to complete the in-depth scan. Once done, it will allow you to preview the recoverable data. 

Step 3. Preview and select the files you want to recover and click the “Recover” button to save the files back to your computer.

That’s it! So, a simple 3-step process with Tenorshare 4DDiG data recovery allows you to recover lost data from a white-protected SD card effortlessly. So, why get more frustrated? Install 4DDiG now and recover data from your SD card right away.

FAQs:

• How to remove write protection from USB drive?

If you are struggling with removing write protection from USB drive, then read the step-by-step guide on “How to Remove Write Protection from USB Flash Drive“. It lists all the best ways you can use to quickly fix the write protection issue in your USB flash drive. 

• Can you format a write protected flash drive?

No, you cannot format a write protected flash drive until you remove the white protection from the flash drive. Alternatively, you can use specialized software like 4DDiG Partition Manager that can intelligently format a write protected flash drive with a few simple clicks.

• How do I turn off write protection on an SD card?

You can turn off write protection on an SD card by toggling the physical switch upward located on the left side of the SD card or go to its Properties and uncheck the “read-only” box. 

Conclusion

An SD card can become write-protected due to a physical lock switch, read-only attribute, malware/virus attack, or other reasons. Therefore, follow the solutions discussed in this guide to remove write protection from the SD card easily. However, if you have lost data due to white protection or corruption of the SD card, then install and use the Tenorshare 4DDiG data recovery tool to extract all the lost data effortlessly.