[SOLVED] My usb flash drive got corrupt and says The disk is write protected

[AR_Alex]

So this happened, I was backing up 25 gb of pictures and videos to my 32 gb usb flash drive. Since its 3.0 I figured it would take like 20 minutes or so. So I just left it there and went to do something else. When I came back there was an error that was telling me to try and copy again since the drive was missing. Since it was late I decided to copy the files the following day so I could monitor it better for any errors. But the following morning I tried to copy it and it just keeps on telling me "The disk is protected". I have already tried lots of stuff with no luck I can't reformat either because it will just tell me the same. Any ideas???

Edited November 18, 2013 by AR_Alex

[nanoman]

try to use this flash on another computer and see if i t works have you tried registry tricks and low level format and run commands & checking error & repair

Edited October 24, 2013 by nanoman

[mazigh]

have you tried to check the drive for errors?

[AR_Alex]

It doesn't even check for errors it just tells me its write protected...
I have tried a low level format and still no luck

[Guinness]

It doesn't even check for errors it just tells me its write protected...

I have tried a low level format and still no luck

Did you try connecting it to another computer?

[mazigh]

It doesn't even check for errors it just tells me its write protected...

I have tried a low level format and still no luck

It's a USB flash drive not micro SD card right? I just want to be sure, if it's USB flash drive.. does it have any physical "lock"?

Edited October 24, 2013 by mazigh

[AR_Alex]

It doesn't even check for errors it just tells me its write protected...

I have tried a low level format and still no luck

It's a USB flash drive not micro SD card right? I just want to be sure, if it's USB flash drive.. does it have any physical "lock"?

Yes its a usb flash drive and no it doesnt have any lock

its a centon rush 32gb in red

[AR_Alex]

It doesn't even check for errors it just tells me its write protected...

I have tried a low level format and still no luck

Did you try connecting it to another computer?

Let me try that

No it does the same thing

Edited October 24, 2013 by AR_Alex

[nanoman]

make sure usb drive appears in device manager & devices and printers

then

try This

[Guinness]

Try it. Stangely enough, I did have the same issue with my Corsair Voyager GT 32GB some time ago in the same circumstances.

What I did was remove the Flash drive manually from the non present devices on device manager, then did the registry tweak for unlocking the drive, formatted it, and all went back on track.

[AR_Alex]

make sure usb drive appears in device manager & devices and printers

then

try This

I tried that and said the attributes where successfully set but its still write protected...

[nanoman]

make sure usb drive appears in device manager & devices and printers

then

try This

I tried that and said the attributes where successfully set but its still write protected...

un plug and replug again and try it if doesnt work >>>>>>go with Guinness method ;)

Edited October 24, 2013 by nanoman

[mazigh]

Try this registry tweaks LINK , download and open "disable-write-protect.reg"

[AR_Alex]

Right now I'm trying this low-level format
http://www.killdisk.com/
I'll check back if it works but I doubt it haha

Try it. Stangely enough, I did have the same issue with my Corsair Voyager GT 32GB some time ago in the same circumstances.
What I did was remove the Flash drive manually from the non present devices on device manager, then did the registry tweak for unlocking the drive, formatted it, and all went back on track.

And @Guinness can you give more detail on this? removing the drive manually from the non present devices... and exactly which registry tweak?

[AR_Alex]

Try this registry tweaks LINK , download and open "disable-write-protect.reg"

I'll try this after if nothing else works...

[nanoman]

Right now I'm trying this low-level format

http://www.killdisk.com/

I'll check back if it works but I doubt it haha

Try it. Stangely enough, I did have the same issue with my Corsair Voyager GT 32GB some time ago in the same circumstances.

What I did was remove the Flash drive manually from the non present devices on device manager, then did the registry tweak for unlocking the drive, formatted it, and all went back on track.

And @Guinness can you give more detail on this? removing the drive manually from the non present devices... and exactly which registry tweak?

i think this how & for the registry tweak the above mentioned tweak should do the job

[Guinness]

First, eject the drive.

Now, remove it from the non-preset devices, doing the following:

Open CMD in Administrator mode and type:

set DEVMGR_SHOW_NONPRESENT_DEVICES=1

devmgmt.msc

Go to view, show hidden devices.

Find your flash drive from the removable drives list and delete it (it will appear greyed out).

Connect your flash drive to a different USB port, preferably USB 2.0.

Can You try this one first? I'm sure you already made the registry hack to disable write protection.

Edited October 24, 2013 by Guinness

[nIGHT]

I think we already did discuss and found a solution in this one in one of the threads but it's just some random post that got discussed in a topic about usb. I can't find it now yet.

Update:

Sorry, it (discussion I mentioned above) was actually about SD card getting the same write-protected error message. The flash drive was considered as faulty and the owner retired it now.

Some file write -protection were creations of viruses/malwares. Try file unlocking software like ABTO Software Unlocker Tool 1.3.1.0 , IObit Unlocker 1.1 or Process Hacker 2.31, . They are many other file unlocking software but haven't tested them yet. I hope other members will recommend a good file unlocker software here. Maybe that could help to check which app is holding that drive.

Status post in your shout: (others may want to see this. maybe it can help them)

egaz

http://en.kioskea.net/forum/affich-687538-how-to-format-a-write-protected-usb-flash-disk

24 Oct

avmad

You tried rmprep? http://www.rmprepusb.com/

Edited October 24, 2013 by nIGHT

[FreeRyde]

I have a relatively new Lexar 16G USB stick which also claimed to be write protected and I could not format.

It showed up in Device manager, not under My Computer, etc... uninstalled-reinstalled bla bla, etc.

I ran mazigh's Disable write protection reg

Wipedisk detected the drive, so I wiped it with that.

Then I opened Windows Disk Management and assigned a drive letter.

Then formated with Windows.

Works great again.

[pepperoni]

1. Go to the Command Prompt by typing CMD in the Run menu or box Search Program and Files
2. Type in Diskpart , then Enter
3. Microsoft Diskpart window will appear, then type List Disk to see Disk drive installed on your computer, then press Enter
4. Select the USB flash disk that shows us (to facilitate llihat wrote in size) by way of example type: Select Disk 1
5. Then delete the partition by typing: Clean, after succsess then create a new partition by typing: Create Partition Primary
6. Select the partition by typing: Select Partition 1
7. Only later in the format your USB stick with FAT 32 file system do I type in: format fs = fat32
8. Once done type: Assign to add a drive letter (mounting) on the USB
9. Once completed, then type Exit

Good Luck AR_Alex

[TheAslan]

What is the brand of this 3.0 usb stick, when I was using Kingston I had some serious issues, sometimes it didn't appear in My Computer, and sometimes there was error message while pasting files, and I even couldn't use it as a bootable usb stick. Kingston 3.0 usb stick even didn't appear in BIOS, 2.0 Kingston usb stick works correctly.

I can only suggest you to install the latest 3.0 usb drivers, but I'm not sure if it helps or not.

[AR_Alex]

What is the brand of this 3.0 usb stick, when I was using Kingston I had some serious issues, sometimes it didn't appear in My Computer, and sometimes there was error message while pasting files, and I even couldn't use it as a bootable usb stick. Kingston 3.0 usb stick even didn't appear in BIOS, 2.0 Kingston usb stick works correctly. I can only suggest you to install the latest 3.0 usb drivers, but I'm not sure if it helps or not.

It's a Centon Rush in red 32gb. But I already gave up on it because I have tried every method in the whole internet and nothing. I think its a hardware problem since I was copying 25gb of pictures at 50mb/s using usb 3.0 and I accidentally disconnected it...

[SnakeMasteR]

Have you tried another user account or using a XP/OSX VM and it's Disk Utility? What is with Hiren's Boot CD or GParted, Parted Magic with the ability to format USB drives?

Format Utils

fat32format GUI

HDD LLF Low Level Format Tool or any other Low Level Format Tool

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool v2.1.8

USB Image Tool 1.62

[AR_Alex]

Finally got it to reformat using the program that was made by the manufacturer of the chip inside my usb flash drive (Phison).
Tried this as my last resource if it didn't work I was just going to throw it to the trash...

I used this program stated in this website...
http://www.usbdev.ru/post-psrestore3900-m0704/

Which can be downloaded from here...
http://www.usbdev.ru/files/phison/

If anyone else has been having trouble with their usb flash drive and has tried every single "reformating" program on the internet. Contact me or post in this post, so I can help you.

[Levo]

Finally got it to reformat using the program that was made by the manufacturer of the chip inside my usb flash drive (Phison).

Tried this as my last resource if it didn't work I was just going to throw it to the trash...

I used this program stated in this website...

http://www.usbdev.ru/post-psrestore3900-m0704/

Which can be downloaded from here...

http://www.usbdev.ru/files/phison/

If anyone else has been having trouble with their usb flash drive and has tried every single "reformating" program on the internet. Contact me or post in this post, so I can help you.

Yup ,if the registry trick or diskpart method does not work and the drive cannot be formatted even in linux using gparted, then it usually means corruption of the firmware .

Here one needs to use the manufacturer tool to reflash it.

If it is a generic drive one can get the chip type from soft like chipgenius etc and the attempt to reflash with modded firmware available at the site mentioned by you.(http://www.usbdev.ru)

It has whole lot of links to firmware and tools to flash for all sorts of branded and generic usb chips.