How to Format Write Protected Micro SD Card: Complete Tutorial

Unable to Format the Micro SD Card Write Protected

Many users encounter a frustrating issue when trying to format a write-protected Micro SD card. Despite several attempts, they are unable to format the card because of a "This disk is write protected" error. Whether you are trying to use the SD card for storing new data, or you're trying to reformat it for a fresh start, this issue can prevent you from making any changes to the card.

Write protection is a feature that prevents any modifications to the data stored on the storage device. Formatting a write-protected Micro SD card is almost impossible unless the protection is disabled. Without disabling the write protection, your attempts to format the card will fail because the system sees the card as "locked."

How to Format Write Protected Micro SD Card

If you can't format your write-protected Micro SD card, don't panic. There are multiple methods to solve this problem. Here are some practical solutions to unlock and format the SD card, let's explore them each one.

Turn Off Write-Protect Switch Before Formatting

Many Micro SD cards come with a physical write protect switch on the side that prevents writing or formatting the card. Once the lock is turned off, you should be able to format the card.

Step 1. Look for a small slider or switch on the side of the Micro SD card.

Step 2. Slide it to the "unlock" position to disable the write protection.

Then, you should be able to format the Micro SD card using File Explorer or Disk Management.

Format After Disabling Write Protection

If there is no such write-protect switch on your SD card, you can also remove the write protection by modifying the Registry Editor. Once the write protection is removed, you will be able to format the SD card normally again.

Step 1. Press "Win" + "R" and type "regedit" in the Run dialog.

Step 2. Navigate to the following path:

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control.

Step 3. Expand "Control" and open "StorageDevicePolicies".

Step 4. Double click "WriteProtect" in the right panel and set "Value Data" to "0".

After the process finishes, restart your computer and try to format the Micro SD card again.

Format Write Protected Micro SD Card Using Command Prompt

If you are comfortable using the Command Prompt, here’s a simple method to format the write-protected SD card. This method can effectively remove write protection and format the SD card via a single command execution, no extra steps needed. Follow these steps:

Step 1. Type "Command Prompt" in the search box and right click on it to select "Run as administrator".

Step 2. Input the following command and hit the "Enter" key after each one to execute it:

• diskpart
• list disk: this shows all the drives connected to your computer.
• select disk X (replace "X" with the disk number of your Micro SD card)
• attributes disk clear readonly: this command removes the write protection properties on the Micro SD card.
• clean
• create partition primary
• format fs=ntfs (or use other Windows supported file system if preferred)
• exit

Using AOMEI Partition Assistant

If none of the above methods can remove the write protection from your Micro SD card, you can try using a third-party tool like AOMEI Partition Assistant to format the card. This tool can help you bypass the traditional removing write protection and perform a force format on your write protected Micro SD card.

Step 1. Open the app and locate the write protection Micro SD card, right click on it and choose "Format Partition".

Step 2. Choose a compatible file system like FAT32 or exFAT and click "OK" to continue the process.

Step 3. Click "Apply" in the left upper corner to start the process.

Additional Methods to Remove Write Protection

Sometimes, a corrupted file system or virus infection can also cause write protection on your Micro SD card. The two methods below can help you resolve file system corruption and virus issues, restoring your SD card to its normal functionality.

Run CHKDSK Command

When an SD card’s file system gets corrupted due to improper ejection, removal during read/write operations, or other such reasons, you will be unable to write new files and can only read existing ones. All write attempts will fail and trigger a write-protection prompt. Running CHKDSK can help fix these file system issues on the Micro SD card and potentially remove the write protection.

Step 1. Open Command Prompt and run it as administrator.

Step 2. Enter the following command "chkdsk G: /f /r" and hit the "Enter" key. Replace the drive letter "G" with your actual Micro SD card drive letter.

Step 3. Wait for the process to complete. This command will automatically scan and fix any detected errors.

Scan Virus with Windows Defender

Portable storage devices such as USB drives or SD cards can become infected with viruses or malware. These threats will prevent you from modifying or deleting the malicious files stored locally, or occupy the device continuously, thereby blocking write operations from other programs. You can use Windows Defender or your preferred antivirus software to remove the virus.

Step 1. Locate the write protected Micro SD card in File Explorer and right click on it, then choose "Scan with Windows Defender" from the context menu.

Step 2. It will automatically perform a quick scan on your SD card. If necessary, you can also run a more comprehensive scan by clicking "Full Scan" after the quick scan is completed.

If a virus or malware is found, follow the steps to remove it, and check if the write protection is removed.

How to Recover Files from Formatted Micro SD Card

If you've formatted the write protected Micro SD card but now want to recover some important files, don't worry! The powerful data recovery software like MyRecover can help you retrieve lost data from formatted or corrupted SD cards. It supports data recovery from over 500 data loss scenarios, including deleted partitions, emptied Recycle Bin, corrupted SD cards, and old laptop hard drives.

Step 1. Download and install MyRecover on your computer from Microsoft Store. Connect the SD card to your computer with a correct card reader.

Step 2. Launch the app and select the formatted Micro SD card to scan for lost files, then click "Scan".

Step 3. Under the "Path" or "Type" tab, choose the files you wish to recover from the recoverable lists and click "Recover".

Step 4. Save the recovered files to a safe location.

Once the process is done, you'll see the message "Files have been recovered successfully". Then, you can view the recovered files by clicking on the destination folder path or "Browse" button.

Final Words

In short, if you want to format a write-protected Micro SD card, the first thing you need to do is remove the write protection before performing the formatting. If you want to skip the step of removing write protection, choosing a tool like AOMEI Partition Assistant is a great option.

If you have lost important files during this process, don’t despair. MyRecover can help you retrieve them. Upgrade to the Professional version of MyRecover, and you can unlock more advanced features such as unlimited data recovery capacity and file content preview. It even allows you to recover data from a crashed Windows system.