Scenario
I have to format my Micro SD memory card. While formatting, it shows card is write
protected. I tried to use Disk Management, but I am not able to format. Can anyone
help me with this? Thanks in advance.
Why need to remove write protection on Micro SD card SanDisk?
Write protection is actually a good way to make sure data is not accidentally erased
or overwritten. However, when you try to format SD card, you will get no luck. An
error message will pop up and say you cannot format Micro SD card write protected.
Next, I will introduce you how to remove write protection on Micro SD card SanDisk
and Samsung.
How to remove write protection on Micro SD card SanDisk?
Method 1. Check the lock switch
Micro SD card and the adapter have a lock switch. You should make sure the Lock switch
on the left side of the adapter card is slid up (unlock position).
If the lock switch is loose and moves easily, it is likely the switch is sliding to
the locked position. In this case, you may consider replacing an SD card.
Method 2. Modify registry
This way of disabling write protection is simple, but you should be careful to modify
the registry. If Registry is mishandled, your operating system will be disrupted. So
it is better to backup your Windows Registry before you take action.
To modify the registry, you can follow the steps below.
Step 1. Click Start and type regedit, and right click regedit and select run as
administrator.
Step 2. Navigate to the catalogue
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\. If it doesn’t have a folder
named StorageDevicePolicies – create it.
Step 3. Right-click on the current catalogue Control.
Step 4. In the menu select New and find Key; name it StorageDevicePolicies.
Step 5. Right-click on the StorageDevicePolicies and select a new value of the
parameter DWORD(32-bit) for a 32-bit OS or QWORD(64-bit) for a 64-bit one
respectively.
Step 6. Rename DWORD/QWORD to WriteProtect and double-click the line changing the
value to 0 (HEX).

Step 7. Remove your SD card and restart your computer.
Method 3. Disable write protection using GPEdit
The Micro SD card can be write-protected when access to an SD Card is restricted by
Windows local group policy. To remove the read-only restriction, you can take the
following steps:
Step 1. Click Start and type gpedit.msc in the Search Box and press Enter.
Step 2. Go to Computer Configuration –> Administrative Template –> System –>
Removable Storage Access.
Step 3. Disable parameter "Removable disks: Deny All Access".
Method 4. Disable protection using diskpart utility
Diskpart is a utility which allows you to manage disk partitions and volumes.
When you format the SD card, you actually remove read-only protection and unlock
memory card. Here is how to remove write protection on Micro SD card SanDisk by this
way.
Step 1. Open the command prompt. Type "diskpart" to start the utility.
Step 2. Type "list disk" to show the list of available disks in the
system.
Step 3. Type select disk n, where n stands for the disk number of your SD card.
Step 4. Type attributes disk clear readonly. This step will change the properties of
your SD card so that it is no longer read-only.
Method 5. Format write protection on Micro SD card SanDisk and Samsung
If you tried all the methods above and still cannot remove the write protection from
SD card, you can use write protected SD card format software to format the write
protected SD card.
AOMEI Partition Assistant is a free
partition manager that can help you to format all types of disk including SSHD, SSD,
external hard drive, USB drive, all kinds of SD card, etc. And you can format write
protection SD card easily. Also, it breaks the limitation of 32GB in partition size,
thus it can help you to format 64GB SD card partition to FAT32. This software can be
used in all versions of Windows 10/8/7. Let’s see how to remove write protection on
Micro SD card SanDisk and Sansung.
Note: Formatting the Micro SD card will delete all data on it. Therefore, you
should backup all the files on the SD card in advance.
Step 1. Download AOMEI Partition Assistant and
launch this software.
Step 2. Right-click the Micro SD card that you want to format and choose
“Format”.

Step 2. Choose one among listed file systems: NTFS, FAT32, Ext2, Ext3, ExFAT.
Then, click on “OK”.

Step 3. Review pending operation and click “Apply’ to perform it.
The process will be done in quick time. After formatting the SD card, it will be
writable again. Besides, AOMEI Partition Assistant also allows you to format all the
partition on the Micro SD card not only just the primary partition. You can also
convert between NTFS and FAT32 for SD card without data loss.
So you have learned how to remove write protection on Micro SD card SanDisk, you can
try all the methods above and find the one that works for your situation.