How to format a write-protected USB flash drive or memory card

Some memory cards and USB pen drives have write protection switches, which allows you to prevent files from being deleted, or any new files being written to the device. It also prevents the drive or card from being formatted.

Here are a couple of methods you can try to format the drive and remove the write protection. Bear in mind that there is no guarantee that they will work for you: your drive or memorycard may be corrupt or broken and no utility or low-level formatting tool will make it work again. The only solution in this case is to buy a new drive.

Follow step below for solution: 

1. Click Start then Type: regedit

2. Navigate to the following key:

Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

3. Double-click on the WriteProtect value in the right-hand pane of Regedit.exe
4. Change the Value data from 1 to 0 and click OK to save the change.
5. Close Regedit and restart your computer.
6. Connect your USB drive again, and you should find it is no longer write protected.

Now, you can now format the drive as normal by right-clicking on it in My Computer and choosing Format.

* If you can’t find StorageDevicePolicies, follow this steps:

1. Creating a key by right-clicking in the white space in the Control folder and choosing New ->    Key
2. Double-click on the new key (folder) and right-click once again and choose New -> DWORD
3. Name it "WriteProtect" and set its value to 0
4.  Click OK, exit Regedit and reboot your computer.