How to Format Write Protected SD Card - 4 ways

Background

How to force format sd card write protected or remove write protection on sd memory card when format tools like SD Card Formatter or HP USB Format Tool failed to get it formatted and reported error 'Device media is write-protected.'?

format sd card failed write protectedThe disk is write protected sd card when trying to format sd card in Windows 11/10/8/7

cannot format write protected media Format Tool failed to format write protected media

Table of Content

  1. How to force format write protected sd card on Windows 10 using cmd
  2. Memory card cannot be formatted write protected
  3. Write protected sd card format software download for Windows 11/10/8/7
  4. Format write protected sd card MAC

When a memory card is enabled with write protection, it won't allow you to do any formatting to the memory card and also other changes no matter deleting photos nor taking new photos on the memory card that you used on your Android mobile or cameras. Then it became a high necessarily of disabling the sd card write protection.

The question: How to hard format a write protected sd/micro sd card?

Reinstall drive step 2 Windows cannot format sd card

Video - How to Remove SD Card Write Protection

Also read: 10 ways to disable write protection on sd/usb

#1 - How to force format write protected sd card using cmd

Here are the steps to get write protected memory card force formatted using cmd diskpart on Windows pc when diskpart is made by Microsoft and it provides many useful functions to mange disk storage or change storage device in Windows.

Preparations: Open cmd in your computer, type diskpart in cmd to get it launched.

  • Type 'list disk'
  • Type 'select disk *' and here in the example, disk 1 is our device that we want to remove write protection
  • Type 'attributes disk clear readonly' to remove the write protection on your sd card if it was selected in the step 2 as target media to get changed.

Reinstall drive step 2 Part 1 - Remove memory card read only write protection

Next move is to format sd card in cmd by the following steps

format fs=fat32 quick

  • Type 'list volume'
  • Type 'select volume *' (You need to select the one that represents your memory card)
  • Type 'format fs=fat32 quick'
  • Type 'exit'

Note: if you want to format your sd card exfat, you may type 'format fs=exfat quick' in the above step3.

Reinstall drive step 2 Part 2 - Format write protected memory card fat32 using cmd

Note: If you formatted the sd card by mistake, you can recover formatted sd card free.

#2 - Turn off Lock when Memory Card Is Write Protected Cannot Format

When memory card is write protected or locked, it cannot be changed unless you turned off its write protection switch on the memory card.

You may disable its write protection by the following button.

Reinstall drive step 2 Disable sd card write protection

The problem - sd card write protected but not locked

Sometimes the sd card may be not locked but still shows write protected cannot be formatted, is there any way to fix such error? Try the following ways to fix memory card write protection error in Windows 11/10/8/7 computer or MAC, especially when it is unable to format write protected sd card in Android phone Samsung etc.

#3 - Delete SD Card Volume in Disk Management

And then connect your memory card to a computer, delete it in disk management.

delete volume Delete drive in disk management

And then create new volume for the sd card.

#4 - SD Card Write Protection Format/Removal Software Download for Windows 10/11

Note: The write protection format software are also based on the conditions that you have turned off the write protection button on the memory card, and you have removed the write protection using cmd. These two parts are mentioned in the previous content of this article.

There are many sd card formatters and not all of them can be applied for write protected sd/micro sd card formatting and here we will introduce top 4 sd card write protection formatters to you.

#1 - IM-Magic Partition Resizer Free

IM-Magic Partition Resizer can help remove write protection from a memory card by removing its read-only attribute, as well as offering formatting options for the SD card.

Download Free for Win 11-7

Remove SD card write protectionFormat SD card

Here are some other sd card write protection format tools you may try for formatting the write protected micro sd/sdhc/sdxc.

#2 - HP USB Disk Format Tool

Reinstall drive step 2 Write protected sd card format software - HP USB Format Tool

Download url and tutorial of HP USB Format Tool

Note: you need to disable the write protection on your sd card via its write protection button before you use USB Format Tool, or it would pop up a message 'Device media is write protected'

Must-Read: If this format tool still cannot get your sd card formatted after you have turned off the write protection switch, please make sure there is no file on your memory card that is labeled as read-only since any file with read-only property would also lead to a format failure.

At this time, what else can we do?

  1. Connect your sd card to a computer with a computer sd card slot when most laptop may provide such a memory card slot on the computer and see whether this could get sd card write protected error fixed.

#3 - Easeus Partition Master Free

#4 - MiniTool Partition Wizard Free

Format Write Protected SD Card Mac

Is there any sd card write protection format software on mac that could help you out of the memory card write protected cannot format error?

As far as we know that Disk Utility in Mac may help for a memory card formatting and it is provided as free tool in MAC.

The format function in Disk Utility is called 'Erase' that equals formatting for memory card.

Open Disk UtilityOpen Disk Utility to format write protected sd card on MAC

Recommend: 7 tools to format sd/usb on mac

Verdict

There are many factors that may get involved in this memory card write protection problem, for example, the write protection switch, computer OS Windows editions compatible issue with your memory card, card reader, physical damages on your sd card...

We would advise you try as many ways as possible to determine what may caused this sd/micro sd write protection error and sometimes when your sd card is with physical damage, no tool can get it fixed.

Other FAQS

??? Is there write protected format/removal software online

So far as we know, there are no online format tools for a write protected sd card when you want to format the sd card.

??? How to remove sd card write protection

Remove the write protection on sd card by turning off its protection switch and then format it with format tools.

??? Why the memory card cannot be formatted deleted or transferred

The memory card may have been changed by a incompatible computer or camera/phone, we would recommend you try some other devices to see whether it can be changed.

???how to remove write protection on micro sd card samsung phone, android phone, sandisk, transcend

No matter what kind of sandisk, transcend micro sd card you used on your android phone including Samsung, you may get the micro sd card write protection removed by the following ways.

Fix write protected sd card on samsung phone

  • Turn off the write protection lock
  • Format the sd card by erase tab in your android phone to remove write protection on micro sd card samsung mobile
  • Failed to format write protected sd card on android phone? You need to find a Windows 11/10/8/7 computer to get work started
  • Or your sd card is dying on its chips that it cannot be repaired

Also read: how to fix sd card cannot be formatted

Last updated on Sept 10, 2024

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