How to Format Write Protected SD Card?

I. How to remove the SD card write protection?

Setting write protection on an SD card safeguards data integrity and security. It prevents unauthorized access, file tampering, and virus contamination. Multiple methods exist to enable write protection: utilizing the SD card’s write protection switch or configuring the card as read-only on a computer. If encountering a “This disk is write-protected” message when formatting the SD card, follow the steps below to remove the write protection before proceeding with the format.

1. Turn off the write protection switch of SD card or card reader

Most SD cards and card readers have a write-protect switch. If you’re unable to copy, modify, or store new data on the SD card, try turning off the write-protect switch. If the switch is already off but the SD card is still in write protection mode, try the following methods.

2. Use the Diskpart command to clear the read-only attribute of the SD card

Step 1: Connect the SD card to the computer using a card reader. Search for "cmd" in the search box, right-click on “command prompt”, and choose “Run as administrator.”

Step 2: Enter the commands in sequence, pressing the (Enter) key after each line.

diskpart

list disk (list all disks in the computer)

select disk 1 (1 indicates the disk number of the SD card)

attributes disk clear readonly (clear the read-only attribute of the disk)

exit

3. Remove write protection in the registry

Remove write protection in the registry to allow data writing on removable storage devices.

Step 1: Press (Windows key + R) at the same time, enter (regedit) and click (OK).

Step 2: Navigate to
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

Step 3: Double-click WriteProtect and change its value from 1 to 0 to remove write protection. Restart the computer after the modification is complete.

II. How to format the SD card after removing the write protection?

1. Format the SD card in Disk Management

Step 1: Insert the SD card into the computer’s card slot or use a card reader. Right-click the start menu and select “Disk Management.”

Step 2: Right click on the SD card and select (Format).

Step 3: Set the volume label, file system, and unit size of the SD card. Check “Perform a quick format” and click “OK“. Click here for more information on file system formats.

● NTFS is a file system that prioritizes data protection, storage efficiency, and disk usage reduction. It is compatible with all Windows versions, but only allows read-only access on Mac and certain Linux distributions. Due to the requirement of logging every operation, NTFS is not recommended for use on mobile storage devices like USB disks.

● FAT32 is a widely supported file system with good compatibility. It is ideal for floppy disks and SD cards. However, it does not organize files into complete fragments before writing, resulting in scattered data and slower read and write speeds. Additionally, FAT32 has a file size limit of 4GB.

● exFAT is a flash memory file system that improves interoperability between desktop computers and mobile devices. It also enhances space allocation performance and is compatible with both Windows and Mac OS.

2. Format the SD card in File Explorer

Step 1: Open file explorer, right-click SD card connected to “This PC”, select “Format”.

Step 2: Configure the SD card by setting the file system, unit size, and volume label. Ensure to select Quick Format, then click Start.

3. Force format the SD card through the command prompt

Step 1: Search (Command Prompt) in the search bar, right-click (Run as administrator), and open the Command Prompt window.

Step 2: Enter the commands below in the command prompt window, pressing the (Enter) key after each command:

● diskpart

● list disk (list the disks in the computer and identify the SD card by its capacity.)

● select disk 1 (1 is the disk number of the SD card)

● clean (The disk’s partitions and volumes will be deleted, and all information will be cleared. However, please note that the cleared data will only be marked as deleted and may be recoverable.)

Then please continue to enter the following command:

● create partition primary (If needed, assign a drive letter H in the next command line, where H is the letter for the newly created partition.)

● format fs=fat32 quick (fs=fat32 means to format the SD card as a FAT32 file system, which can also be set to exFAT or NTFS. And quick means to quickly format)

● exit (quit)

III. How to restore the data in the SD card after formatting by mistake?

If important data on the SD card is lost due to formatting, you can use Renee Undeleter, a professional data recovery software. It offers multiple scanning modes and is compatible with both Windows and Mac systems.

1. What is Renee Undeleter?

Renee Undeleter is designed to restore various data files. Whether you accidentally delete important files, empty the recycle bin, or format the disk/storage, this tool can retrieve the lost data. With four functional modules – file recovery, format recovery, partition recovery, and image creation – it offers a comprehensive solution to all data loss problems.

2. How to use Renee Undeleter to recover SD card data?

Step 1: Connect the SD card to the computer through a card reader. Download, install, and run Renee Undeleter on the computer. Select the (Whole Partition Scan) option on the main interface.

Note: Do not install Renee Undeleter in the disk where data is lost (i.e. SD card) to avoid data overwriting.

Step 2: Select the SD card partition and click (Next).

Step 3: Wait for the scan to complete, which duration depends on the SD card memory size. Preview files by double-clicking during the scanning process. To recover a specific file, select it and click the (Recover) button.

Alternatively, you can wait for the scan to finish, review the scan results for files to recover, and then click the (Recover) button. Save the recovered files in different partitions instead of the original SD card to prevent data overwriting.