How to remove write protection on portable hard drive​?

Here are several methods to remove write protection on a portable hard drive, along with detailed steps and considerations:

Method 1: Check for Physical Write Protection Switches

For Some External HDDs and Flash Drives: Some portable hard drives and flash drives have a physical write protection switch. This is often a small slider or button on the side or edge of the device.

Locate the Switch: Examine the sides and edges of the portable hard drive carefully. The switch is usually very small and might be labeled with a lock or unlock icon.

Move the Switch: If the switch is in the locked position (indicating write protection), move it to the opposite position to unlock the drive.

Method 2: Check in Disk Management

Open Disk Management:

For Windows: Press the Windows key + R, type “diskmgmt.msc” in the Run dialog box, and press Enter.

For Mac: Open “Disk Utility” which can usually be found in the Applications > Utilities folder.

Locate the Portable Hard Drive: In Disk Management (Windows) or Disk Utility (Mac), find the portable hard drive in the list of disks. It should be labeled with its capacity and possibly the manufacturer’s name.

Check for Write Protection Settings:

For Windows: Right-click on the partition of the portable hard drive and select “Properties”. In the Properties window, go to the “Security” tab and check the permissions. Make sure that the user account you are using has full control or at least write permissions.

For Mac: Select the portable hard drive in Disk Utility and click on the “First Aid” button. This will check for any disk errors or issues that might be causing the write protection. If there are any problems, Disk Utility will attempt to fix them.

Method 3: Update or Reinstall Disk Drivers

For Windows:

Open Device Manager: Press the Windows key + X and select “Device Manager” from the menu.

Locate the Portable Hard Drive: Expand the “Disk drives” or “Universal Serial Bus controllers” section (depending on the type of portable hard drive). Right-click on the device corresponding to your portable hard drive and select “Properties”.

Update Driver: In the Properties window, go to the “Driver” tab and click on “Update Driver”. Follow the on-screen instructions to search for and install the latest driver updates.

Reinstall Driver: If updating the driver doesn’t work, you can try uninstalling the driver and then restarting the computer. Windows will automatically detect the device and reinstall the driver.

For Mac:

Check for Software Updates: Go to the Apple menu and select “System Preferences”. Click on “Software Update” and install any available updates. This may include updated drivers for external devices.

Reconnect the Drive: Sometimes, simply disconnecting and reconnecting the portable hard drive can trigger the Mac to reinstall the necessary drivers.

Method 4: Use Command Prompt (Windows)

Open Command Prompt as Administrator: Press the Windows key + X and select “Command Prompt (Admin)” from the menu.

List Disk Partitions: Type “diskpart” and press Enter. Then, type “list disk” to display a list of all disks connected to the computer. Identify the disk number corresponding to your portable hard drive.

Select the Disk: Type “select disk [disk number]” where [disk number] is the number of your portable hard drive.

Remove Write Protection: Type “attributes disk clear readonly” to remove the write protection.

Method 5: Use Terminal (Mac)

Open Terminal: You can find Terminal in the Applications > Utilities folder.

List Disks: Type “diskutil list” to display a list of all disks and their partitions. Identify the disk identifier (usually something like /dev/diskX) corresponding to your portable hard drive.

Unmount the Disk: Type “diskutil unmountDisk /dev/diskX” where /dev/diskX is the identifier of your portable hard drive.

Check and Repair the Disk: Type “diskutil repairDisk /dev/diskX”. This will check for and repair any disk errors that might be causing the write protection.

Remount the Disk: After the repair is complete, type “diskutil mountDisk /dev/diskX” to remount the portable hard drive.

Method 6: Format the Drive

Backup Data: Before formatting the drive, make sure to backup all important data as formatting will erase all data on the drive.

Format the Drive:

For Windows: In Disk Management, right-click on the partition of the portable hard drive and select “Format”. Follow the on-screen instructions to choose the file system (such as NTFS, FAT32. etc.) and other formatting options.

For Mac: In Disk Utility, select the portable hard drive and click on the “Erase” button. Choose the file system (such as Mac OS Extended (Journaled), MS-DOS (FAT), etc.) and enter a name for the drive. Then click “Erase” to start the formatting process.

Method 7: Check for Virus or Malware

Run a Full System Scan: Use reliable antivirus software to perform a full system scan. This will check both the computer’s internal storage and any connected external devices, including the portable hard drive, for viruses or malware.

Quarantine or Remove Infected Files: If the antivirus software detects any threats, it will usually offer options to quarantine or remove the infected files. Follow the software’s instructions to clean the system and the portable hard drive.

Precautions and Considerations

Data Backup: Always backup your data before attempting any of the above methods, especially when using methods like formatting the drive, as these operations may result in data loss.

Use Reliable Tools: When using third-party software or tools to remove write protection, make sure to download them from official and reliable sources to avoid introducing viruses or malware.

Physical Damage: If the write protection issue persists after trying all the above methods, it’s possible that there is physical damage to the portable hard drive. In this case, it’s advisable to contact a professional data recovery service or the manufacturer’s support for further assistance.