How to Remove Write Protection on a Memory Card

This article explains how to disable the "Read Only" status on an SD memory card, enabling you to save files to it. Most SD cards come with a sliding lock mechanism to activate or deactivate write protection. If your SD card is locked due to write protection settings on your computer, you can use a Windows or Mac computer to remove it.

Position the SD card correctly. Place the SD card on a flat surface with the label facing up. This will help you locate the sliding lock on the card.

• If you're using a smaller-sized SD card (micro or mini), insert it into an SD card adapter and place the adapter on a flat surface with the label facing up.

Locate the sliding lock. The sliding lock is typically found on the top-left side of the SD card.

• The sliding lock is a small white or gray bar protruding from the left side of the SD card.

Unlock the SD card. Slide the lock toward the contact pins on the back of the SD card. This action disables write protection, allowing you to save files and data to the card.

Ensure you are using an administrator account. You will need to log into the computer with an administrator account to access the Disk Partition tool required to remove write protection from the SD card.

Insert the SD card into the computer. If the computer has an SD card slot, insert the card with the contact pins facing inward and the label side up.

• If the computer lacks an SD card slot, you will need to use a USB SD card reader.

Enter the Disk Partition command. Type diskpart into the Command Prompt, then press ↵ Enter.

Click Yes when prompted. This action confirms your decision and opens the Disk Partition window, which resembles another Command Prompt window.

Display the list of computer drives. Type list disk and press ↵ Enter.

Identify the SD card number. Locate your SD card by matching its storage capacity in megabytes or gigabytes under the "Size" column; the number next to "Disk" in the far-left column indicates the SD card number you are using.

• For example, if Disk 3's storage matches your SD card's remaining memory, the number "3" is your card's identifier.
• The top drive (Disk 0) is always the computer's default hard drive.

Select the SD card. Type select disk number, replacing "number" with your SD card's identifier, then press ↵ Enter. This action instructs the Disk Partition tool to execute the next command for your card.

• For instance, if your SD card is listed as "Disk 3," you would type select disk 3 at this step.

Remove the "read only" attribute. Type attributes disk clear readonly and press ↵ Enter. You will see the message "Disk attributes cleared successfully" appear below the cursor, indicating that write protection has been removed from your SD card.

Insert the SD card into your Mac. First, connect the SD card reader to one of the USB or USB-C ports on your Mac, then insert the SD card into the reader.

• If you're using an older Mac model, it might have a built-in SD card slot on the right side of the device. If so, insert the card with the contact pins facing inward and the label side up.

Locate read-only files. In some cases, saving a read-only file can lock the entire SD card until the file is switched to "Read and Write" mode. You can check the file's status by clicking on it, selecting File, clicking Get Info, and reviewing the "Sharing & Permissions" section.

• If the file is read-only, you can change the file to "Read and Write" mode to see if it removes the write protection on the card.

Open Disk Utility. Type disk utility into the search bar, then double-click Disk Utility from the search results.

Click the First Aid tab near the top of the Disk Utility window. This will prompt First Aid to run on your SD card.

• Follow the on-screen instructions as First Aid performs its tasks.

Allow First Aid to scan the SD card. If the card is locked due to an error, First Aid will also resolve the issue.