Micro SD card has become 'write protected' :| ¿

Posted 22nd Jan 2017
My 64GB Micro SD card has somehow become 'write protected' so I can't delete files or format the card ?
Does anyone have any insight into what has caused this and how/if it can be removed?
TIA
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  1. deleted1293960's avatar
    Anonymous User
    Flash memory has a limited number of write cycles (as few as 1,000x total capacity), when they are used up, the card switches to "Read Only", same as SSDs are supposed to.

    I have tried the above trick with numerous cards, and it didnt work on any of them - but feel free to try.

    If the above DOES work, it means you have forced it out of a safe mode, and it may die entirely at any time; there will be a margin of safety, but I dont know what that margin may be.
  2. rhinopaul's avatar
    Watching as that happened to me after removing it from my Dashcam.
  3. djnaff's avatar
    Do you read it with a sd adapter and if so is the lock tab correct
    29889769-Kuhw3

    (edited)
  4. jco83's avatar
    Author
    djnaff

    Do you read it with a sd adapter and if so it the lock tab correct


    Thanks but no.
    I've been using it directly in a Micro SD slot in a Windows device and a Samsung Galaxy S4 phone
    (edited)
  5. deleted1385288's avatar
    Anonymous User
    happened to me aswel. if this application won't help then you need to buy a brand new card.
    sdcard.org/dow…_4/
  6. djnaff's avatar
    Try this then but be careful
    1. Windows key + r
    2. type "diskpart" -> runs diskpart.exe from system folder
    3. type "list volume" -> now you see all your connected drives, see which one is the drive
    4. type "select volume #" -> # being the letter of your drive
    5. type "attributes disk clear readonly" -> removing the protection
    6. Then open your SD, you can now edit, delete, move files
  7. jco83's avatar
    Author
    radior28

    happened to me aswel. if this application won't help then you need to buy … happened to me aswel. if this application won't help then you need to buy a brand new card.https://www.sdcard.org/downloads/formatter_4/


    Do you know if it's a defect in the Micro SD card, or a device it's put into activates 'write protection' on the card?
  8. jco83's avatar
    Author
    djnaff

    Try this then but be careful ;)1. Windows key + r2. type "diskpart" - … Try this then but be careful ;)1. Windows key + r2. type "diskpart" -> runs diskpart.exe from system folder3. type "list volume" -> now you see all your connected drives, see which one is the drive4. type "select volume #" -> # being the letter of your drive5. type "attributes disk clear readonly" -> removing the protection6. Then open your SD, you can now edit, delete, move files


    I'll try that, I was going through that process following a guide earlier but there were further steps where I encountered a problem. I'll try going as far as you say then trying to access the card
  9. rhinopaul's avatar
    Thats the trouble with data, its prone to failure and has an indeterminate life. I was sorting out some 15 year old burned cd's and only 4 of them still played.
    jasee's avatar
    Data is the digits, that's not prone to failure, it's the medium it's stored on that is.
    In the case of cds, the dye can fade or the reader cannot track the tracks accurately if it's a different reader, for instance.
  10. gsj87's avatar
    Same thing happened to me recently, check this thread out - hotukdeals.com/tag…228

    For me, it was the Micro SD to SD adapter that I was using. Once I used a different SD adapter, it was fine. There's some good advice on that link though. (edited)
  11. jco83's avatar
    Author
    gsj87

    Same thing happened to me recently, check this thread out - … Same thing happened to me recently, check this thread out - http://www.hotukdeals.com/tag/ask/disable-write-protection-sd-card-2600228For me, it was the Micro SD to SD adapter that I was using. Once I used a different SD adapter, it was fine. There's some good advice on that link though.


    Thanks
  12. jco83's avatar
    Author
    Gentle_Giant

    Flash memory has a limited number of write cycles (as few as 1,000x total … Flash memory has a limited number of write cycles (as few as 1,000x total capacity), when they are used up, the card switches to "Read Only", same as SSDs are supposed to.I have tried the above trick with numerous cards, and it didnt work on any of them - but feel free to try.If the above DOES work, it means you have forced it out of a safe mode, and it may die entirely at any time; there will be a margin of safety, but I dont know what that margin may be.


    I haven't even used this card up until recently though. It's been sat in my Windows tablet which hardly gets used and there were 2 files on the card and that's all there's ever been on it. I wanted to transfer around 3 gigs of files from one device to another so used this card. I did the writing to it on my Samsung phone. I wondered if this could have been the cause of the write protection being activated
  13. deleted930203's avatar
    Anonymous User
    Format the SD card using diskpart perhaps?
  14. kester76's avatar
    rhinopaul

    Thats the trouble with data, its prone to failure and has an … Thats the trouble with data, its prone to failure and has an indeterminate life. I was sorting out some 15 year old burned cd's and only 4 of them still played.



    ​Either cheap dye/discs or you wrote the discs at high speeds
  15. Rimi's avatar
    This happens, meaning it has reached end of its life. Can be resurrected using methods, mentioned above but not for long.
  16. deleted1293960's avatar
    Anonymous User
    jco83

    I haven't even used this card up until recently though. It's been sat in … I haven't even used this card up until recently though. It's been sat in my Windows tablet which hardly gets used and there were 2 files on the card and that's all there's ever been on it. I wanted to transfer around 3 gigs of files from one device to another so used this card. I did the writing to it on my Samsung phone. I wondered if this could have been the cause of the write protection being activated



    Then the control chip* may have died; this is a common fault with many fake/cheap flash drives, try to write too much and they go bang!! Had this myself with SD cards bought from 7dayshop**, took them out of the delivery box, put them in the card reader and tried to load 25GB of music - and half way through they went "read only".

    h2testw.exe is my first port of call with flash memory now, not only does it test the capacity and speed of the device, but the very act of testing is a stress test; if it has a weak controller chip, it will blow during the test.

    *Before anyone starts, I use "chip" as a generic term, the controller is built in to the memory, and not a discrete circuit.

    **7dayshop replaced them, but the plastics used were so poor, the replacements didnt last 6 months before the write protect tab on the one broke, and one of the contact guides broke on the other, rendering both cards useless.
    bhaskarsa's avatar
    good advice, use h2testw to test
  17. jco83's avatar
    Author
    Gentle_Giant

    Then the control chip* may have died; this is a common fault with many … Then the control chip* may have died; this is a common fault with many fake/cheap flash drives, try to write too much and they go bang!! Had this myself with SD cards bought from 7dayshop**, took them out of the delivery box, put them in the card reader and tried to load 25GB of music - and half way through they went "read only".h2testw.exe is my first port of call with flash memory now, not only does it test the capacity and speed of the device, but the very act of testing is a stress test; if it has a weak controller chip, it will blow during the test.*Before anyone starts, I use "chip" as a generic term, the controller is built in to the memory, and not a discrete circuit.**7dayshop replaced them, but the plastics used were so poor, the replacements didnt last 6 months before the write protect tab on the one broke, and one of the contact guides broke on the other, rendering both cards useless.


    Yes I think this may have come from 7dayshop someone put on here as a deal Oh well live and learn
    Thanks
  18. jco83's avatar
    Author
    kester76

    ​Either cheap dye/discs or you wrote the discs at high speeds


    Yes I probably did write to it fast and it was all like "WTH is going on?? AAAAHHHHH" X)
  19. TechnoDonkey's avatar
    I had exactly the same issue with my 64GB Sandisk Micro SD - wouldn't format, could read it fine but couldn't write to it. Tried all the things mentioned above, also tried formatting in multiple devices - just turned out it was knackered so I broke it into a thousand pieces and bought another.

    Mine was a genuine one from Amazon direct and wasn't even that old. Just bad luck I guess.
  20. kester76's avatar
    jco83

    Yes I probably did write to it fast and it was all like "WTH is going … Yes I probably did write to it fast and it was all like "WTH is going on?? AAAAHHHHH" X)



    ​I think we're all guilty of that and buffer under runs
  21. deleted1293960's avatar
    Anonymous User
    misterleoni

    I had exactly the same issue with my 64GB Sandisk Micro SD - wouldn't … I had exactly the same issue with my 64GB Sandisk Micro SD - wouldn't format, could read it fine but couldn't write to it. Tried all the things mentioned above, also tried formatting in multiple devices - just turned out it was knackered so I broke it into a thousand pieces and bought another. Mine was a genuine one from Amazon direct and wasn't even that old. Just bad luck I guess.



    Fakes sometimes get into the regular supply chain, I bought a fake Samsung 32GB micro-SD card from Amazon about 2 years ago. I didnt realise it was a fake until I lost a load of baby photos, and by then, the card was 6 months old and Amazon wouldnt have it back.
    Now I check ALL cards, regardless of brand name or source, with the little program I mentioned earlier.
  22. TechnoDonkey's avatar
    Gentle_Giant

    Fakes sometimes get into the regular supply chain, I bought a fake … Fakes sometimes get into the regular supply chain, I bought a fake Samsung 32GB micro-SD card from Amazon about 2 years ago. I didnt realise it was a fake until I lost a load of baby photos, and by then, the card was 6 months old and Amazon wouldnt have it back.Now I check ALL cards, regardless of brand name or source, with the little program I mentioned earlier.



    ​it definitely wasn't fake as I loaded it almost to capacity and regularly watched media off it - never hit any corruption or other signs that it was not as it was supposed to be. it was also pretty fast compared with my current card.

    I think manufacturers programme​ this sort of side-effect into the cards as a final hurrah when their controllers break down, because of course most offer stupidly long warranties - and what better way to stop people fulfilling these warranties than leaving all their stuff on the card with no chance of formatting it?
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