Windows 10: Can't format Write-Protected USB

I attempted to download a recovery image for my PC so I could reset it. I attempted to reset it from settings, and it said I needed a recovery media. So I downloaded the recovery media from https://www.microsoft.com/en-us/software-download/windows10. Then I tried again, and it said the same thing. So it turns out I need a specific image for the Surface Pro 3 (which is what I have), which I can doanload at https://support.microsoft.com/en-ca/surfacerecoveryimage.


The problem is that now the one USB drive I have that is big enough has the other Windows 10 image on it, and it is write-protected, so I cannot format it. I attempted to format it using distpart.exe and regedit.exe (instructions at https://www.easeus.com/partition-manager-software/the-disk-is-write-protected-windows-10.html). However, none of those options worked (note that for the regedit.exe option, I had to create the folder StorageDevicePolicies and the DWORD WriteProtect. This was set to 0, and I restarted my PC, but it still did not work).


So I am not sure where to go from here. Please do not post the same instructions for the generic diskpart and regedit techniques. Every article I have found lists those two, and they DO NOT WORK IN THIS INSTANCE.


Any help appreciated.

:)

 

How to format write protected usb pendrive?

How to format write protected usb pendrive?

tried all stesp from following list, but not sucessful.

Code: http://www.makeuseof.com/tag/how-to-fix-write-protection-errors-on-a-usb-stick/[/quote]

 

How To Format A Write Protected Flash Memory ?

¿You already tried this one?...

Run CMD


1. diskpart
2. list disk

Then in the 3º step, put the correct number of disk in the list for the usb flash (if it's listed in disk 3, then you'll have to write select disk 3).

2. select disk #
3. clean
4. create partition primary
5. select partition 1
6. active
7. format fs=fat32
8. assign
9. exit

with that commands you will format the flash drive in fat32, if you have a large drive you can select also "format fs=ntfs" in step 7.

good luck!

 

USB devices getting write protected

Hi Imdad,

Some removable storage devices like USB flash drives or pen drive have write protection which is designed to help users prevent unexpected data loss by refusing to delete or format.

However, if you’re stuck with a write-protected USB drive that can’t be formatted. We recommend that you follow these steps on how to erase and format a write-protected USB flash drive and pen drive using the Regedit.exe tool in Windows. To do this,
follow the steps below:

• In the Search box, type regedit and press Enter.
• Navigate to the following folder:
  
  Computer\HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies

Double-click on the WriteProtect value in the right-hand pane of Regedit.exe. Change the Value data from 1 to 0 and click OK to save the change. Close Regedit and restart your computer. Connect your USB flash drive or pen drive again, and you should find the
write protection is removed and the device is no longer write protected.

Important: This section, method, or task contains steps that tell you how to modify the registry. However, serious problems might occur if you modify the registry incorrectly. Therefore, make sure that you follow these steps carefully. For added protection,
back up the registry before you modify it. Then, you can restore the registry if a problem occurs. For more information about how to back up and restore the registry, refer to the following Microsoft Knowledge Base article.

How to back up and restore the registry in Windows https://support.microsoft.com/en-us/kb/322756.

Let us know if you need further assistance.