Remove the write protection on a Micro SD.

When I got my phone I got it for the mp3 player. What I didn't know is that they expected me to buy a $30 connector cable. I tried to be the smart consumer and just bought a Micro SD card with an adapter. I plugged that bad boy into my computer only to find out that it was write protected. I figured out the painfully obvious way to unlock it.

Step 1 Adapter

The adapter is the size of a normal SD. Plug the micro into the bottom.

Comments

[evehwiki]

I broke my lock. :( and it is on write protect.
I'm using Sandisk micro SD. Won't i be able to use it again? please help. thanks :)

[static]

Good grief. Was getting that blasted write protected message, but couldn't find a switch on the micro SD looked for it on the adapter and still could see it. Then I used a finger nail to see if it would snag anything, sure enough there it is. On this sandisk breed both the adapter body and the switch are both black. Good thing I did a web search before I tossed it in frustration. Now I don't know what to think, Windows said formatting complete, file manger shows no files, but my phone tells me the card is full. Next to read the phone manual. Until no I thought the protection in the full sized card was an actual electrical switch, but evidently it's optical like floppy disks

[nikanoo7]

i have a adapter but it does not have a switch (must of been broken off) and the write protection is on it. Is there any other way i can get it off?

[roblan1968]

Hi. why do I have to blow into the adapter? what happens? thanks.
I'm having a problem with my Micro SD 8gb.. cant reformat it, cant delete files. So I guess it is write protected.

[flemmy123]

hey there im having so much trouble with my sd card , its an 8 gig and it has alot of stuff on it i want to get rid of it all and replace it with new stuff but wen i plug my mini sd into the adapter , i can open and look at what is on the card fine but its not letting me delete anything becoz it says write protected .... SOME1111 PLEASEE HELP ME !! LOL

[zmccammon]

Ok all you have to do is get clear tape and put it over the switch be sure the switch is up instead of down see basically what happens is when you insert the sd card in there it locks itself so to prevent that you have to unlock it and make it stay unlocked even when you put it in your computer. Be sure not to cover the gold contacts as you may result in damaging the SD Adapter.

[cherry2272]

Wow...it worked. That was awesome!!! Thank you!!!

[mei mei]

well i just bought the same thing by kingston thinking i got a GREAT bargain for an 8gb only cost me malaysian ringgit 66. BUT now i'm stuck with WRITE PROTECTED and can't load anything into it. TRIED above method DOES NOT WORK. HELP! HELP PLEASE...

[ysonwaney]

I had the Samsung's Memory card adapter...n a transcend 8gb card....n ur METHOD IS OSUM MAN!!!..although i think that the lock thing means that wen u lock the ...the card wont get out easily..theres no relation with the writeprtection n that lock...BUT ..ur method worked !!!!!!! ..thats all i want!

[bdudukovich]

thank you this works excellent thanks again

[plinks]

I knew how to do this but had forgotten, this procedure came in handy, thanx

[jsmith-hill]

It did not work,it was like that in the first place and it's still write-protect,got anything else?

[eneild]

Life saver:)

[mrashid3]

THANK YOU..................................

[pgossett]

Wow it actually worked! thanks

[joel1981ia]

all you really have to do is slide the switch into the 'unlock' position, put a piece of tape over it (making sure not to cover the copper connectors on the adapter that slide into the computer) and the lock button doesn't get activated when you push the card into the computer. this will allow you to keep the lock button so if you use the card to store tools for repairing computers the card is still protected from having a virus or malware written to it by the infected computer.

[enr22]

does anyone know how to format a micro sd? everytime i insert it in my computer, it says that it is write protected and i cannot access it also at the same time. thnks alot!

[ecwinslow]

The lock switch doesn't lock the microSD into the adapter;
the lock switch doesn't lock the data on the microSD;
the lock switch by its position (or more exactly its presence at a place) tells the *reader* not to write.
It just says "please don't write me."
I'm sure a reader could (whether broken or intentionally) bypass this.
Now if it could be done in software, thus (farfetched or not) permitting malware/viruses to get onto the chip .... <shrug>
Have fun! (I'd forgotten all this from my punching-out-tabs days with tape cassettes.)
=e

[uberdum05]

I opened up one of those adaptors today and discovered like you say that the lock switch just bridges two contacts...

[mfinch1]

LOLX

[stevo111ish]

u r amazin ecwinslow, i didnt know tht and im a computer geek. well done

[zimmemic25]

in the "reader" is a push-button, which is pressed by the "lock" (the plastic thing) if its writable. if the button isnt pushed, the reader doesnt want to write it. (and tells your OS not to write)

[fhszfsfs]

you are right, the function of the lock does actually seem to do something outside the card rather than inside it. as you said, it must be pushing an button unlock button in the card reader. if the slider is broken or pushed down to the "lock" position, then when you slide the card into the card reader, that "button" inside the card reader does not get pushed.

[fretted]

I wonder if People remember 3 1/2 ' Floppys Ive got loads of old data on those things and haven't had a 3 1/2" reader in years lol

[ecwinslow]

Back to the original post, I don't know why I didn't point this out up front: I've bought micro-USB to USB cables for like $2 or $3 apiece online. A price like that definitely changes one's attitude.

[pchintu]

goddamn you!! where have you guys born?
brilliant!! thanks!!

[vgodbole]

Thanks a ton dude...!! i spent weeks trying to figure out but in vain...then i came across this post n VOILA!! thanks :)

[ccook2]

I was doing everything right, I didn't have it locked. But I blew air inside of the side of the computer (where i put my adapter at) then plugged it back in as you said and it was fine. I don't know why it worked though.

[sagarwal1]

Hey i had this write protection problem since a month !! I was fed up man ...
Until i read ur instruction ! it ws solved in no time!
Thnks a million
Thnk u so much

[djoshi]

thank you very much,,,,

[bhartshorn]

you are a legend thanks heaps aye i feel so stupid like i shud have known that ive been dealing with this stuff for years lol

[smaharjan]

thanks...it really helped me ..

[flemmy123]

iv tryed formating it but its tells me yhe sd card is write protected and ive tried changing the settings on the card from read only to full access but this dident work either , im soo stuck and it is really fustrating .... please sum1 help me

[ColletteUK]

Simply put a smal piece of sticky tape over the 'lock' area.

[amydolan1]

Hello, Iam currently traveling and have been taking pictures on my Olympus digital camera with an SD micro memory card and an XD adapter. The card and adapter have been working fine for months, but after i inserted the micro SD card (not needing the adapter) into my friend's Samsung camera to upload the photos onto a computer, the micro SD card wont work in my camera. The screen reads 'write protected' when I try to take photos. The micro SD card still works absolutely fine in my friend's camera, just not mine! And the adapter definately does NOT have a lock switch on it my spare adapter isnt working either when they both worked perfectly before. Is it possible the micro SD has become locked onto my friend's camera? If so, does anyone know how to fix this or have any other solutions? I hope this makes sense to someone! Thanks

[Bert99]

Omg dude that rocks. I tried it and it worked i've been tryin to get these songs onto my phone for months. Your instructable is a lifesaver.

[vivekjoshi]

it din work.. any other idea??

[zkat]

It did not work for me either, but the following did: 1. Insert the card fully into the reader. 2. Pull the card out slightly. 3. Check to see if it works. If the card is still write protected, repeat step 2. If the card is not recognized, push it back in a hair. Then repeat this step.

[winterquick]

I have a PQI micro SD and it was working for a month now it's in write protect, and I did format the micro SD on the celphone but it's still the same when I try to put files in the sd. Help please...

[winterquick]

Wow, I just tried it and it worked like a charm...basically doing it like the old Nintendo cartridges like the others mentioned...I used to do that back then I wonder why I didn't think of that...but anyway, thank you so much for the tip, although I had to search the internet and create an account for this question, I do however also find this website very useful as I sometimes wanna do things myself or create things from scratch, so kudos to the author and great job on the website.