SD Card Reader says the card is write-protected - Page 2 - HP

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This happened to me on my digital camera. One minute it worked and the next time I went to use it, it said "write protected." I was reading through the previous answers, and one guy suggested tape over the switch on the side. I didn't know what that meant, so I looked. There is a little switch on the side of the disc that has gotten moved into lock position. Just move it back, and you're good to go.

Reply to Anonymous

Hi! I believe i can help you with your problem. first, take the sd card, next flip the white nob the other way, now try it!

Reply to fmarks

Simple solution I found on Yahoo Answers... I did try it and it totally WORKS. I used regular, clear scotch tape BTW.

I can help. What is not the problem, is the position of the switch entirely. With the SD card Face up and the tiny white plastic switch on the left side, should be slid toward the card edge connector (the shortest side). I know you may have done this and it still doesn't work. Here's why, On the opposite side of the SD card from the switch, there is a tiny "Notch" cut out.

Place a piece of tape, masking, electrical, sometimes transparent will work. Be very precise in placing the tape over the notch, but not over the brass connector on the opposite side. Then place it in your card reader, format it, read and write files to your desire.

This is a little known issue with the design of all SD cards. The notch forces them to work in camera's, MP3 Players, PDA's, etc. that are portable devices, but not in USB card readers or computers with SD reader slots.

The card reader with the SD card has this extra built in feature to protect copyrights (for some reason on blank cards), and makes it useless for custom applications. Once you have "Unprotected" the SD card, installed your files, then remove the tape.

If you get the same error again after applying the tape, add a second layer. Double check that you did not cover the connection edge, and the plastic tab is closet to the side you insert in the device you are using.

Sometimes it takes several tries, but it will work with patience. If you have existing files on the SD card, insert it, right click, select properties. Then remove the "Read Only" check by the box and try to delete or add files then. If it says Disk Write Protected, then check the tape again.

It's annoying, but it will work with patience to bypass this design flaw.

Reply to betty715

I have a Lenovo R61 with an inbuilt SD card reader.

Every SD card I put in it was write protected.

I tried 2 of the methods mentioned: I taped over the write protection switch and that worked. Then I took the tape off and moved the switch down 1mm towards the "write protected" end and then I could write to the SD card again.

Thanks for the help.

Reply to ugly

[quotemsg=369776,18,297458]The SD Cards' "Write Protection" issue is not a software issue or any computer related problem. It is not the problem with your SD card either. The real problem lies in the Card Reader itself, a stuck WRITE PROTECTION SWITCH in the card slot. Peer inside the slot and you can see on the left a copper lever switch. This is the WRITE PROTECT SWITCH.

****** For me, this does not seem to be the case

I have a write protect problem with an SD card, but it does not seem to be so simple.

I actually have two identical Kodak SD 1 GB cards, bought at the same time, and had no problem writing to either of them. I have looked at them very carefully and cannot detect the slightest difference between them. But then on one of them, after I got on about 300 MB of files, the write protect problem started.

I have tried Scotch tape, from 1 layer to four (the most I could get on and still get the card into the slot), and no results. Actually I had earlier tried a couple different kinds of tape.

I tried twisting the card a bit, putting pressure on one side or the other, etc. Still no results.

I have the problem with the built in reader in my COMPAQ Presario R4000 and with two different external card readers. These three readers all read & write to the identical Kodak SD card with no problem at all, but refuse to write to the second one.

So I am skeptical now that it is a problem with the little sensor switch in the card reader, since the cards are identical and the problem exists with three different readers, and the tape trick seems not to work at all.

I did see one suggestion on the San Baldo site of "Go to your SD Card's properties and then share it.. It works smoothly... By the way, Im using MS Vista. Haven't tried it on XP yet. But hoping it'll work just fine too." But I have XP and when I go to properties and sharing I only have two options -- one is "To share this folder with other users of this computer only, drag it to the Shared Documents folder" and the other is to use the Network Setup Wizard to enable remote access to the computer. Neither of these seem to have anything to do with the SD card and I do not find anywhere else in XP to change share properties on the SD card.

Reply to corc337

OK, I have it working, somehow.

First, I found, much to my surprise, that I could delete and re-name files on the supposedly write-protected disk. then I could re-write the deleted files. And then I could write other files also.

Then I took off all the tape and it still worked.

So it seems that it was something electronic internal to the disk - a software problem of some sort.

Reply to corc337

wrote :

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

HP guy told me to try couple things.

1) he told me the same thing you suggested, so I tried with my
co-worker's Palm One SD card and that worked FINE!

2) And then he told me to download this HP Enhancement Software for XP
SP2, so I did, but that didn't make my problem go away.

So I am left with the conclusion that HP zt3000 Notebook's SD card
reader is INCOMPATIBLE with SanDisk's SD card.

Anyone got a good idea?

im having the same problem but i have a gateway

Reply to robdean

cobee10 wrote :

put a piece of tape over the switch on the sd card and it will work.

THANX!!!!I T WORKED THANX A BUNCH I WAS GETTING SOOO MAD THAT I COULDN'T PUT MY THINGS ON MY SD CARD BUT NOW I CAN

Reply to robdean

I had this problem, but found that the problem lay in the registry.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CURRENT\CONTROLSETCONTROL
has a 'Storage Device Policies' area where you can opt to ban USB based updates by inputting a 1 to the registry. Look in your registry and if yours has a 1 replace it with a 0 (zero).

I am indebted to "My Digital Life" TIP #110 for this advice.

RonS

Reply to RonS17

Seems there are many message boards and blogs with people reporting SD and SDHC "write protect" errors when attempting to format, or write to (i.e. drag and drop) files to these memory devices. Many of the early and even current PC's and laptops have mult-format memory device READERS, these are read only, and Windows will incorrectly identify the lack of write capability in the "READER" as a "Write Protect Error".

Be sure your computer has a multiformat memory card device that is both READ and WRITE capable, AND, appropriate Windows drivers are loaded to support that device.

Bottom line, don't expect a "READER" to also be a "WRITER", like is the norm for USB controllers and USB Memory Sticks!

And if you find that your PC only has "READ" capable multimedia support, do not despair! Just go buy a USB to Multimedia memory card READER/WRITER, be sure to install it's drivers, and you are ready to go!

Reply to brewerpedin

So I tried tape, and it didn't work. Then I tried deleting and adding files and it worked a bit, but not very well.

Finally I found a full working solution - I went to My computer, right clicked on the the drive that the card was labeled as and then clicked FORMAT and re-formatted as FAT-32. After that I was able to write to the card no problem.

Reply to corc337

Most cards have a little switch on the left side edge and a "lock" sign. Your card may be locked, just slide it to the opposite side, be careful not to do it too hard because the card enclosure may open. This should take care of the "Write protected" status.

Reply to keko99

hi I don't know what part I'm answering to but all I can tell you the hint to place a little bit of tape over the protection switch (I guess it has to be in the open position but not sure about that) all I know it worked very well for me. I used just ordinary transparent tape, unreal! I had almost given up.
I us W Xp and a transcend card reader and I think a Zone SD card but all my sd card refused to read b4 the tape hint.
I don't know why it would not work with one of previous entries, just glad it works with me Cheers and thanks for the tip.
Michelm

Reply to michelm

WHEN IT SAYS REMOVE THE CARD READER PROTECTION....YOU HAVE TO LOOK ON THE CARD ITS THERE A SMALL BUTTON ...CHECK IT ..IT CAN BE ON THE LOOK POSITION ....AND IF THE CARD ITS LOOKED...IT DOESNT WORK...SORRY FOR MY ENGHLISH

Reply to Anonymous

GOTTA LOVE THE INTERNET. I WAAS SO FRUSTRATED AND DIDN'T WANT TO BUY ANOTHER CARD. I BLAMED MY BRAND NEW HP LAPTOP FOR THE PROBLEM AND AFTER READING THESE POST I CHANGED THAT SWITCH ON THE SIDE BY SLIDING IT UP AND TAKING IT OFF OF LOCK AND WHHHAAALLAA. I CAN NOW DELETE AND MOVE FORWARD. ALL I WANTED TO DO IS CLEAN UP MY DISK AND TRANSFER EVERYTHING FROM MY CARD AND DESKTOP TO A 8 GIG DRIVE.. GOTTA LOVE THE INTERNET!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!THANKS A BUNCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Reply to Anonymous

wrote :

Wow it actually worked!! Thanks!

where do you put the tape

Reply to red_66

I have methodically tried EVERY single one of the above suggestions, not one of them have worked on my 16gb Sandisk Micro Sd HC on XP Pro computer. Seriously.... I even "removed" the "read only" - only to have it magically reappear. Tried the registry fix, the tape - everything. Nothing works. Have a reader/writer BTW. Completely at a loss. Any other suggestions? (Please, not the tape thing which has been mentioned over and over. Doesn't work for me.)

Thanks....

Reply to Anonymous

:fou: :fou: :fou: :fou: :non: :non: :non: On the side of the sd there should be a sliding thing that has lock on it slide it back the other way and out it back in :non: :non: :non: :hello: :hello: :hello: :hello:

Reply to Anonymous

cobee10 wrote :

put a piece of tape over the switch on the sd card and it will work.

AWESOME answer. Thank you. 20 minutes on the phone with tech help didn't come up with this simple bit of genius. Thanks.

Reply to Anonymous

Unbelievable!

My Sandisk micro card in the adapter works fine, but my PNY adapter kept getting the annoying write protected message. After reading these posts I tried the tape (no luck) but then I tried moving the adapter/disk out little by little and first i moved it out to far, but then just the slightest push back in and I was able to write to it!!

In the age of technology this really is annoying. Since my Sandisk adapter works fine I think I will just buy a new one.

This board is really great!!
All the tech guys I spoke with (the pros) had no idea!!

Reply to JFL1959

Thank you for all the responses. After trying EVERYTHING you listed here, the "thick" layer of tape over the SD card worked. No more "write protected" message. THANKS!

Reply to Anonymous

Same problem withI just me also. SANDISK microSd card & HP presarioV6000 but i have slided the lock tab to unlock it and to be of my great surprise.... card in the card reader is working properly now. arunkhare@rediffmail.com

Reply to Anonymous

i had the same problem wiht my imbedded sd card reader,but found a way around it. instead of opening up your SD Card folder with my computer,put it in the slot and wait for a box to pop up asking you what do you want to do. click view folder. when i did this i was able to put music on it even though it was "write-protected"

Hope it works 4 u!

Reply to Anonymous

I experienced the problems describe by others, Messages that the disk was “write protected”, and messages that the file I wanted to copy could not be found. I was attempting to load up an SD card with photos to display on a digital photo frame. Problems started after I had transferred photos onto the SD card that used approx. 10 to 20% of the volume on a 2 Gig card.

I found a piece of information on the web that may explain these problems. Apparently, SD cards have a root directory that keeps track of location of stored files. The root directory is not large enough to keep track of all the files that can be loaded on an SD drive. You must break the files up by placing in folders.

What I did:

1. I used a different card reader/adapter. I may have had that switch problem described above. Some of my problems went away with a different adapter

2. I put the card in my camera and reformatted it. Attempts to reformat on the computer got the “locked disk message.” Simply erasing files may not free up root directory space ( a computer geek would know better)

3. I took one picture with my cameral This set up folders on the disk. One is a Misc file. I don’t know if it is needed for file management. I have never seen anything in this folder, but I have not looked in it on a programming level. Also, I don’t know if this is necessary, but It is one of the things I did. I did not place transferred files in any of these folders.

4. I placed the photos I wanted to transfer into various folders, and transferred entire folders to the SD card. Apparently, folders keep track of individual files and the root directory only needs to keep information on location of the folder.

Ok, I am no computer expert. Someone may be able to clarify this, but using folders seems to be key.

Reply to Anonymous

i had the same problem, i had to format the sd card, and now it works, i have windows xp, to do this press start, click on my computer, right click on my sd drive witch is h on my pc, click format and walla it now works.

Reply to rip_mr3

suggestion if it says write protected. . . try blowing any dust out of the SD slot on your computer. . mine works now!

Reply to Anonymous

I was happily scanning film negatives on my HP3313 AIO, and a fine job it was doing. Suddenly it stated an error had occurred with the (CF) memory card and to press "OK" to proceed.

So I inserted another spare CF memory card and away I went, for a while, and it too stopped accepting data.

Then I used a Sony MS card and for a while it too was OK but later stopped being able to write data. To solve this Sony MS stick problem was easy, I used my camera to "format" the card, and the "write protected" nonsense dissappeared.

But I no longer have a Camera with a CF card and can't remove the write protect status (which I think is a software stunt pulled by the HP printer).

So, until my grandson arrives next month with his Minolta camera, I'll not be able to use these two FC memory cards.

Truthful James

Reply to Anonymous

hi every one.......
I was facing the same problem.If you are getting the msg "Disk is write protect", when u try to copy a file or format disk.
Just pull out your "sd card adapter" from your "sd card reader". see carefully ...on a side of your sd card adapter you will find a small switch,just set it to unlock side,then insert it again into ur card reader.
Wow......I think u will be happy now..
Regards
Nikhil Bhardwaj
nikhil.nikh172222@gmail.com

Reply to Anonymous

i am ussing a micro sd card,and an adaptor,so i can put songs on my cell phone,
ive tried the tape
i put the switch on unlock,ive tried putting it in the middle,
ive dusted the slot.
but all the time i try to format it computer says,u "do not have rights to perform this operation" i dont know what else to do be cause am verry mad i spent 13 $ on it,and it doesnt work >

Reply to fionajm

Well my success was short lived. After submitting the following comments my player
once again lost the ability to read/write and save files. The final solution that
does work:

I bought a stand alone card reader at Best Buy for $20. When I write the card
from my PC through the reader, I lock the card with the write protect tab. That works.

The fault is somewhere in the mpg/mp3/jpg viewer or it's /usb connection. But no matter. The player works fine now as a read only device. As long as the card is locked with the write protect tab, and I use the external reader to add / delete files from the card, all is well.

................

Previous short lived success:

I had a similar problem with a Photoshare mpg/mp3/jpg viewer that takes a 2gb Kingston SD card. I had two of these viewers and on the first viewer the SD card updated from my PC (XP) with a usb 2 cable with no errors. I loaded the player with music and videos and gave it as a Christmas present, and kept the second viewer for myself.

When I tried to transfer files from my PC to the to the SD card in the second viewer, I got a "?cyclical redundancy check error?". When I tried to format the card in the second viewer from my PC, I got a "Track 0 bad - unusable disc" error.

I downloaded SDFormatter 2.0 to try to format the SD card in the second viewer. SDFormatter said the card was write protected, but it wasn't.

I went to the Kingston site and it said the chance of a bad card was like 1 in 800,000.

Putting it all together with the other posts in this thread I figured it must be the write protect sensor in the card slot that was faulty. I opened the case on the player, and unscrewed the circuit board because the card slot was on the back of the board. Looking at the outside of the card slot where the write protect tab on the card would be, I saw a small metal arm about a third of an inch long and the thickness of a pinky fingernail. I probed it with a miniature screwdriver and it didn't seem to have any spring or movement. I depressed it a little harder (into the card slot) and it seemed to spring into the slot more than it had been. I figured nothing happened, but when I reconnected everything, the card reader worked! Apparently the arm was supposed to spring into the card slot enough to contact and sense the write protect tab on the card, but had been stuck outside of the slot. Thanks, guys. Because of your comments, I saved the cost of buying a card reader and/or another SD card...... (see update at top,
buying a card reader is what I finally had to do!)

Message edited by bobspez on 01-11-2010 at 07:44:14 PM

Reply to bobspez

Richard Vaughan wrote :

Had the exact problem described by others. Tried different cards of different sizes from various manufacturers and was careful on the lock tabs and no cards were SDHC. Alas, it was not the SD card(s), it was the internal multi-card reader in an HP v2000 series laptop. After reading about how these card readers operate, I simply inserted the card slowly and didn't jam the card in as deeply as before. Problem solved and writes fine now to all the cards previously not working. Hope that helps. Let me know your results. RRVaughan

Yours was a brilliant observation. I had the exact same problem. I also have an HP rig, but a desktop m8307c desktop. My first inclination was to try to jam it in harder. Who knew that would exacerbate the problem? Once I stopped jamming the cards into the drive slot upon your recommendation, things worked as they should; I can now write to the cards again. Thank you much!

Reply to kirtlander

poopy wrote :

I was getting the same thing on a Dell laptop! Old SD card worked fine, new one said write protected.
I moved the switch slightly towards the lock position and hey presto its now writable.
I guess the write switch is just not quite in the correct position to active the sensor.

Worked like a CHARM!

Reply to guruerror

Try putting the switch into lock, then it will turn off!!!! It works!!!!!!

Reply to Anonymous

One thing nobody mentioned that I know is a cause of this is the following: If you use the "safely remove hardware" option when you have the SD card in one PC it WILL show as protected in a different PC. You need to just pop the card out of the reader slot when you're done with it and NOT use the "safely remove" feature. Taking the card back to the original PC and then just popping it out and then trying it again in the second PC seemed to work for me.

Reply to koze

Believe it or not, I had a similar problem and I finaly found that my micro SD adator (to regular SD card) was the problem, the same micro SD card with another adaptor and the "write protect" problem was gone... :sol: :hello:
That means "Be carefull with SD adaptor!"
Frenchi Don, Canada

Reply to donamcco

i bet the card is locked. I just slid up that lock and it works now!!YAY

Reply to Anonymous

if its not locked switch it to lock believe me this hapennd to me

Reply to dnv19191

cobee10 wrote :

put a piece of tape over the switch on the sd card and it will work.

thanks bud that worked out just fine for me

Reply to lil g 812

I just got a sandisk micro sd card and sandisk adapter. It is also write protected and none of these solutions worked for me. I've moved the switch in every conceivable position, taped over the switch, the "slot" opposite the switch, used clear tape, opaque tape.....My phone can write to the card but my HP computer won't even find it and the slot in my printer finds it but tells me it's write protected.

I paid extra for this card and adapter to get the Sandisk name. Silly me.

Reply to LocalHero

I have the same problem with my micro SD card - and like you, none of these solutions worked for me...

Reply to Anonymous

:??:

Reply to arabinda samantaray

wrote :

Archived from groups: comp.sys.hp.hardware (More info?)

HP guy told me to try couple things.

1) he told me the same thing you suggested, so I tried with my
co-worker's Palm One SD card and that worked FINE!

2) And then he told me to download this HP Enhancement Software for XP
SP2, so I did, but that didn't make my problem go away.

So I am left with the conclusion that HP zt3000 Notebook's SD card
reader is INCOMPATIBLE with SanDisk's SD card.

Anyone got a good idea?

(I too am having the same problem but heres whats dazzling my mind. my sd card used to work fine after i first got it, now it asks me format it every time i want to put something on it. Major pain!! then it wouldnt let me format it said it was unable to. So i did a little reading and found a panasonic sd card reformatter . Worked great but i had to place the card it self in my girls laptop and not in the card reader or it wouldn't work. So i transfered my files to the card and when I tried to put them on my desktop which doesn't have an on board card reader, it said i had to format again(I DON'T KNOW WHAT IT IS, BUT I DO KNOW ITS THE CARD READER CAUSIN THE WRITE PROTECTION)

Reply to Anonymous

Same reply! I just moved the switch down on my Fuji SD by about 1mm and Bingo! no tape needed. :hello:

Reply to Anonymous

i have the same problem but i know why. i plug in my SD card into my comp and took it out and the chip to slide it up fell out! it is really small its for the cellphone. and i lost it
so my SD card sandisk has no thing to slide up so it is locked. how do i unlock it?
i have windows vista and im only 12 years old can someone please help me i want some pics and music and dont wanna pay for another

Reply to flamey678

it realy did sound lame to put tape over tha lock area but it TOTALLY worked 4me since i had broken tha lock to tha usd card..thanx mayne!!

Reply to Anonymous

I never knew that the sd cards had a sliding switch on the side of them! When I slid it to the oposite direction, it worked! Learn something knew everyday.

Reply to twarren76

Here is my problem.... i have an sd mini to sd scan disk chip, tape is no help, there are no screw to take it apart, the sd card works on all other types of computers but all other types of sd's work on this computer.... its like this one hates me... the problem is i have all my wedding photos on this and my camera broke so i can't use usb....in need of solution.

Reply to Anonymous

Sorry this thread was solved long time ago.

Message edited by saint19 on 06-15-2010 at 12:45:02 AM

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This topic has been closed by Saint19

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SD Card Reader says the card is write-protected - Page 2

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