How to Disable Write Access to USB Hard Disk and Flash Key Drives
There is a registry hack that able to disable the USB drive access to USB mass storage device such as flash drive, USB key, thumb drive, pendrive and portable hard disk while keeping the USB hardware device such as webcam, mouse, keyboard, printer and scanner connected to USB ports working as usual. However, the hack disable the USB access to disk drive completely. User cannot copy data to the USB disk storage, nor able to read any files and documents from the USB drive.
For user who just want to disable write access to the external removable USB mass storage disk drive, there is another registry hack of WriteProtect in StorageDevicePolicies registry key that able to restrict Windows system from writing to the USB disk drive, and hence effectively user to copy any sensitive or private data from the PC to USB key stick. The trick works in a similar way to write-protect feature used in floppy disk and backup tape which make the disk read-only, only that in this case, it’s system wide implementation that block any writing and recording of data to USB mass storage device.
To disable writing access to USB drives and make all USB drives has only read-only access, follow these steps:
- Run Registry Editor (regedit).
- Navigate to the following registry key:
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control
- Create a New Key named as StorageDevicePolicies.
- Highlight StorageDevicePolicies, and then create a New DWORD (32-bit) Value named as WriteProtect.
- Double click on WriteProtect, and set its value data to 1.
Once set, all users on the computer is now blocked and prevented from copying, transferring or writing any files, documents and data to the USB disk drives, without the need to restart or reboot computer. Any attempt to download or copy files to USB drive will return the following error message:
The disk is write protected.
The media is write-protected.
Remove the write protection or use another disk.
To revert and remove the blocked write access to USB drivers, just delete the StorageDevicePolicies registry key, or delete the WriteProtect registry entry, or change the value data for WriteProtect to 0.
For user who doesn’t want to manually editing the registry, simply download the following registry registration files to enable or disable the write protection (block writing attempt) to USB removable drive. Double click the .reg file unpacked from the .zip archive to merge the registry key entries.
Download DisableWriteToUSB.reg
Download EnableWriteToUSB.reg
The trick works in Windows XP SP2 and SP3, Windows Vista, Windows Server 2003 and 2008.
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Entries (RSS)
December 3rd, 2009 18:40
My problem is not due to the registry, at least I don’t think so.
The problem I faced is that my external hard disk can be read but not to write using “user” id. But it is ok for “admin” id.
I have tried other USB external hard disk, and there is no problem on other hard disk.
Thus, I suspect some other problem on the external hard disk.
Any idea?
November 19th, 2009 18:23
Very helpful.Thank you so much.
November 9th, 2009 20:06
i have a problem of usb flash disk. my flash disk can not access. always display “the disk is write protected” pl
October 25th, 2009 02:13
Hi,
Thanks lot for this but is any oportunity to make read only just one flash disk, and to disable copying data from this fllash to to computer.
Just reading nothing else more.
October 7th, 2009 23:07
Thank you for save my pen drive
September 15th, 2009 22:07
I am very happy with this service
August 29th, 2009 19:08
thank you very much! it really helped me.
July 31st, 2009 11:09
Hi..it’s very helpfull for me, but there is a question left.with your trick, can you make a custom flash disk? I mean:First, u have to make a list about the serial number of each flash disk that allowed to access.Than, flash disk with serial number outside of the list can’t be accessed.
If you have some trick about my criteria, would you mind to share with me??
Thanx a lot
July 4th, 2009 09:54
your site helped me a hole bunch i have a western digital usb mybook and all of a suddon it would not let me send any thing or remove any thing i read your info on changing the reg but not that i cant do it it so simple to end up with a boat anchor so many thanks to all of you that bust there ass to keep us up and running again many thanks for the great help.
June 26th, 2009 12:58
This method does not work. I try to apply the registry, and then dump an image for my USB flash disk, make a md5 hash. I repeated it 3 times, it provides me 3 different hash codes. Any suggestion?
June 2nd, 2009 13:35
very good tool if the error come from winows registry, but didnt work for write protect error in hardware.
May 25th, 2009 16:04
Thanks. You helped me out. I was wondering why I cant create a new folder on my usb storage device, but from other computer I could. I applied this tutorial hack reverse, puttind 0 there and now works. WHO THOUGHT IT WAS JUST A REG KEY? SURELY NOT ME. THANKS
May 17th, 2009 22:32
IF THIS TOOL NOT WORKED DOWNLOAD UFD !!! http://www.pqigroup.com/upload/faqs/TWEN/Dr.UFDv1.0.2.19(2).zip IT’S HELPED ME!
May 17th, 2009 19:43
Omg! THANKS VERY MUCH! YOU HELPED ME SO MUCH!!!
April 18th, 2009 04:35
This was very helpful
April 7th, 2009 22:22
[...] try the registry hack of WriteProtect in StorageDevicePolicies registry key as highlighted in our earlier post. If editing registry files is something you will only do last, perhaps some of the applications [...]
March 5th, 2009 23:45
First of all, good article. but unfortunately it doesn’t work on Windows 2003 and Windows 2008. XP Sp2 and Vista it works.
Is there any other way ? I heard that there is a Filesystem filter driver (has to windows
DDK)
January 31st, 2009 07:32
Thank you very much you saved my job and my life
January 27th, 2009 05:21
But this protection way don’t work on all computer. I write protect my usb disk but on another computer protection is not avaiable.
November 20th, 2008 17:31
do i have to restart, it’s not working for me
November 18th, 2008 03:54
I have used the tip, thanks very helpful…but I am wondering if there is a way to disable the thumb drive and still be able to read data from other devices such as a camera. I tried plugging in my camera once i ran regedit but it is categorized as a mass storage device so I could not transfer file
October 27th, 2008 14:15
Very useful tips to remove write protect. It works fine. Thanks you so much.
October 8th, 2008 10:34
Obviously, I meant “Thank you”.
October 8th, 2008 10:32
Thnak you! This really helped.