Open File Explorer and look for the storage device you have in mind.If you have the key or password to BitLocker, follow the steps below.

You’ll have to reformat the drive if you don’t have either option. To turn off BitLocker on a USB stick, you must have the password or recovery key. Regardless, Bitlocker is off by default, but you may have activated it before and forgotten about it, or someone else did it for you. Yes, Windows has a Bitlocker decryption tool for Macs too. This scenario also applies when using macOS. Other versions of Windows, such as Home editions, require a separate download to decrypt the data. The software is primarily used for internal drives, but it can also encrypt USB sticks/drives. Turn Bitlocker Off to Disable USB Write ProtectionīitLocker was integrated into Windows 7/Vista (Enterprise and Ultimate) and Windows 8 and 10 (Pro and Ultimate) editions to protect your data with encryption. There are several ways to remove write protection from a USB stick if you have a Windows PC.

Let’s get started! Removing USB Write Protection using Windows If there’s no switch (most common), or you still can’t write to the USB, you’ll need to employ other methods. If that works, your problem is solved, and all you need to do is ensure the switch doesn’t accidentally get moved in the wrong position again. Take the USB stick you’ve tried to write to and look for that switch, usually located on the side, and it might also be labeled as “Lock” or “Write Protection.” Switch it to the other position, reinsert it, and then attempt to transfer data to the memory stick again. Some data storage units have a physical switch for turning write protection on or off. Check for a Write Protection Switch Firstīefore we go into details about write protection removal in different operating systems, there’s one thing to check first.

Windows 10 format disk for use on mac