What is DISK-WRITE-PROTECT-ERROR?
DISK-WRITE-PROTECT-ERROR is a medium-severity storage drive (SSD/HDD) problem. Windows cannot write to the disk due to write protection. This can occur on USB drives with physical write-protect switches, SSDs with failed controllers entering read-only mode as a self-protection mechanism, or drives with incorrect registry settings. The disk appears operational but all write operations fail silently or with error 0x80070013. The steps below are ordered to resolve this efficiently.
Common Causes
- SSD controller entering protection mode
- USB write-protect switch enabled
- Registry write-protect flag set
Step-by-Step Fix Guide
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1
Check for physical write-protect switch on device
The diskpart command sequence is the most reliable method to remove software-based write protection.
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2
Remove write protection via diskpart
If the drive has entered hardware write-protection mode due to controller failure, the drive must be replaced.
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3
Update SSD firmware
For lingering DISK-WRITE-PROTECT-ERROR cases, "Update SSD firmware" is worth running through.
Commands & Diagnostics
diskpart
list disk
select disk X
attributes disk clear readonly
Frequently Asked Questions
The leading cause of DISK-WRITE-PROTECT-ERROR is SSD controller entering protection mode, though USB write-protect switch enabled and registry write-protect flag set also show up in our reports.
Try "Check for physical write-protect switch on device" first — it resolves most DISK-WRITE-PROTECT-ERROR cases on its own. Only work through the rest of the guide above if it comes back.
DISK-WRITE-PROTECT-ERROR is a medium-severity issue. It can affect system stability, but the fix steps above typically resolve it without lasting damage.
Usually. DISK-WRITE-PROTECT-ERROR is fixable with the steps above; a full Windows reinstall is rarely necessary unless everything else has failed.
Open CrystalDiskInfo (free tool) to check your drive's S.M.A.R.T. status. Any yellow or red indicators — especially reallocated sectors or pending sectors — confirm the drive is degrading and should be backed up and replaced immediately.
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