How to Fix USB error or SD memory card error

You are trying to fix the USB error or memory card to continue using. If you do not know how to fix faulty USB or memory card error, please see our suggestions below!

Why is the USB or memory card faulty?

In the process of using  the memory card  for your phone or camera, there will be times when you encounter problems that cause your memory card to fail. It can be due to the following reasons:

1. The contact between the memory card and the device is poor, leading to an error, which is basically the notification machine not receiving the memory card.
2. Since you use the memory card plugged into another device, install the applications and games on the card, then do not wipe the data, but plug it back into the old device.
3. Memory cards or many other connected devices are plugged into many servers and sometimes the server is in reverse contact with many other power cords. Therefore, both are favorable environments for viruses to enter. This results in hiding the files on the memory card, the device will issue a memory card error and cannot open or access the files stored on the card.
4. In addition, another reason why you cannot view the contents of the card and copy / delete them may be due to damaged firmware or hardware components inside the memory card. In this case, if the warranty is valid, take the memory card to the place of sale so that they can exchange another memory card.

How to Fix Error not showing files in USB or memory card

1. Step 1: Open the CMD program by clicking on the Start button, type CMD in the box 'run' and press 'Enter'.
2. Step 2: When the cmd window appears, type in your SDCard drive letter and press Enter. For example, my SDCard drive is drive F, I will type in F:
3. Step 3: Then type attrib –S –H / S / D command line and press Enter. Wait for the program to finish running.
4. Note, after the above steps you should use anti-virus software to be able to completely overcome the problem.

Fix USB error or unformatted memory card

Option 1: Format the memory card with the device itself

This way is quite simple, but depending on the device, there will be different actions. In general, you need to go to the settings (or Menu) of your device, select the item that contains the SD Card. Then select Format card and wait for the system to finish formatting, press Ok or Done to finish. If still can not fix, then move to method 2 below.

Method 2: Format the memory card with a PC

1. Step 1: Need 1 memory card reader + defective memory card
2. Step 2: Insert the memory card into the card reader and connect the card reader to the PC
3. Step 3: Navigate to the drive of memory card on PC
4. Step 4: Right click >> properties >> format.
5. Step 5: Select the file system is FAT, then click on the format (be sure not to in quick format mode). Later, use a document recovery software again.
6. Step 6: Wait for the format to finish. If possible, congratulations. If not, it will pop up with a message saying "Window was unable to complete the format". Sorry, your memory card may be damaged.

Memory card error, not allowed to copy or delete files

As mentioned above, not being able to copy or delete files on the memory card could be caused by damaged firmware or hardware components inside the memory card. Therefore, if the card is still under warranty, you should bring it to the place of sale for them to repair or exchange another memory card.

However, if you are proficient in the software on your computer, you can manually find the error on the memory card (or USB flash disk) and then find and download the corresponding firmware to reload the firmware for the memory card and use as usual. .

Clean the memory card

Perhaps, very few users know that one of the reasons for the poorly connected memory card may stem from a dirty, dirty card. In particular, long-term use of the memory card can cause dirt and dust to get on the card's contacts and make the card less connected. Therefore, all you need to do is prepare a soft, dry cloth and clean the exposed copper surface of the memory stick. Then, insert the memory card and reboot to see if you got the memory card or not!

Above are the basic errors when using a memory card and how to fix it. Hope can help you overcome to use memory card better, effectively and properly. In the event that a fix is ​​not possible after using the above methods then we recommend that you, it is best to buy a new device.

How to Fix USB error or unformatted SD memory card in Windows 10

Normally, to format (format) the USB or SD memory card in Windows, just right-click the name of the device connected to the computer and select Format to start the format. However, in some cases, reformatting fails and the error message "Windows was unable to complete the format" appears on the screen. So how?

Below, I will suggest you a list of solutions to help format USB or SD memory card easily in Windows, avoid the error "Windows was unable to complete the format". As follows.

1. Format the device using Disk Management

Disk Management is an extension of Microsoft Management Console that allows you to manage all of your hardware based on the drives recognized by Windows. It is used to manage the drives installed in the computer such as hard drives (internal and external), optical drives and flash drives. It can be used to partition, format, assign drive letters, and more.

You can use Disk Management to perform formatting of the USB or SD memory card by connecting the device to the computer, right-clicking the Start button and selecting Disk Management.

Disk Management interface appears, you will see a list of partitions and drives in your computer. To format, right-click the name of the USB drive or SD memory card and select Format.

When the format dialog box appears, choose the "FAT32" format (considered the best) for formatting and uncheck the "Perform a quick format" line.

Finally, press OK to initiate the formatting process.

2. Delete the Write Protection feature on the device

Write Protection, as the name implies, prevents any system from adding new data to the drive. There will usually be a physical switch on the drive itself. Look into the drive and make sure any slider or switch is not in the lock position or read-only.

After checking this, you should also remove the software write protection on the drive. To do this, enter the command "diskpart" in the RUN dialog box and press the ENTER key to call up the Command Prompt and access the drive management section on your computer.

Continue to enter the command "list disk" and press ENTER to see a list of drives and from there can determine the USB drive or SD memory card based on the capacity.

Now enter the command "select disk X" to make the changes to the appropriate device. When you see confirmation that the correct drive is selected, enter the command "attributes disk" to see information about it. If you see "Yes" next to "Current Read-only State", the drive has Write Protection enabled. To remove this feature, enter the command "attributes disk clear readonly", and Windows will deactivate Write Protection on the device.

Now that there is no Write Protection, try reformatting to see the results.

3. Use the software SD Memory Card Formatter

Recommended by the SD Association (SD Association), SD MemoryCard Formatter offers users the option to quickly format SD / SDHC / SDXC memory cards.

You can download SD MemoryCard Formatter here

After launching SD Memory Card Formatter, SD Memory Card Formatter will automatically select the original format for the card and your job is simply to select the correct name of the connected device, give it a name and tick the option " Overwrite format ". Then press "Format" to start the formatting process.

4. Scan the drive for errors

Sometimes, you will get a format error due to the drive having bad sectors or similar problems. At this point, you should check the drive to see if there is a problem with it.

To do this, open This PC. Right-click on the drive and select "Properties". The Properties window appears, click on the Tools tab and click the "Check" button under "Error checking". Continue to select "Scan and repair drive" to run the scan on the drive, then wait for the process to complete and try again.

5. Use third-party formatting tools

If you have applied the above solutions and still cannot fix the error, then you can ask the help of a third party to use the HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool to format the USB Flash Drive.

You can Download HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool here

Designed exclusively for HP USB models, but you can still use it on other USB models in the same store with similar results. This tool does not need to be installed on your computer, it will automatically detect the USB drive you are connecting to and display the format interface. You just have to confirm the USB information, select the appropriate file system and click Start to start the format.

6. Scan for malware

While this is most likely not the cause of the problem, you should scan for malware if you still cannot format the drive. Some malware may interfere with the normal functioning of the file system, including reformatting the drive.

You should scan with the free version of Malwarebytes  and see if any infections are found. Then, try reformatting.

You can download Malwarebytes here

7. Try formatting on another operating system

Before giving up formatting of your USB or SD memory stick while trying the above suggestions, one last suggestion you can try is to use another computer running macOS or Linux, then give it a try. Use these operating systems to format the device. Maybe luck? 

How to fix "The disk is Write Protected" error on USB and SD memory card

When  the SD  and  USB memory stick  encounter this error, you will not be able to exchange data between the device and the computer. So is there a solution to this problem and if so, how to do it? All will be in the following content, invite readers to follow along.

1. Scan for viruses on USB

To remove the cause of the Write Protected error virus on USB, you need to scan the usb with reliable anti-virus software such as Avast, Avira, AVG .  Antivirus programs  can protect your computer and find Find and remove autorun programs on USB. This can be the cause of virus spread from the USB to the computer and vice versa.

If your computer has virus software installed, when plugged in to it, it will automatically scan the data on the USB to prevent virus infection. Besides, the fact that we use USB on many different computers is also the cause of the virus infection. To fix the Write Protected error in this way, normally you just need to right-click on the location to scan and then select an antivirus program.

2. Check the lock button on the USB

Some types of USB are now designed to add a lock / unlock switch on the body, this is to avoid harmful consequences if the user accidentally deletes the data stored in the USB. Therefore, when the USB lock is turned on, actions such as recording and deleting are not authorized and force you to switch the switch to unlock mode.

3. Check the amount of storage on the USB

Do not forget to check the storage capacity on the USB, because this is also the cause of the Write Protected error. To check the free space on the USB is quite simple, you just need to point to USB => right-click on it => and select Properties.

Inside:

1. Used space: is the amount of storage that has been used.
2. Free space: is the amount of free memory.

4. Interfering with the USB Registry

Another way to fix the Write Protected error is to interfere with the USB Registry. This will disable the protection of devices stored outside the system. The steps are as follows:

Step 1. You open the Run window (Windows + R) => enter regedit => press Enter.

Step 2. In the interface of Register Editor, navigate to the branch in the following path (copy and paste in the address bar of Register Editor on Windows 10) => then navigate to the WriteProtect key.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlStorageDevicePolicies

Step 3. You right-click on this key => then choose Modify. A new window appears, you will see the default value of the key is Value data = 0, this means the device is in protected mode, you switch to 1 => and click OK.

Step 4. Now you turn off Registry Edtitor, remove the USB from the computer and re-plug it, then check again to see if there are any errors.

If you cannot find StorageDevicePolicies, please do as follows:

Step 1. You go to the path below => then right click on Control => select New => and select Key => then name it StorageDevicePolicies.

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE SYSTEM CurrentControlSet Control

Step 2. In the list on the left side of the screen, the StorageDevicePolicies will appear, right-click on the space next to => select New DWORD (32-bit) Value => name it WriteProtect.

In case you have tried the above methods and still do not fix the Write Protected error successfully, it is imperative that we use a more powerful tool.

5. Diskpart tool helps to fix USB errors with Write Protected

Diskpart is an effective tool and is available on Microsoft's Windows computers. Using this tool can help us fix the Write Protected USB error.

Step 1. First you need to connect the USB to your computer and determine the correct name of the USB in This PC.

Step 2. You right-click on Start => then select Windows PowerShell (Admin).

Step 3. In the Windows PowerShell => window, enter the command diskpart => and press Enter.

Step 4. You continue to enter the command list disk => then press Enter.

Right after that, the system will display a list of the currently connected drives to the computer. You find the correct USB error, in this case it's 2.

Step 5. Now you use the command 'select disk [drive number name]' to select the failed USB drive. In this case 2, then we use the command select disk 2.

Step 6. You continue to enter the command attributes disk clear readonly => then press Enter.

When you see the message Disk attributes cleared successfully, the job is successful.

Step 7. Now open File Explorer (Windows + E) => click to select This PC => then right-click the USB drive => click Format. (See below for details).

6. How to Format USB with Write Protected error

Format USB is the last resort to fix the Write Protected error, it will lose all your data, but in return we will get the USB back to work normally.

Note: You should note that backing up all data on a faulty USB and see if the file system is  NTFS or FAT32  before proceeding to Format USB to that format.

Step 1. Open File Explorer (Windows + E) => click to select This PC (in the left menu) => then select USB drive => right click on it => click Properties => remember File system any kind

Step 2. You close that window => right click on the USB drive => click Format. Please pay attention to the File system option to select the correct file system format.

Step 3. Please name the USB in the Volume label option. You can remove the Quick Format mode - Quick Format so that the system will optimize the USB for you.

Normally, the Format process will not consume much of your time. However, the larger your USB drive, the longer it will take. If there is no physical error, your USB will be refreshed and ready for use.

7. Use Write Protected for USB error correction software

In case you are a regular user and afraid to use the command line on Windows, you can ask the help of third-party software to help fix the Write Protected error.

SD Formatter software

In fact,  SD Formatter  is specialized software to handle SD memory card holes, but this is also a very good software for USB. After all, the SD and USB memory stick share the same interface of USB (roughly the USB controller and controller). To use SD Formatter is very simple, just plug the USB into the computer and then click Format.

You can download SD Formatter here

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool

HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool  is specialized software for HP's USB series, but other USB series can still be used, and the results are still equally delicious.

Download HP USB Disk Storage Format Tool here

7. The SD memory card has a Write Protection error

As mentioned, USB and SD memory card have the same interface, so how to fix Write Protected error on USB are applied successfully on SD memory card. However, you note that most SD cards have a lock to block overwriting so you need to unlock it before proceeding with the above steps.