How to Format a Write-Protected USB on Windows

🧹 How to Format a Write-Protected USB on Windows

If you’ve flashed Linux Mint on a pen drive and it’s now write-protected or not formatting on Windows, follow this step-by-step guide.

🔍 Step 1: Check for Physical Lock

Some USB drives have a tiny lock switch. Make sure it’s not in the “Lock” position.

💻 Step 2: Use diskpart in Windows

1. Open Run (Win + R) → type diskpart → hit Enter
2. Run the following commands:

list disk
select disk 1         # Replace with the correct disk number
attributes disk clear readonly
clean
create partition primary
list volume #Find the volume corresponding to your Disk 1 (in my case for ~14GB).
select volume X   ← replace X with your volume number
format fs=fat32 quick
assign
exit