"Write Protected" - help, please

If you would like to post, you'll need to register. Note that if you have a BCG store account, you'll need a new, separate account here (we keep the two sites separate for security purposes).

Member's gallery
Sandy R-B said:
Guys, if I was able to copy the files to anywhere else, I would have done so and not asked for help here.
Have any of you ever faced a "write protection" error?
Click to expand...

Have you tried other apps? If you have a list it will enable someone to suggest one you have not tried. Try a recovery app like you would use for deleted images. When/if they find anything, some will ask if you want to save/copy them elsewhere from what I've read.

Can you borrow a card to see if new files have the same issue?
 
Member's gallery
Sandy R-B said:
Guys, if I was able to copy the files to anywhere else, I would have done so and not asked for help here.
Have any of you ever faced a "write protection" error?
Click to expand...
I've certainly had write protection errors with LR, but they never persisted over repeated attempts. Usually it was a matter of slowing down to let the program finish whatever it was doing. Worst case scenario was solved by restarting the program and double checking the file with file management tools. I have no idea what is going on with your system other than a possible bad card.
 
Member's gallery
Sandy R-B said:
Guys, if I was able to copy the files to anywhere else, I would have done so and not asked for help here.
Have any of you ever faced a "write protection" error?
Click to expand...
Never happened to me but as someone mentioned above did you try putting the card back in the camera and un-protecting the entire folder? The only thing that seems to make sense from your description is that protection was inadvertently activated in the camera. Still makes no sense why you can't copy the files but maybe worth a try.
 
Member's gallery
Just had another thought. In your first post, you say: "most of my CF Express-A cards for the Sony A1 show "write protected" when I stick them in the card reader". so are the cards that don't have this issue from the same trip?
 
Member's gallery
Sandy R-B said:
Guys, if I was able to copy the files to anywhere else, I would have done so and not asked for help here.
Have any of you ever faced a "write protection" error?
Click to expand...
So a google search pulled up some similar issues. Apparently not common but a Sony thing. Only other suggestion I have is to download Sony editing software and see if it will talk to the camera and let you download the images via USB connection.
 
Member's gallery
@Sandy R-B I've seen on this thread a few suggestions like has the folder been protected in camera, using Windows explorer to select all images by way of CTRL+A and using right click>properties to uncheck the read only attribute and try other apps. I've not seen any replies from you indicating that you have done any of these things. You aknowledge that it might be a Breeze Browser issue and are going to send them an email, but if you want help - the title of this thread - why are you just repeating that you can't copy or move the files without trying what people are suggesting?
 
Member's gallery
Sandy R-B said:
Guys, if I was able to copy the files to anywhere else, I would have done so and not asked for help here.
Have any of you ever faced a "write protection" error?
Click to expand...

Yes, I've a "write protection" message many times, but it's a) never caused me to not be able to READ the contents, and b) it's not happened to me on a card that has no write-protection switch/tab.

But there have been some remedy recommendations here -- have you tried any?

PS: "write protection" is not an error — it's a message informing you that (it believes that) write protection has been enabled. It may be reporting this in error, but is not itself an error message. Not really a small nit — it's not an 'error'.
 
Member's gallery
Not A Speck Of Cereal said:
This doesn't compute. If you can read the card, you can copy the contents to some other location. (Unless perhaps the card is defective.)

From your workflow description, it sounds like you are being firm about staying with your current workflow of culling on the card (deleting non-keepers) before transferring the rest to the computer. I recommend copying to the computer and doing the cull there, then worry about formatting the card.

If your Breeze Browser app won't format the cards because it considers them write-protected, then (after copying all files off) you can probably format the cards in the camera. If the camera complains, then it's possible that you locked some or all files on the card with the camera's own lock function. See the operation manual for your camera to see it locks / unlocks files.

Chris
Click to expand...
 
Member's gallery
Sandy R-B said:
Have any of you ever faced a "write protection" error?
Click to expand...
Yes, it has happened a couple of times with old CF and SD cards. In both cases I was able to use Windows OS tools to copy the files to a temporary directory and import into LR from there.

I've also seen disks that showed up as write protected in commercial systems (non photo related) but again I was able to use OS tools to copy the contents to a new drive and then format and fix the drive that should not have reported as write protected.

I've never heard of a disk or other storage device showing a write protected error that could not be read with OS tools especially if as you say you can see the photos. Whether a third party tool can read from a write protected disk depends on the tool and whether it has to write data to the disk/card during its read process but OS tools should do the trick unless the card is completely hosed and is just showing the write protect message as part of a bigger problem. In that case I'd try to use disk recovery tools.
 
Member's gallery
Sandy R-B said:
Guys, if I was able to copy the files to anywhere else, I would have done so and not asked for help here.
Have any of you ever faced a "write protection" error?
Click to expand...

If the images can be read from the card but not copied from the card by any means I would suspect a USB card reader issue. The issue could have been introduced by installing a corrupt driver for the device during a software update. Maybe uninstalling the device and reinstalling it.

I would also do a complete virus and spyware scan to be certain you don't have a potentially unwanted program installed. I would also check my windows installed apps list, sort it by install date, and see if you see anything unusual has been installed recently.
 
Member's gallery
Yes but not quite the same scenario, but it may be worth investigating with this method.

It was after using a micro SD card in a SD card carrier with the lock switch activated in a USB card reader.
When I removed the micro SD card from the carrier and placed into a USB micro sd card reader (no carrier) it showed up as write protected.
The OS keeps records of cards/USB memory sticks, phones etc you have inserted into the USb ports of the computer and you need to remove that record (Uninstall that device) before you can remove the write protected error.

Beware, use only if you understand what the consequences of your actions may be.

I used software from Nifsoft "USBDeview" to do that job, you need to plug in the card/USB device into your computer then check the list to find the card of interest listed.
2022-12-18 19_17_18-USBDeview.jpg
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

Once identified, remove the card and then right click on the correct entry and uninstall the selected device from the list.
2022-12-18 19_19_03-USBDeview.jpg
You can only see EXIF info for this image if you are logged in.

When that card is inserted again the OS will then re-identify the device most likely without the "write protected" error rearing it ugly head.
 
Last edited:
Member's gallery
Write protect should still allow you to read the files.
I can only imagine the card is corrupt or faulty
Often the maker has recovery software on their website...🦘
 
Member's gallery
Sony has some testing/recovery software for their various card types here.
The Sony software applications are Media Scan Utility and Memory Card File Rescue.
You will need to know the card type eg CEB128 and its download code to download the Memory Card File Rescue software, instructions for finding that information are here.
Nirsoft USBDeview helped me with the download code, the serial number worked for me as I had covered the relevant area of the card with a P-Touch label and was reluctant to remove that.
The other card manufacturers would most likely have similar products.
 
Member's gallery
Solved! Thanks to everyone for their suggestions.

I called the Sony people and, while they confirmed with m3 that I could NOT delete, move, or copy ANY of the write-protected files on the 6 CF-EXP-A , (despite all here who doubted that or said that "didn't make sense") they spent about 45 minutes with me trying to figure out what was going on. They did not find a solution.

So, THANK YOU to "soundbyte" for his suggesting using Safecopy and posted illustrations how to use it., as well as links to various rescue software .

I also ran many anti-virus scans on the computer, which also may have helped.

I also want to address the people who were unhappy with the time it took me to try the suggestions offered , as if I didn't care or appreciate the time taken to post. As an RN foster mom to 6 kids under 10, including 2 with severe disabilities and another 2 temporarily sick, my time is rarely my own, especially when they are out of school for the winter break and at home. It's sometimes days before I can even check emails. Photography is very important to me, but will never take precedence over my kid's needs
 
Member's gallery
soundbyte said:
Yes but not quite the same scenario, but it may be worth investigating with this method.

It was after using a micro SD card in a SD card carrier with the lock switch activated in a USB card reader.
When I removed the micro SD card from the carrier and placed into a USB micro sd card reader (no carrier) it showed up as write protected.
The OS keeps records of cards/USB memory sticks, phones etc you have inserted into the USb ports of the computer and you need to remove that record (Uninstall that device) before you can remove the write protected error.

Beware, use only if you understand what the consequences of your actions may be.

I used software from Nifsoft "USBDeview" to do that job, you need to plug in the card/USB device into your computer then check the list to find the card of interest listed.
View attachment 50937
Once identified, remove the card and then right click on the correct entry and uninstall the selected device from the list.
View attachment 50938
When that card is inserted again the OS will then re-identify the device most likely without the "write protected" error rearing it ugly head.
Click to expand...
Thanks alot for this..my Lexar CF express reader suddenly write protected my cards afte rusing Disk Drill undelete software. removed all traces of Disk delete,but still had problems. Thsi USB prog saved the day :)
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Status
This thread has been closed due to inactivity. You can create a new thread to discuss this topic.
Back
Top