How to Write protect a Usb flash drive

Usb flash drives are so common and so convenient today but why did they make the data in them so fragile. Plug it on virus infected computer and say good bye to all your data, well not really, some can still be usable but is trying to open a few files worth the safety of the many folders inside and the health of your pc.

Have you ever tried fixing an infected Pc with the antivirus installed on the usb. Good luck with that, it's like trying to stop the spinning blades of a blender with a carrot.

It just make sense that sometimes you want your usb to be write protected. Some vendors do sell usb drives abroad with a write protect switch but they are not really common or available here.

Fortunately there are ways to write protect a common usb drive. The method that I will show is the one that worked best for me.




Here we go.

1. Format the usb flash drive to ntfs (you will lose all data if you don't backup first)

2. Make 2 folders and name one Full access (This is when you if you still want to copy files to your usb, so if ever there is a new file in that folder you that you don't recognize it's safe to assume that it's probably a virus.) and the other Read only ( you can choose your own name  obviously but this is just to make it clear)

3. Place all your tools, antivirus, or anything you want to be read only on the read only folder.(way to go Captain obvious)

4.This is the tricky part in setting the security of the read only folder and the root drive of the usb to read only and setting allow all to full access folder

• right click the folder of  the Full access folder > properties > Security > Advance and set the permissions to full control
• right click the folder of read only folder > properties > Security > Advance and set the permissions to read only to everyone except your login.
• right click the root of the usb drive  > properties > Security >  Advance and set the permissions to read only to everyone except your login.

And that should be it. Try it on another computer and see if it works (note your drive could still be formatted so you can still lose your data. lol.)