How to Enable or Disable Write Access to Removable Disks using a REG file in Windows

To enable or disable write access to removable disks in Windows using a .reg file, you can create two different .reg files, one for enabling write access and the other for disabling it. Here's how you can do it:

1. Disabling Write Access to Removable Disks

This .reg file will disable write access to all removable disks.

• Open Notepad.
• Paste the following content into the file:

Code For Disabling Write Access:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies] "WriteProtect"=dword:00000001

• Save the file with a .reg extension, for example: DisableWriteAccess.reg.

2. Enabling Write Access to Removable Disks

This .reg file will enable write access to removable disks (which is the default behavior).

• Open Notepad.
• Paste the following content into the file:

Code For Enabling Write Access:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\StorageDevicePolicies] "WriteProtect"=dword:00000000

• Save the file with a .reg extension, for example: EnableWriteAccess.reg.

To use the .reg file to enable/disable write access to removable disks, follow these steps:

Steps to Use the .reg File:

Create the .reg File:

• Open Notepad.
• Copy and paste the registry code for either enabling or disabling write access (as provided in my previous message).
• Save the file with a .reg extension. For example, save it as DisableWriteAccess.reg or EnableWriteAccess.reg.

Run the .reg File:

• Navigate to the location where you saved the .reg file.
• Double-click the file to run it.

User Account Control (UAC) Prompt:

• If you see a User Account Control (UAC) prompt, click Yes to allow the file to make changes to your system.

Registry Editor Confirmation:

• When the Registry Editor asks if you're sure you want to continue, click Yes.

Successful Import Notification:

• You should see a message saying that the keys and values contained in the .reg file have been successfully added to the registry. Click OK to close the message.

Restart Your Computer:

• For the changes to take effect, restart your computer. After the reboot, the write access for removable disks will be either enabled or disabled based on the .reg file you applied.

Explanation:

• "RDVDenyWriteAccess" is the registry key that controls write access to removable disks.


00000001: Disables write access.
00000000: Enables write access.


• Enabling Write Access: Use the .reg file with the 00000000 value to allow write access.
• Disabling Write Access: Use the .reg file with the 00000001 value to block write access.

⚠️Warning: Ensure you carefully follow these steps, as changes to the registry can impact system functionality. Be cautious when editing the Windows registry, as incorrect changes can cause system instability.