Write Protect your USB Drive Media with Registry Tweak

Does your room-mate messes-up with personal data on your personal computer, Or if there is somebody stealing your data using Removable Media, Flash Media ??

Well, if you cant stop the action behind, you can surely restrict them, with a simple tweak. A simple registry editing which disables the USB media, to give write permission to user, that is depriving the user to steal or mess around. I have categorized the procedure for two different Users, Geeks and Non-Geeks. Literates  may proceed accordingly…

• I’m a Geek

For Geek Users having registry editing skills, can open Registry Editor and locate the following Key

HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINESYSTEMCurrentControlSetControlStorageDevicePolicies

#In order to Enable Write Protection,

Create a new DWord under this key, and rename it with “writeprotect” and set its value to Hex ‘00000001’, that is Decimal 1.

#In order to Diable Write Protection,

Either locate a DWord under this key as “writeprotect” and set its value to Hex ‘00000000’, that is  Decimal 0. You may also delete the DWord in order to remove Write Protection.

• I’m not a Geek

For, non-Geeks, below is a link to download a ZIP Archive containing two files, that is Secure.reg and Unsecure.reg, whose functions are explained as under.

#Secure.reg: Secure file, once written will Turn Write Protect Mode On. It is actually used to prohibit user from writing any data on Flash USB Media.

#UnSecure.reg: UnSecure file, once written will Turn Write Protect Mode Off. UnSecure file allows user / administrator to disable the Write Protection Mode, and thus allowing writing data on Flash USB Media.

Protecting the USB Drive also, disables CD burning Capabilities in an Operating System. Here is a link to download protectUSB.ZIP, click to download here…

Procedure

> Extract the files in a folder.

> Double click on Secure.reg file, it will prompt you to add registry, hit Yes button.

> Now, check out results by inserting Flash Media and pasting some stuff on it. A write protection error will be popup.

> Next double click on the other file that is, UnSecure.reg. it will again prompt you to add/edit registry, hit Yes Button.

> Now, check out results by pasting some stuff on it.

For more assistance, or queries, post comments as the feedbacks. Related posts for further references are as under…

Backing-Up your registry for safe Computing

Repair Windows Registry for Missing Folder Options

Tagged as: computer, tips and tricks, windows