How to remove write protection on my data drive

Sep 21, 2007
129
0
76
In the latest round of windows updates that auto install, somehow it changed my data drive to be completely write protected.

I assume it was this as nothing else significant was changed or happened to the computer outside of incorrectly installing a 32 bit driver(in a different drive) for my monitor calibration, which has been uninstalled and I found 64 bit version. Some light P2P and normal everyday use.

I have done a restore to before the updates, tried to change the permissions myself though it says that the administrator has full control, made sure I was doing it in an administrators account and nothing has been able to free up the drive. Are there any other methods to do this?

Running Vista home 64 bit.

Thanks for the help
 

corkyg

Elite Member | Peripherals
Super Moderator
Mar 4, 2000
27,370
240
106
If nothing else works, the brute force method should. The first thing I wo0uld do is back up all important data.

I has been said elsewhere that a partition change can fix it. Try Vista's partitioning feature and add a small partition to the drive. This will change the MBR and that is often where the problem resides. If that fixes it, the partition can then be removed.

Real brute force - back up all the data - reformat the drive and restore the data.

You could also try turning UAC off.

 
Sep 21, 2007
129
0
76
I have never thought of doing the partition addition to fix this, I guess I did not realize the change would effect the original partition that is protected. I would really like to not have to copy 60 gigs of music and photos twice if I don't have to.
 

stash

Diamond Member
Jun 22, 2000
5,468
0
0
How are you verifying that the drive is write protected?

The one update this month for Vista has nothing to do with the file system.