[SOLVED] Hard drive is write protected

[shogun05]

Description of problem:
So I had a WD10JPVX hard drive in my laptop. I, yesterday, switched it out a SATA SSD and decided to make use of this hard drive as an external storage.I connected a SATA connector and tried to format it but it didn't work. So I went about searching on the internet and I have tried a few different things but none of them worked.
Solutions I tried include:

1. Using the disk part utility as admin
2. Editing the registry to allow formatting of disk
3. Trying the WD discovery app

Additional info and screenshots:
When i run ATTRIBUTES DISK on the hard drive:

https://imgur.com/qKny6Zi

View: https://imgur.com/qKny6Zi

Screenshot from disk management utility:

https://imgur.com/AuDgjcl

View: https://imgur.com/AuDgjcl

Trying all the commands that are commonly recommended to help fix this problem:

https://imgur.com/FyPTGLU

View: https://imgur.com/FyPTGLU

My laptop is HP 15q-bu013tu. And the hard drive is not encrypted. Please let me know if you need more info.

Can someone tell me what do I have to do with this disk now to get it working?

 

[Lafong]

What happens in Disk Management when you right click that unallocated space?

What menus or error messages show up?

What registry changes did you make to allow formatting?

 

[Lafong]

attributes disk clear readonly

Have you tried the above command when in diskpart after selecting the proper disk?

 

[shogun05]

What happens in Disk Management when you right click that unallocated space?

What menus or error messages show up?

What registry changes did you make to allow formatting?

1 and 2.

https://imgur.com/5iNglym

View: https://imgur.com/5iNglym
and there seem to be no errors.

3. I have added a new key called, StorageDevicePolicies and added a QWORD (64-bit value) with the name, "Write Protect" and set its value to 0

attributes disk clear readonly

Have you tried the above command when in diskpart after selecting the proper disk?

Yes I have tried it with the correct disk. The correct disk is the one with 931GB of free space and you can see in the 3rd screenshot of the original question that I did run that command on the correct disk.

 

[Lafong]

Have you made any attempts to resolve this when the 1 TB disk is still connected internally in the laptop?

 

[shogun05]

Have you made any attempts to resolve this when the 1 TB disk is still connected internally in the laptop?

I made a bootable windows 10 usb and put the HDD back in and booted from the USB. I tried to format the disk through the bootable software and it said the disk has to be GPT. I opened the command prompt and converted the disk to GPT and then the format disk option vanished and then onwards it started showing entire disk as free. Is there something else that I can try except this with the original HDD?

 

[Lafong]

I opened the command prompt and converted the disk to GPT and then the format disk option vanished and then onwards it started showing entire disk as free.

At that point, was the 1 TB shown with a "list disk" command and as GPT with an asterisk in the right column?

You say "format" vanished?

Do ANY commands appear to work on that disk when it is connected internally and has been converted to GPT? For instance, the clean command or the list vol command?

You say "onwards it started showing entire disk as free".......do you mean in Diskpart with "list disk".

I'm grasping at straws as I have no laptop or laptop drive experience.

 

[shogun05]

"At that point, was the 1 TB shown with a "list disk" command and as GPT with an asterisk in the right column?"
I don't think so which is why windows told me to convert it into a GPT.

"You say "format" vanished? "
Yes it became disabled.

"Do ANY commands appear to work on that disk when it is connected internally and has been converted to GPT? For instance, the clean command or the list vol command?"
They all worked perfectly internally.

"You say "onwards it started showing entire disk as free".......do you mean in Diskpart with "list disk". "
Yes.

 

[Lafong]

"At that point, was the 1 TB shown with a "list disk" command and as GPT with an asterisk in the right column?"
I don't think so which is why windows told me to convert it into a GPT.

"Do ANY commands appear to work on that disk when it is connected internally and has been converted to GPT? For instance, the clean command or the list vol command?"
They all worked perfectly internally.

I'm a bit confused.

Re your first paragraph above: Were you in fact able to convert to GPT and was that confirmed by asterisks in the right column under "GPT"?

Re your second paragraph above: "They all worked perfectly internally"......except for format?? I thought write protection was prohibiting you in some way?

 

[shogun05]

"Re your first paragraph above: Were you in fact able to convert to GPT and was that confirmed by asterisks in the right column under "GPT"? "
I didn't take a well good look at it so I am not sure. Is it really essential to the solution of this? Because if so, i can try putting the HDD back in and working those commands again.

"Re your second paragraph above: "They all worked perfectly internally"......except for format?? I thought write protection was prohibiting you in some way? "
I did not run the format command from the command line. I was talking about the format command that is present in the bootable software. This is not my actual system but just an image from google: https://www.easeus.com/images/en/screenshot/partition-manager/use-windows-setup.png After I ran all the commands in the command prompt, i came back to this screen to find the format button disabled is what I was trying to say.

 

[Lafong]

I didn't take a well good look at it so I am not sure. Is it really essential to the solution of this? Because if so, i can try putting the HDD back in and working those commands again.

"Re your second paragraph above: "They all worked perfectly internally"......except for format?? I thought write protection was prohibiting you in some way? "
I did not run the format command from the command line. I was talking about the format command that is present in the bootable software. This is not my actual system but just an image from google: https://www.easeus.com/images/en/screenshot/partition-manager/use-windows-setup.png After I ran all the commands in the command prompt, i came back to this screen to find the format button disabled is what I was trying to say.

Re the first paragraph above: I'm not saying it is essential. I'm just trying to fully understand your problem and what you've tried to fix it.

Re your second paragraph above and that picture in particular:

If that person who posted that pic was trying to clean install Windows on that drive, the proper move would be to DELETE all partitions with that red X and then let the installation proceed and let Windows make and format new partitions as it sees fit.

Does that help?

 

[shogun05]

"Re your second paragraph above and that picture in particular:

If that person who posted that pic was trying to clean install Windows on that drive, the proper move would be to DELETE all partitions with that red X and then let the installation proceed and let Windows make and format new partitions as it sees fit. "

I don't have a problem with the partitions. Please go through the original question. I just want to give myself the permission to write and use the HDD.
The screen shot was meant to show the format button which i was referring to in the previous comments. Let me sum it up once again:
I have put the HDD back in, opened the command prompt and run the diskpart commands which I guess formatted the disk and then the this format button got disabled.

https://imgur.com/aJ7LiBc

And after this, there was no windows on the hard drive. From here on, I did not do anything to the disk and I still do not have the access to write on the disk.
View: https://imgur.com/aJ7LiBc

 

[Lafong]

I would not expect to see that format button in Diskpart.

Looking at your pictures up near the top of the thread, it appears you didn't do all of these Diskpart steps. Or did you?

list disk (to show the ID number of the hard disk to partition, normally Disk 0)

select disk 0 (change 0 to another number if applicable)

clean (this wipes the drive of anything on it; not needed on a brand new drive)

create partition primary (this will create one primary partition covering the entire drive)

select partition 1 (this selects the partition you just made)

active (this marks that partition active)

format fs=ntfs quick (this formats that partition)

exit (this quits the diskpart program)

exit (this closes the command prompt window)

 

[shogun05]

"I would not expect to see that format button in Diskpart. "
I made a bootable usb and plugged it in. When you are on the windows installation screen, it grants you the option to format in the form of the button that I screenshot.

"Looking at your pictures up near the top of the thread, it appears you didn't do all of these Diskpart steps. Or did you? "
Those were the steps I found online and I tried it entirely several times and it didn't work.
Trying all the steps that you provided, I still get the same thing:

https://imgur.com/Uoj75zN

View: https://imgur.com/Uoj75zN

 

[Lafong]

Have you attempted to disable virtual disk service?

Do you have any other PC to which you could connect this drive for a format attempt?

What happens if you outright attempt to install Windows on that drive....even if that isn't your primary goal? Including a manual delete of all shown partitions via the red X as mentioned above.

With ALL other drives disconnected of course.

I'm just trying to get something, anything, written to the disk....and then delete if all later after that test.

It's highly unlikely, but does that drive have any external switch on it?

 

[shogun05]

"Have you attempted to disable virtual disk service?"
No. Do I have to?

"I'm just trying to get something, anything, written to the disk....and then delete if all later after that test."
Imma try and report back. And my disk doesn't have any partitions to it. It is one complete disk of 931GB

"It's highly unlikely, but does that drive have any external switch on it?"
Nope

 

[Lafong]

Imma try and report back. And my disk doesn't have any partitions to it. It is one complete disk of 931GB

??

Your post 14 from 29 minutes ago says it does have a partition.

"create partition primary" succeeded.

At any rate, DELETE ALL partitions via the red X from that screen early in Windows installation if you attempt.

DISCONNECT ALL OTHER DRIVES before you start.

I'm guessing the drive is currently connected externally?

 

[dwd999]

Try thinking outside the Windows box. Download a real disk partitioning tool like Gparted and boot a usb with that, Have it show you precisely what is on the hdd since there may be hidden partitions on it from either the laptop maker or somewhere else that need to be deleted before you can create a new GPT partition. Worse case scenario, you can use a disk wipe utility to wipe the initial area of the hdd, i.e. you don't have to wipe the whole disk, just let it wipe for a minute so the initial part of the disk containing any restrictions is wiped clean. Your laptop maker may have done something to the disk to deter access after theft which is preventing you from accessing the disk.

 

[shogun05]

I solved the issue myself by buying a Hard drive enclosure. So if anyone is looking to do this in the future, just buy a hard drive enclosure. The PCB in the enclosure is the key here as it facilitates data transfer and permissions like read and write on the disk.
Peace.