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Disk unable to intialize - Media is write protected

Proposed Disk unable to intialize - Media is write protected

  • Saturday, July 30, 2011 4:46 AM
     
     
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    Dear community,

    My WD external harddrive has suddenly stopped working after coming from Europe. I plugged in the HD into my laptop and I noticed that it does not show up under My Computer, only under Safely Remove Hardware and Devices. So I searched forums a bit and a couple have said that I should go to Disk Management and see if my drive is there. 

    Turns out the HD is listed there, however as 'Disk 1: Unknown 1.379 GB, Not Intialized'. There is no blue bar either, it just says the size of the disk and that it is unallocated (it does not have a Volume letter).

    When I start up Disk Management it gives me a notification:

    Initialize Disk

    You must initialize a disk before Logical Disk Manager can access it.

    Select Disk:

    Disk 1

    Use the following partition style for the selected disks:

    MBR (Master Boot Record)

    GPT (GUID Partition Table)

    So I click on MBR and press OK, and it gives me the error 'The media is write protected'.  

    So I go into the registry under 

    HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE > System > CurrentControlSet > Control > StorageDevicePolicies

    and change the value in 'writeprotect' to 0, and then I reboot my computer. Same error.

    I can't even reformat the disk because I cannot find such option, not that I want to really, because I have 1.2 TB worth of data on there that I want to keep so losing the information on this Drive will be quite.... frustrating.

    Any help is appreciated.




     

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  • Saturday, July 30, 2011 8:30 PM
     
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    I suggest you download and run the WD disk diagnostic software. It sounds like the disc is failing(failed):

    http://support.wdc.com/product/download.asp?lang=en

     
  • Saturday, July 30, 2011 9:36 PM
     
     
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    I assume you have unplugged the disk and connected it again, sometimes USB2 is not able to provide enough power for hard disks in my experience

     

    Windows MVP, paid Remote Assistance is available for XP, Vista and Windows 7.

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  • Friday, October 07, 2011 3:42 PM
     
     
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    It has now been several months since you posted this question.  Were you able to recover your data?  My external hard drive just croaked in exactly the same way and I've tried all the fixes I could find with no luck.  If you found a way to recover your files, please post what it was. 

    <I'm on my way to Europe in about a week and need some files to prepare a presentation I'm putting together for a workshop>

    Thanks! 

     
  • Friday, October 07, 2011 3:49 PM
     
     
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    I am growing more concerned about the viability of USB disks as this is the 999th thread here so far this year at least

    Have you been on my IT site to see if any of my ideas there are of use?

     

    Windows MVP 2010-11, XP, Vista, 7. Expanding into Windows Server 2008 R2, SQL Server, SharePoint etc.

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  • Tuesday, May 01, 2012 9:48 AM
     
     
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    use

    diskpart> sel disk n

    diskpart> attrib disk clear readonly

    Let me know if it resolves the issue,

    Regards

    Satish

     
  • Tuesday, May 22, 2012 4:21 AM
     
     
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    hi Satish...

    /////

    use

    diskpart> sel disk n

    diskpart> attrib disk clear readonly

    /////

    I've tried that one but message says..

    Diskpart failed to clear disk attributes.

    thanks,

    Gary

     
  • Tuesday, May 22, 2012 4:27 AM
     
     
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    I wonder if the USB to SATA controller has failed, I have seen those die occasionally.

    Might be an idea to remove the hard disk and attack it natively to a desktop system and see if the disk can be recognized

    Windows MVP 2011-12, XP, Vista, 7. Expanding into Windows Server 2008 R2, SQL Server, SharePoint, Cloud, Virtualization etc. etc.

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  • Friday, May 25, 2012 10:24 AM
     
     
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    Please enable vds logging

    To enable the VDS trace log:
    1.     Exit all VDS clients and stop the VDS service: net stop vds
    2.     Clear any previous log that might have been made previously: del %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\$vds$.log
    3.     Enable debug logging: reg add HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Services\vds\DebugLog /v Level /t REG_DWORD /d 255 /f
    4.     Start up VDS and reproduce the issue.
    5.     VDS should continue tracing to %SYSTEMROOT%\system32\$vds$.log

    Once it is done please run following command on diskpart,

    diskpart> sel disk n

    diskpart> attrib disk clear readonly

    send me the file c:\windows\system32\$vds$.log

    Regards

    Satish

     
  • Thursday, June 14, 2012 3:30 AM
     
     
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    Thanks a lot for your advice & effort. The same message "Diskpart failed to clear disk attributes".

    Here is the file of $vds$.log (only a last part of the file). How can I attached the file, I can't find your email add.  thanks again.


    (PID:3956,TID:4380,11:17:56.728) LEAVE OpenDevice()
    (PID:3956,TID:3220,11:17:56.744) INFO: VDS(0X02040002): WM_DEVICECHANGE: wParam=8006 lParam=8125984
    (PID:3956,TID:4380,11:17:56.759) ERROR: CVdsRawDiskLun::SetFlagsInternal, 4 Name=\\?\usbstor#disk&ven_wd&prod_elements_1023&rev_2005#6&2429694&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}, Number=1, hr=80070013
    (PID:3956,TID:3220,11:17:56.759) TRACE: VDS(0X02040007): Disk layout change notification received
    (PID:3956,TID:4380,11:17:56.759) TRACE: EXIT CVdsRawDiskLun::SetFlagsInternal, Name=\\?\usbstor#disk&ven_wd&prod_elements_1023&rev_2005#6&2429694&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}, Number=1, status=80070013
    (PID:3956,TID:3220,11:17:56.775) ENTER CVdsPnPNotificationManager::ForwardLayoutChangeNotification()
    (PID:3956,TID:4380,11:17:56.775) ERROR: CVdsRawDiskLun::ClearFlags, 2 Name=\\?\usbstor#disk&ven_wd&prod_elements_1023&rev_2005#6&2429694&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}, Number=1, hr=800700B7
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.791) ENTER CVdsPnPNotificationManager::LayoutChangeNotificationHandler()
    (PID:3956,TID:3220,11:17:56.791) LEAVE CVdsPnPNotificationManager::ForwardLayoutChangeNotification()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.791) ENTER CVdsService::OnDiskLayoutChange()
    (PID:3956,TID:4380,11:17:56.791) TRACE: EXIT CVdsRawDiskLun::ClearFlags, Name=\\?\usbstor#disk&ven_wd&prod_elements_1023&rev_2005#6&2429694&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}, Number=1, status=800700B7
    (PID:3956,TID:4380,11:17:56.791) ERROR: CVdsDiskLun::ClearFlags, 4, hr=800700B7
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.806) ENTER CVdsRawDiskLun::GetProperties() (IVdsDisk)
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.806) ENTER OpenDevice()
    (PID:3956,TID:4380,11:17:56.806) LEAVE CVdsDiskLun::ClearFlags
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.822) INFO: OpenDevice:, 1, \\?\PhysicalDrive1
    (PID:3956,TID:3220,11:17:56.822) INFO: VDS(0X02040002): WM_DEVICECHANGE: wParam=8006 lParam=8125956
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.822) LEAVE OpenDevice()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.837) ENTER IsDiskClustered()
    (PID:3956,TID:3220,11:17:56.837) TRACE: TMP: GUID_IO_VOLUME_MOUNT event received.
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.837) INFO: vdsutil::IsDiskClustered, NOT CLUSTERED
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.853) INFO: vdsutil::IsDiskClustered, ONLINE
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.853) LEAVE IsDiskClustered()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.853) ENTER IsDiskReadOnly()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.869) INFO: vdsutil::IsDiskReadOnly, disk is writable
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.869) LEAVE IsDiskReadOnly()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.884) ENTER IsDiskCurrentStateReadOnly()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.884) WARNING: IsDiskCurrentStateReadOnly, 2, error=1
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.900) LEAVE IsDiskCurrentStateReadOnly()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.900) LEAVE CVdsRawDiskLun::GetProperties() (IVdsDisk)
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.915) ENTER OpenDevice()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.915) INFO: OpenDevice:, 1, \\?\usbstor#disk&ven_wd&prod_elements_1023&rev_2005#6&2429694&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.931) LEAVE OpenDevice()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.931) ENTER GetDiskLayout()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.947) ERROR: GetDiskLayout: DeviceIoControl failed: 13
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.947) LEAVE GetDiskLayout()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.947) ERROR: CVdsService::OnDiskLayoutChange, 7, path=\\?\usbstor#disk&ven_wd&prod_elements_1023&rev_2005#6&2429694&0#{53f56307-b6bf-11d0-94f2-00a0c91efb8b}, 19
    (PID:3956,TID:5716,11:17:56.962) ENTER CVdsService::RemoveObjectFromMap()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.962) LEAVE CVdsService::OnDiskLayoutChange()
    (PID:3956,TID:5716,11:17:56.978) LEAVE CVdsService::RemoveObjectFromMap()
    (PID:3956,TID:5792,11:17:56.978) LEAVE CVdsPnPNotificationManager::LayoutChangeNotificationHandler()
    (PID:3956,TID:5716,11:17:56.978) ENTER CVdsDiskLun::~CVdsDiskLun()
    (PID:3956,TID:5716,11:17:56.993) LEAVE CVdsDiskLun::~CVdsDiskLun()

     
  • Friday, August 10, 2012 12:15 PM
     
     
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    Dear，

    I tried this but it won't help, so any other suggestions about this issue?

    B/R

    ZhangJun

     
  • Friday, August 10, 2012 12:17 PM
     
     
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    Dear Community,

    Is there any updates about this issue?

    B/R

    ZhangJun

     
  • Monday, November 19, 2012 5:38 PM
     
     
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    Please review below link: 

    http://blog.devstone.com/aaron/2009/03/17/WorkingThroughTheMediaIsWriteProtected.aspx

    This helped me..