# How to make Bootable USB Drive normal?

**URL:** <https://forums.balena.io/t/how-to-make-bootable-usb-drive-normal/144705>\
**Category:** balenaEtcher\
**Created:** [June 26, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/how-to-make-bootable-usb-drive-normal/144705 "2020-06-26T14:41:20Z")\
**Posts on this page:** 4\
**Page:** 1

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**Author:** ![SRoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@SRoy](https://forums.balena.io/u/SRoy)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 2:41pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/how-to-make-bootable-usb-drive-normal/144705/1 "2020-06-26T14:41:21Z")

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So, I installed Pop Os via BalenaEtcher on an micro SD Card via SD Card reader which has USB out, and ran it, which worked, I booted on Pop Os.

Now I want to make the Bootable USB SD card back normal. I am on windows 10, and I tried going to command prompt (as admin) then use diskpart to clean the USB, which resulted in “access denied”. Disk Management is also the same.

What to do? Help.

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/balena/original/2X/3/37034ebc96b2f28d6604fe8c0aa362e8b2e56313.png)

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**Author:** ![nazrhom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/ee59a6/32.png) [@nazrhom](https://forums.balena.io/u/nazrhom)\
**Post date:** [June 26, 2020, 2:58pm UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/how-to-make-bootable-usb-drive-normal/144705/3 "2020-06-26T14:58:41Z")

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Hello, if you have already tried running that as admin, it could mean that write protection is enabled on the drive. Have a look at the steps described in [https://www.diskpart.com/articles/remove-write-protection-from-usb-1203.html](https://www.diskpart.com/articles/remove-write-protection-from-usb-1203.html) (or any other guide, there should be several) on how to remove that. Also, did you already try formatting it by right-clicking on the drive and selecting `Format`?

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**Author:** ![SRoy](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/76d3ee/32.png) [@SRoy](https://forums.balena.io/u/SRoy)\
**Post date:** [June 27, 2020, 9:50am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/how-to-make-bootable-usb-drive-normal/144705/6 "2020-06-27T09:50:26Z")

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I can’t see the drive in “This Pc” after I did the command “`attributes disk clear readonly`” in command prompt (as admin) it said unable to complete action, then drive came in “This Pc” and the normal format drive came and I tried formatting, but it said, " Windows was unable to complete the format." (image below).

There is no physical read-only switch on the micro sd card or the sd card reader. The micro sd card is in the correct slot with no read-only switch.

I’m trying the other methods mentioned on your shared URL, and will update here.

Edit: The Regedit method didn’t work, I’ve download the partition app, which failed then created a partition and then I tried formatting it, drive is not accessable. While doing one of those stuff in partition app, it showed like more than 2000+ bad sectors. I’m currently, wiping partition, then creating partitions again, hope it works…

 ![image](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/balena/original/2X/5/542add8088b9f0f3a9c027276362c9a0b52e3c6e.png)

[![](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/balena/original/2X/4/4f6dfc9844642feb3cba259aef79e8fb506579b5.png) ](https://global.discourse-cdn.com/balena/original/2X/4/4f6dfc9844642feb3cba259aef79e8fb506579b5.png)

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**Author:** ![vipulgupta2048](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/v/a183cd/32.png) [@vipulgupta2048](https://forums.balena.io/u/vipulgupta2048)\
**Post date:** [June 29, 2020, 10:17am UTC](https://forums.balena.io/t/how-to-make-bootable-usb-drive-normal/144705/8 "2020-06-29T10:17:47Z")

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Thanks, keep us posted if it works out!