If you have created a USD drive to install a version of Linux and now need to reformat it to use it for something else you've probably noticed that it is split into two different partitions both of which have write protection. Means that you can't simply right-click on the device and select format like you usually can. So follow along as this guide shows you how to format a write protected USD Drive with multiple Partitions.

Takeaways:

  1. Learn how to fix a split partition USB dive with write protection.
  2. How do you format a USB drive with write protection and split partitions.

Why Your USB Drive Appears Write Protected?

When you create a bootable USB using a Linux ISO, the drive is formatted with a hybrid layout. This usually includes:

  • A read-only ISO9660 partition
  • Additional hidden or secondary partitions
  • A hybrid partition table for BIOS and UEFI booting

Because ISO9660 is a read-only filesystem, operating systems like Windows may treat the entire USB drive as write protected. In some cases, only part of the drive is visible, making it seem like storage space is missing. This format layout also means that you can't use the usual formatting method available on Windows.

Fix a Write Protected USB Drive with Multiple Partitions

How to Fix a Write Protected USB Drive with Multiple Partitions

To restore your USB drive to normal, you need to completely erase all partitions and create a new one. The easiest way to do this is by using tools like Rufus or GParted. I personall prefer to use Rufus but GParted is also a good option.

How to Fix USB Drive Using Rufus (Windows)

  • Download Rufus from the official website and launch it. (No installation is required.)
  • Insert your USB stick and select it from the device list in Rufus.
  • Set the boot selection option to "Non bootable" or leave it empty.
  • Click Start and confirm the warnings. Rufus will:
  • Delete all partitions
  • Remove the read-only ISO structure
  • Create a fresh FAT32 partition
  • Once completed, your USB drive will be fully usable again.

How to Fix a Write Protected USB Drive with Multiple Partitions

Note: You can also just download the latest Windows 11 ISO, upload it to Rufus and it will format the drive to accomdate the new windows 11 installation. After that is done you can then format it on Windows as you normally would.

How to Fix USB Drive Using GParted (Linux)

  • If not already installed, install GParted using your package manager.
  • Launch the application with administrative privileges.
  • Choose your USB device from the top-right dropdown menu.
  • Right-click each partition and select Delete until the drive shows as unallocated.
  • Go to Device and select Create Partition Table. Choose GPT or MBR.
  • Create a new FAT32 partition using the full disk space.
  • Click Apply to execute all operations.

What won't work

  • Only Formatting Only One Partition will not fix the issue. You need to remove all partitions.
  • Windows built-in formatting tools fail because they cannot override the ISO9660 structure and similar structures that Linux uses.
  • Maybe you chose the wrong drive... Always double-check you selected the correct USB device to avoid data loss.