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STATUS_MEDIA_WRITE_PROTECTED
STATUS_MEDIA_WRITE_PROTECTED means that the write was rejected because the target media or volume is currently read-only. This is different from a normal access-control failure: changing NTFS permissions alone does not make a genuinely write-protected medium writable.
Possible layers of protection
- A removable device or controller can expose hardware or firmware write protection.
- A volume can be mounted read-only by its host, virtual-disk configuration, or storage policy.
- A file system can protect a volume after detecting a condition that makes further writes unsafe.
- A remote or virtual storage service can advertise the target as read-only to the client.
How to investigate safely
Identify the layer that reports the status before attempting to clear attributes. Check whether the condition affects every host, only one volume, or only the current user. For removable media and storage drivers, Microsoft groups this status with user-correctable I/O conditions such as a device not ready or an I/O timeout; the appropriate action can be to supply the correct media, restore a connection, or cancel the request rather than forcing a write.
If a previously writable volume becomes read-only unexpectedly, prioritize copying accessible data and reviewing storage health. Do not repeatedly attempt writes that may worsen a failing device or overwrite evidence needed for recovery.
See IoIsErrorUserInduced, Media-change handling guidance, and the NTSTATUS reference.
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