Have you ever wanted to protect a disk or volume from accidental changes, file deletions, or formatting? Making a drive read-only in Windows is a smart way to lock it for safety — especially when you’re handling sensitive files, using shared systems, or creating backups.
In this blog post, we’ll go through the step-by-step process to make a volume or disk read-only using built-in Windows tools, and then we’ll also explain how to remove the read-only restriction if you change your mind later.
This method is especially useful for system administrators, IT support professionals, or even regular users looking to add an extra layer of protection to their data. No third-party software needed — just Command Prompt and a few powerful commands.
🧠 Understanding the Difference: Disk vs Volume
Before we jump into the technical steps, let’s clarify something important.
- Disk: A physical storage unit like your SSD or HDD
- Volume: A partition or section within a disk (e.g., drive D:, E:, etc.)
A single disk can contain multiple volumes. So, when you make a volume read-only, you’re only locking that specific partition. When you make a disk read-only, all volumes inside it get locked.
⚙️ Let’s Start: How to Make a Volume Read-Only
We’ll first cover how to make a specific volume read-only. This is especially useful when you want to protect just one partition without affecting the whole disk.
🔐 Step 1: Open Command Prompt as Administrator
- Press
Windows + S - Type cmd
- Right-click on “Command Prompt” → select Run as Administrator
Now we’re ready to begin the disk management commands.
📦 Step 2: Enter DISKPART Mode
Type the following command to launch DiskPart:
diskpart
DiskPart is a built-in command-line tool in Windows used for managing disks and partitions.
💽 Step 3: List Available Disks
Type:
list disk
This will show all physical disks connected to your PC (e.g., Disk 0, Disk 1, etc.)
Choose the one that contains the volume you want to protect. For example:
select disk 0
🧱 Step 4: List All Volumes
Now let’s list the partitions inside the selected disk:
list volume
You’ll see volume numbers and drive letters (like Volume 3 = H:).
🎯 Step 5: Select the Volume You Want to Protect
Suppose you want to make Volume 3 (Drive H:) read-only. Then:
select volume 3
🔒 Step 6: Set the Volume as Read-Only
Now run the main command:
attributes volume set readonly
✅ You’ll see a message saying: “DiskPart successfully set the volume attributes.”
You’ve now locked that volume. You won’t be able to delete files or format it via File Explorer. The delete or rename options may even appear grayed out.
🔓 How to Remove Read-Only Protection from a Volume
If you ever want to remove the protection, here’s how to do it.
👣 Repeat the Initial Steps:
- Open Command Prompt as Admin
- Type
diskpart - Type
list disk - Select the correct disk:
select disk 0 - List volumes:
list volume - Select the correct volume:
select volume 3
🧹 Step: Clear the Read-Only Attribute
Type:
attributes volume clear readonly
✅ You’ll get confirmation: “DiskPart successfully cleared the volume attributes.”
Now you can again create, delete, and modify files on that volume.
🖥️ How to Make an Entire Disk Read-Only
This option is more extreme — it locks every volume on the disk.
⚠️ Important Note:
You cannot set the disk that contains the active Windows OS (like Disk 0 in most cases) as read-only. Windows will block this for safety.
But for external drives or secondary disks, this works perfectly.
👇 Here’s how:
- Open Command Prompt as Admin
- Type:
diskpart list disk select disk 1 ← (choose the non-OS disk) attributes disk set readonly
✅ Your entire disk is now protected. All volumes inside it will become read-only.
🔓 How to Remove Read-Only From a Disk
Just like volumes, here’s the command to undo the protection:
attributes disk clear readonly
❓ Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
Q1: What happens when I make a volume or disk read-only?
You can view files but cannot modify, move, rename, or delete anything on it.
Q2: Can I still copy files from a read-only volume?
Yes. Read-only means no write access, but reading and copying files is allowed.
Q3: Will the read-only setting persist after reboot?
Yes. Until you manually remove it using the clear readonly command.
Q4: Can I make a USB drive read-only this way?
Yes, this works perfectly for USB flash drives or external hard disks — ideal for protecting portable data.
📝 Final Thoughts
Setting a disk or volume to read-only is one of the most underrated protection strategies in Windows. Whether you’re preserving backups, sharing drives across multiple users, or preventing accidental deletions — it’s a fast and effective method.
Just remember: don’t apply this on your main system (C:) drive — Windows will reject it.
If you found this tutorial helpful, consider bookmarking it for future use!
🧷 Tags:
windows 11, read only volume, read only disk, protect usb, diskpart, command prompt, disk management, file protection, windows admin, tech tips
🔖 Hashtags:
#WindowsTips #DiskPart #ReadOnlyVolume #ProtectUSB #CommandPrompt #TechSupport #Windows11 #VolumeProtection #SystemAdmin
Disclaimer: The commands used in this tutorial directly change the behavior of your storage devices. Use them with caution. Do not apply read-only protection to your system drive (usually C:) as this may result in boot or performance issues. Always back up important data before applying such changes.
