If a diskette is write-protected, it can only be read from and its data cannot be changed.

Diskette write protection is performed by the drive's hardware, so there is no way to circumvent it from software. Write-protect your diskettes in order not to accidentally delete important data or to prevent malicious software such as viruses from infecting the diskette.

A 3.5-inch diskette can be write-protected by sliding a built-in tab to reveal the write-protect hole. A 5.25-inch diskette has a write-protect notch located on the right side of the diskette. You can place a write-protect tab over the notch to protect the information stored on the diskette.

To store information on a write-protected diskette, you must slide the tab back over the write-protect hole on a 3.5-inch diskette, or remove the write-protect tab from the 5.25-inch diskette.

If a diskette does not have a write-protect notch or tab, the diskette is permanently write protected. Software manufacturers typically use permanently write-protected diskettes to prevent the information on the diskettes from being accidentally changed or deleted.