I'm new using Linux distros and have installed Ubuntu 20.04 on a seperat HDD along side Kubuntu 20.04 with no problems. And have installed many other flavors of several distros using Ubuntu, Arch, etc. So I do have a little bit of experience with Linux as well as alot of experience with all versions of Windows. However I want move away from windows as well as stop using Windows completely. My question is I have two thumb drives that became write protected when I was using Windows and the program Rufus 3.17 to copy the contents of Ubunto 20.04 and Zorin 16 pro ISO's to these separate thumb drives. I know that Zorin uses the Ubuntu OS as its base. How did these thumb drives become write protected from this process? and is there a command I can use in the terminal running on Kubuntu 21.4 to remove the write protect so I can use them again? I've already tried many ways using Windows 10 and several third party partition progs such as Macrorit Pro, EaseUs, Mini Part Wizard and others. Still I get the popup saying "cannot complete process, disk is write protected" or "I\O error". Basically the same ol SOL you no s__t out of luck, I have read some of the posted answers on this forum and have copied the command and pasted it in my Kubuntu terminal with no success. Also I installed one of the packages called SDB which was suggested by using the sdb --help command. Still nothing. Can anyone give me the real solution to my problem? which all started from an Ubuntu OS from an ISO..

When you put a distro image onto your pendrive, it effectively became a read only cd/dvd/iso disk.

To reuse it as storage, you will need to use a disk partitioner - first you give it a new MBR, then you create a partition, & finally put a file system on it - now all ready to store files again.

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dd mode in rufus will make them read-only.

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Try Ventoy.

Thanks but that has already been tried. I have put other ISO image files from several other distros and was able to reformat, delete, and erase the files from the drives, again having a different Kernel for the different distros. I was able to use Rufus to make the thumb drives first nonboot, then format the drive using Windows, Rufus, and Macrorit Pro oartition manager with no problems at all and able to use again to store files or even put other ISO image files on it. The thing that bothers me is only Ubuntu 20.04 and Zorin 16 Pro which I actually purchased was the only to distros that caused this problem. So I really need a sudo command that will remove or unlock the write protect. Since I'm using the latest version of Kubuntu I figured there must be a terminal command that will work, because so far I haven't succeeded using other methods. The thumb drives only cost $4.00 for a 16GB 3.0, but I want to learn more of the command line fixes and other great commands in Linux. I want to get away from using Windows as my main OS...

Thanks

Some usb drives will become read only with use as they get older and there is nothing you can do to make them writable again.

There are two different levels of protection:
1. software (or filesystem) level. You can specify to mount a filesystem read only, or just remove the write permission from everywhere. It will work on mounted filesystems.
2. hardware level. sometimes you can find a microswitch on the usb where you can make the whole device read only. for example: https://www.amazon.com/Kanguru-Flash.../dp/B008OGNM8E
Without this switch the device is always write enabled and you can always overwrite the existing data/filesystems (and partitions) on it (regardless of the permissions set inside those filesystems)

I've never quite understood why thumb drives usually don't have a physical "write protect switch." Even floppy disks had that ...

Try clearing the boot blocks before giving it a new MBR, etc.
(Where ? is your drive designation.)