When there are write accesses to user pages in a data processing system that are marked as write-protected in a translation memory, the method checks, after an interrupt request, a corresponding page table entry and also whether there is an access with system authorization. If there is an access with system authorization, the write-protection is temporarily dropped until an operating mode changes from the system to a user. In order for the write-protection to be subsequently restored, control bits are used as indicators that are used to declare entries in the translation memory affected by the system accesses to be declared invalid.