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  • Disk Wiping under Windows

    From poindexter FORTRAN@VERT/REALITY to All on Mon Mar 4 11:57:22 2019
    Helpful tip -- the command line format command on Windows 7 and above allows you to write zeroes to the new drive.

    FORMAT <drive letter:> /fs:ntfs /p:1

    /P:count Zero every sector on the volume. After that, the volume
    will be overwritten "count" times using a different
    random number each time. If "count" is zero, no additional
    overwrites are made after zeroing every sector.

    ---
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  • From Nightfox to poindexter FORTRAN on Mon Mar 4 16:38:31 2019
    Re: Disk Wiping under Windows
    By: poindexter FORTRAN to All on Mon Mar 04 2019 11:57 am

    Helpful tip -- the command line format command on Windows 7 and above allows you to write zeroes to the new drive.

    FORMAT <drive letter:> /fs:ntfs /p:1

    /P:count Zero every sector on the volume. After that, the volume
    will be overwritten "count" times using a different
    random number each time. If "count" is zero, no additional
    overwrites are made after zeroing every sector.

    It doesn't sound like it will always be zeros, but rather a random number each time for the /P parameter.

    Nightfox
  • From Jagossel@VERT/DISCREAL to poindexter FORTRAN on Mon Mar 4 21:10:23 2019
    Re: Disk Wiping under Windows
    By: poindexter FORTRAN to All on Mon Mar 04 2019 11:57 am

    Helpful tip -- the command line format command on Windows 7 and above allows you to write zeroes to the new drive.

    FORMAT <drive letter:> /fs:ntfs /p:1

    /P:count Zero every sector on the volume. After that, the volume
    will be overwritten "count" times using a different
    random number each time. If "count" is zero, no additional
    overwrites are made after zeroing every sector.

    Thanks for the tip! Might come in handy when I need to shrink down some Windows virtual hard drives. I've been using sdelete from Sysinternals to zero the free space to compact the virtual hard drives. This will save me from a package install. :)

    -jag
    Code it, Script it, Automate it!

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  • From Android8675@VERT/SHODAN to Nightfox on Tue Mar 5 07:43:19 2019
    Re: Disk Wiping under Windows
    By: Nightfox to poindexter FORTRAN on Mon Mar 04 2019 04:38 pm

    FORMAT <drive letter:> /fs:ntfs /p:1

    /P:count Zero every sector on the volume. After that, the volume
    will be overwritten "count" times using a different
    random number each time. If "count" is zero, no additional
    overwrites are made after zeroing every sector.

    It doesn't sound like it will always be zeros, but rather a random number each time for the /P parameter.

    Unless you do /p:0 ...
    --
    Android8675@ShodansCore

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  • From Nightfox to Android8675 on Tue Mar 5 09:47:04 2019
    Re: Disk Wiping under Windows
    By: Android8675 to Nightfox on Tue Mar 05 2019 07:43 am

    FORMAT <drive letter:> /fs:ntfs /p:1

    /P:count Zero every sector on the volume. After that, the volume
    will be overwritten "count" times using a different

    It doesn't sound like it will always be zeros, but rather a random
    number each time for the /P parameter.

    Unless you do /p:0 ...

    It says the /p option is the "count", or the number of times to write, not the actual value to write. So /p:0 would have it write to the drive 0 times, or basically do nothing.

    Nightfox
  • From Digital Man@VERT to Nightfox on Tue Mar 5 14:32:33 2019
    Re: Disk Wiping under Windows
    By: Nightfox to Android8675 on Tue Mar 05 2019 09:47 am

    Re: Disk Wiping under Windows
    By: Android8675 to Nightfox on Tue Mar 05 2019 07:43 am

    FORMAT <drive letter:> /fs:ntfs /p:1

    /P:count Zero every sector on the volume. After that, the volume
    will be overwritten "count" times using a different

    It doesn't sound like it will always be zeros, but rather a random
    number each time for the /P parameter.

    Unless you do /p:0 ...

    It says the /p option is the "count", or the number of times to write, not the actual value to write. So /p:0 would have it write to the drive 0 times, or basically do nothing.

    That options sounds to me like it zeroes the volume first, then writes the random values. So "/p:0" would just zero the volume. No?

    digital man

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  • From Nightfox to Digital Man on Tue Mar 5 15:47:08 2019
    Re: Disk Wiping under Windows
    By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Tue Mar 05 2019 02:32 pm

    /P:count Zero every sector on the volume. After that, the volume PF>>>> will be overwritten "count" times using a different

    That options sounds to me like it zeroes the volume first, then writes the random values. So "/p:0" would just zero the volume. No?

    Ah, yes, that sounds right, after I read it again.

    Nightfox
  • From Jagossel@VERT/DISCREAL to Digital Man on Tue Mar 5 20:59:25 2019
    Re: Disk Wiping under Windows
    By: Digital Man to Nightfox on Tue Mar 05 2019 02:32 pm

    FORMAT <drive letter:> /fs:ntfs /p:1

    /P:count Zero every sector on the volume. After that, the volume
    will be overwritten "count" times using a different
    It says the /p option is the "count", or the number of times to write, not the actual value to write. So /p:0 would have it write to the drive 0 times, or basically do nothing.

    That options sounds to me like it zeroes the volume first, then writes the random values. So "/p:0" would just zero the volume. No?

    That's how I've read it. Anyone actually tried it to see?

    -jag
    Code it, Script it, Automate it!

    ---
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