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- WIPEFILE
-
- Description: Overwrites selected files, the space allocated to the files,
- and the files' directory entries. You can also use this
- command to delete files.
-
- Syntax: Version 3.0: WIPEFILE [(drive:)][(path)][(filespec)] [/D]
- [/N] [/P]
-
- Version 3.1: WIPEFILE [(drive:)] [(path)][(filespec)] [/G]
- [/LOG] [/N] [/NOD] [/P] [/R(n)] [/V(n)]
-
- Version 4.0, 4.5l WIPEFILE [(drive:)] [(path)] (filespec)
- [/G(n)] [/LOG] [/N] [/P] [/R(n)] [/S]
- [/V(n)]
-
- Parameters:
-
-
- (drive:) The single-letter specifier (A:, B:, C:, etc.) for the drive
- you want to use. Follow the letter with a colon. If you do not
- specify (drive:) and you specify either (path), (filespec), or
- both, the current drive is used.
-
-
- (path) The full name (C:\WP\LETTERS) of the directory containing the
- files you want to write over and/or delete. The current
- directory on the selected drive is the default.
-
- (filespec) The name of the file you want to write over and/or delete. If
- you provide (drive:) or (path) in versions 3.0 and 3.1, the
- default (filespec) is *.*. You must supply (filespec) in
- versions 4.0 and 4.5.
-
- /D Deletes the file after it has been overwritten.
-
- /G Follows U.S. government erasing standards for writing over
- data. If you include this switch, WIPEFILE writes binary 1s
- (hexadecimal FF) on the first pass, binary 0s on the second
- pass, and either a default value of 246 (hexadecimal F6) or
- the value you specify with the /V switch on the third pass.
- After the third write pass, WIPEFILE read-verifies the last
- value written. In versions 4.0 and 4.5, you can specify the
- number of times you want WIPEFILE to repeat the first two
- write passes by adding a number to the /G switch; the default
- number for (n) is 3. In versions 3.1, 4.0, and 4.5, you can
- use the /R switch to specify the number of times you want
- WIPEFILE to repeat the entire write-over cycle.
-
-
- /LOG Displays diagnostic output as separate (not overlaid) output
- you can direct to either a printer or a disk file. You can
- send the output to a printer or a disk file by including the
- MS-DOS redirection character ()) followed by a printer name or
- filename at the end of the command.
-
- /N Deletes (erases) files but does not write over their allocated
- areas or their directory entries. If you supply this switch,
- WIPEFILE removes files the same way the MS-DOS command Delete
- or Erase does.
-
- /NOD Writes over the allocated file clusters but does not free the
- space allocated to the files or erase the directory entries.
-
- /P Pauses for confirmation before writing over or deleting each
- file.
-
- /R(n) Repeats the write passes (n) times. The default value is 1.
-
- /S Writes over all files in all directories under the specified
- path.
-
- /V(n) Uses the binary equivalent of the decimal value (n) when
- writing over data. If you do not include the /G switch, the
- default value is 0.
-
-
- Notes:
-
- The MS-DOS Delete and Erase commands do not destroy data or completely remove
- directory entries. To ensure that data is completely erased and cannot be
- reused, you must use WIPEDISK or WIPEFILE.
-
-
- ** CAUTION ** CAUTION **CAUTION ** CAUTION ** CAUTION ** CAUTION **
-
- When you use WIPEFILE to write over data, you cannot recover the data using
- the FR (Format Recover), the NU (Norton Utilities), or the QU (Quick UnErase)
- command. WIPEFILE always asks for confirmation before it begins execution. If
- you discover you have started WIPEFILE by mistake, you can halt execution by
- entering Ctrl-C (^C) or Ctrl-Break (^[).
-
- WIPEFILE processes hidden and system files. If (filespec) might include any
- such files, be sure to include the /P switch so that you can prevent WIPEFILE
- from deleting and/or writing over them.
-
-
-
-
-
-
-
- WIPEFILE bypasses read-only files unless you instruct it to remove the
- read-only attribute before processing the file. WIPEFILE prompts you to
- confirm that you want to remove the read-only attribute only if you instruct
- the utility to pause before processing each file. You can do so in any
- version by including the /P switch, by responding ``Y'' to the initial
- message that asks ``Do you wish confirmation for each file (Y/N)?'' in
- versions 4.0 and 4.5, or by responding ``N'' to the initial message that asks
- ``Proceed without pausing (Y/N)?'' in versions 3.0 and 3.1.
-
- Example: To delete all files with a LOG extension in the TAX directory
- and to write over the data and directory entries, pausing for
- confirmation before processing each file.
-
- Enter: WIPEFILE \tax\.log /P
-
- See <NUFA>, <NUFR>, <NUNU>, <NUQU>, <NUUD>, <NUWIPEDI>.
-
-