 WIPE-8.COM   ( Version 1.3  01/22/2002  for DOS )  2,321 bytes.
 ===========  ( Version 1.4  03/27/2007; revised documentation.)

    This utility is FREE for anyone to use in any way; the ONLY
 reason it displays version number, date and the phrase: "Coded
 since 2002 by The Starman." is for program  identification and
 code maintenance.  I am NOT the creator of the original 'WIPE'
 program.  That utility was a free download from IBM's website,
 but it had no documentation whatsoever;  not even a  name, let
 alone an IBM copyright.   (That program also contained useless
 'garbage bytes'.)

    After making a safer version of the old ZAP program (ZAP63),
 to 'zero-out' only the first 63 sectors of a hard disk, we then
 decided to revise this WIPE utility as well, so it too would be
 safer than the original.  We've called this WIPE-8 to remind us
 it can't "zero-out" more than about 8.4 Gigabytes  (or:  1024 x
 255 x 63 x 512 bytes = 8,422,686,720 bytes) of any hard disk.

    WIPE displays Cylinder and Head count so you can observe the
 progress its making; a Sector counter being pointless, since it
 is 'wiping' the drive faster than you could see those vlaues on
 the screen.  Once  WIPE has started  'zeroing-out' sectors, you
 should be able to HALT or STOP the program by pressing 'PAUSE',
 the "CTRL + C" keys or the "CTRL + BREAK" keys on your keyboard.

    WIPE won't begin erasing data on a drive until the word "YES"
 has been ENTERed; which is what makes it a bit "safer" than the
 original "wipe" program.

    WIPE's Usage display:
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
   WIPE-8  (v. 1.4  03/27/2007  for DOS)  Coded since 2002 by The Starman.


   Usage:  WIPE  < Disk # >

   where:  < Disk # >  =  0 - 7  ( for Physical Disk Drives 0 through 7. )

 Example:  WIPE 0     ( Will "zero-out" EVERY BYTE of Hard Disk Drive 0. )
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

 
 Here's an example of WIPE-8's screen display (for a 6.4 GB hard disk)
 BEFORE it began 'zeroing-out' the data:
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------
   WIPE-8  (v. 1.4  03/27/2007  for DOS)  Coded since 2002 by The Starman.

   Hard Disk  Drive 1   ( of 0 - 7 )
  Parameters:
              Cylinders (0 based) =  782
              Heads . . (0 based) =  254
              Sectors . (1 based) =   63

  WIPE is now set to "zero-out"  EVERY SECTOR of Disk Drive 1
  ALL DATA on the Drive will be completely UNRECOVERABLE!

  If you are SURE you want to  "wipe"   Disk Drive  1 , then
  ENTER the word " YES " (anything else ABORTS the program):
 -------------------------------------------------------------------------

    Entering anything (other than 'YES') at this point, or just
 simply pressing the ENTER key, forces WIPE to respond with:
 -------------------------------------
  * "Wiping" of Hard Disk ABORTED *
 -------------------------------------

  AFTER entering 'YES' to the question above,  WIPE will display
  its simple Cylinder and Head counters like this (as they count
  UP to the last cylinder and head numbers from zero):

     Cyl    0, Hd   0


  If all goes well, you'll eventually see the message:
 ----------------------------------------------------
   Hard Disk Drive 1  has been completely WIPED !
   NONE of its previous DATA is recoverable!
 ----------------------------------------------------

  If there are any ERRORS, you'll be presented with a specific  Hex
  Code and then a list of Error messages you can 'look up' the code
  in to see what the problem might be related to; like this:
--------------------------------------------------------------------------
  * Error Code  01h  Returned from Hard Disk INT 13 Function Call *

  01h = Unsupported Drive or Param.   10h = Uncorrectable ECC or CRC Error
  02h = Add. Mark Not Fnd (Bad sect)  11h = ECC Corrected Data Error
  03h = Write-Protect (Locked) Disk   12h = Command in Progress
  04h = Sector Not Found              13h = Device Not Powered
  05h = Reset Failed                  20h = General Controller Error
  07h = Drive Param Activity Failed   40h = Seek Operation Failed
  08h = DMA Overrun on Operation      80h = Time-Out
  09h = Data-Boundary Error           AAh = Drive Not Ready
  0Ah = Bad Sector Flag Detected      BBh = Undefined Error Occurred
  0Bh = Bad Cylinder Detected         CCh = Write Fault on Selected Drive
  0Dh = Invalid # of Sectors on Fmt   E0h = Status Error/Error Reg = 0
  0Eh = Ctrl Data Addr Mark Detected  FFh = Sense Operation Failed
  0Fh = DMA Arb. Level Out of Range
--------------------------------------------------------------------------

      The error listed above ("01h") will always be shown if you
 start WIPE with a Disk number that doesn't exist on your system.

      WIPE should only be run under real (16-bit) DOS, since any
 Windows OS will likely have a 'LOCK' on all drives; running WIPE
 under Windows often results in an Error "03h" in such cases.

   If you have any questions about WIPE, and don't know how to contact
 us, try writing to: < thestarman (at) juno (dot) com >, but make sure
 to BEGIN the subject line with: "TSR: " before sending it.  There may
 also be a form at: < http://www.geocities.com/thestarman3/FF.html >

 TS. 22 JAN 2002. 27 MAR 2007.