Wiping with Autoit

[Irongeek]

Hi all, I'm trying to use Autoit to wipe a physical drive with all zeros. The following code gives no error:

$file = FileOpen("\\.\physicaldrive1",16)
; Check if file opened for reading OK
If $file = -1 Then
    MsgBox(0, "Error", "Unable to open file.")
    Exit
EndIf
; Read in 1 character at a time until the EOF is reached
While 1
    ;$chars = FileRead($file, 100)
    ;If @error = -1 Then ExitLoop
    ;MsgBox(0, "Char read:", $chars)
    FileWrite($file, Chr("0"))
Wend

FileClose($file)

but it seems to make no change. Ideas? Thanks.

[Jos]

Not sure but shouldn't that be:

$file = FileOpen("\\.\physicaldrive1",17)

To open it for Byte Write.

You aren't testing the success of FileWrite() to see if all works properly.

Edited July 1, 2009 by Jos

[Irongeek]

Not sure but shouldn't that be:

$file = FileOpen("\\.\physicaldrive1",17)

To open it for Byte Write.

You aren't testing the success of FileWrite() to see if all works properly.

Thanks, but using 17 gives an error, saying it can't open the file..

[Irongeek]

I seriously doubt FileOpen() can open a Hard Drive, unless a Dev says otherwise.

You may want to take a look at AU3-SD. It has a function to wash empty disk space, just like what you are trying to do.

Hint: Creating a new file on that drive and writing the zeros into the file would accomplish your goal. (That's how AU3-SD does it.)

Thanks, I'll have to take a look at that lib, but I'd like to do a zero wipe down a whole drive.