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Operation of "Windows Erase program"-> Secure Erase/Sanitize

The "Secure Erase" page (tab) is only displayed when running on WindowsPE.
It is not displayed when executed on Windows (8, 10, 11, Server, etc.).


Secure Erase/ Sanitize

Performs Secure Erase/Sanitize processing on supported disks. Please see "Secure erase/ Sanitize" for the details of the process.

Warning! About "Secure Erase" of ATA drives
Never interrupt Secure Erase process of ATA drives!

When performing Secure Erase on ATA drives (including SATA), according to Microsoft specifications,
"AutoATAWindowsString12345678901"
is registered as the HDD password (user password) before the process is executed.

If the secure erase is successfully completed, the password will also be erased and you can use the disk drive as usual.
However, if it is interrupted midway (power off, etc.), the HDD password will remain on the drive and the drive will be password-locked. You will not be able to use it again, It becomes inaccessible.

If the HDD password is enabled, you will be asked to enter the password when you turn on the PC, and if the password does not match, you may not be able to boot or access the HDD. In that case, you may be able to remove the password by using the above password in the HDD password section of the PC's BIOS settings. But if the PC performs its own conversion of input values, in that case, you may not be able to cancel the password

How to remove HDD password
・Cancel it in the PC's BIOS settings.
・If the PC can start, perform the Secure Erase using this program (gppro4.exe) again.
・If the above is not possible, remove the drive from the PC, connect it to a PC that can boot even if there is an HDD password, and remove the password.
・If the drive cannot be removed from a laptop PC, etc., it may become unusable.

Due to these problems, please be very careful when performing Secure Erase of ATA.

Below, only the parts that differ from "Erase Disk drive" are described in detail.



* If you format the disk again, you can use the disk again.

Select Disk to erase

Only processable(SecureErase/Sanitize) disk drives are listed. Select the disk drive (physical drive) to erase.

Disk information

Choose "erase Disk" and a select disk to display information about the disk.
Also, click on the "Secure Erase" section to display information about secure erase.
Click "Disk Information" to return to normal disk information display.



Erase method, options
Select the erasing method and processing option.




[Secure Erase](1time)(sec)
Only "Secure Erase"/"Sanitize" process is performed.

1st time: Secure Erase/Sanitize

[Secure Erase](2times)(sec-00)
Perform "Secure Erase"/"Sanitize" process and then write [00] to the whole disk drive.
2nd process is normal write process.

1st time: Secure Erase/Sanitize
2nd time: Write 00 (hexary) / 00000000 (binary)

[Secure Erase](3times)(sec-random-00)
Perform "Secure Erase"/"Sanitize" process and then write values to the whole disk drive as follows.
2nd, 3rd process are normal write processes.

1st time: Secure Erase/Sanitize
2nd time: Write a random value
3rd time: Write 00 (hexary) / 00000000 (binary)

Secure Erase Method
Normally, you can leave it as "-Auto-".
The process is executed using the most secure method among all executable processes.
You can also choose any method.

Only methods supported by the disk drive will be displayed as options.

Processing priority for "-Auto-"
ATA drive
Sanitize (block erase)
Sanitize (over write)
Sanitize (crypto)
Secure Erase (enhanced)
Secure Erase

NVMe drive
Sanitize (block erase)
Sanitize (over write)
Sanitize (crypto)
Secure Erase

However, if Sanitize (crypto) and Sanitize (block erase)/Sanitize (over write) are supported,
   Sanitize (crypto)+Sanitize (block erase)
   Sanitize (crypto)+Sanitize(over write)
is execute in combination.

Verify after erase
After the erasing process is completed, read the whole disk and verify that all sectors have been erased.
This process is normal read process.

Stop when error
If a write error tf a write error to the disk occurs in the middle, you can choose to interrupt the process or ignore it and continue. If you ignore it and continue, the number of errors is counted.
Error counts are for normal read/write process only.

Confirm

It is provided for confirmation so that it will not work even if you accidentally press the "execute ERASE" button.
Please enter "YES" ("yes" is also possible).

execute ERASE

Press this button to start the process.

Interrupt

You cannot interrupt during the secure erase step.
For normal read/write process, you can interrupt the process with the "Interrupt" button at the bottom right.

Close

Click the "Close" button to close the Report screen.

Errors that may occur during the secure erase process

Secure Erase - ATA(SATA)
Error Code Description
-3 Frozen state
-2 Secure Erase not supported
-1 Secure Erase not supported
   
1 Open error for the Disk
2 Disk identify error
3, 4, 6 Error when removing HDD password
The currently set password is different from the Windows standard password (*),
or the password cannot be reset.
5, 9 Disk identify error
7, 8, 10 Error when removing HDD password
The currently set password is different from the Windows standard password (*),
or the password cannot be reset.
15, 16, 17
18, 19, 20
Error when setting HDD passowrd
Tried to set a password for secure erasure, but an error occurred.
25 Secure Erase preparation error
26 Secure Erase Test error
28 Secure Erase preparation error
30 Secure Erase execution error
31 Secure erasure process completed in much shorter time than expected
32 Confirmation error after Secure Erase process
*Password cannot be deleted 
40 Disk open error, after Secure Erase. (SecureErase is finished)
41 Disk open error, after Secure Erase.
(SecureErase is finished  in much shorter time than expected)
42 Disk identify error (SecureErase is finished)
 

*Windows standard password "AutoATAWindowsString12345678901"

Sanitize - ATA(SATA)
Error Code Description
-8 BLOCK ERASE is not supported
-7 OVERWRITE is not supported
-6 CRYPT ERASE is not supported
-5 Unsupported erase type
-4 Sanitize is not supported
-3 Disk identify error
-2 Disk open error
1 Error getting Sanitize status
2 Sanitize frozen state
3 Sanitize is executing
10 Sanitize execution error (CRYPTO_SCRAMBLE)
11 Sanitize execution error (OVERWRITE)
12 Sanitize execution error (BLOCK_ERASE)

Secure Erase - NVMe
Error Code Description
-10 Secure Erase(format) execution error
-8 Memory allocation error
-7 Disk identify(identify ns) error
-4 Secure Erase (format) is not supported
-3 Disk identify error
-2 Disk open error
   
>0 Secure Erase processing error
   

Sanitize - NVMe
Error Code Description
-10 Sanitize execution error
-9 Memory allocation error
-8 Sanitize is executiong
-7 OVERWRITE is not supported
-6 BLOCK ERASE is not supported
-5 CRYPT ERASE is not supported
-4 Sanitize is not supported
-3 Disk identify error
-2 Disk open error
   
>0 Sanitize processing error
   



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