WipeFile
HELP

WipeFile deletes files and folders secure and fast. To do this, WipeFile overwrites the information completely, so there is no way to restore the files or reconstruct the file content.

WipeFile supports 14 different wipe methods, e.g. two US Navy standards, the standard of the US Department of Defense, US Air Force and the NATO.

### Contact & Download

For any suggestions, improvements or expansion proposals please write an e-mail to the developer.

You can find the latest version of this application at WipeFile download page or on www.gaijin.at.

### Content

> Install & Uninstall
> General Notes
> User Interface
> Settings
> Wipe Methods
> Command Line Parameters
> Credits and Acknowledgments
> License

# Install & Uninstall

## Requirements

This application requires the Microsoft .NET Framework 4.0 or higher.

## Install

This application is portable. The application can be started immediately after unpacking from the download archive without installation.

Please unpack the entire archive with all files and folders. Do not try to run the executable file from inside the archive.

If the application is stored in "C:\Program Files" the application should be run as administrator at the first start.

When the application is started for the first time, it asks if the application should be run portable.

If "Yes" is selected for portable mode, the user data, e.g. the settings, are stored in the application's program folder. This selection should be used if the application is used on a USB stick or other removable media.

If "No" is selected, the user data is saved in the folder for the application data of the current user (C:\Users\USERNAME\AppData\Roaming). This selection should be used if the application is stored in "C:\Program Files".

The location is saved in the configuration file "Configuration.xml" in the application's program folder. Therefore the program folder must be writable at the first application start. Depending on the storage location (for example in "C:\Program Files"), it may also be necessary to run the application as administrator. If the configuration file is deleted, the storage location for the user data can be selected again the next time the application is started. The user data itself is neither deleted nor moved.

The folder for the user data must be writable so that the application settings can be saved. This is especially true if the application is located in "C:\Program Files" and runs in portable mode.

## Uninstall

To remove this application you need to delete the folder where you stored the application.

If the application was not used portable, the folder with the user data of the application must also be deleted (see Install).

This application does not save any settings in the Windows Registry.

# General Notes

## The Wipe Process

Each file is overwritten one or more times with the set method. Then the file name is changed to a random combination of numbers and letters (of the same length as the original name). The file times (creation, modification and access time) are set to 01.01.2000 and the file length to 0 bytes. The file is then deleted.

Folders are only deleted if they are empty. Folder names are also renamed to a random value before deletion and file times are changed in the same way as files.

## Usage

WipeFile only overwrites the data in the specified files themselves, but not the RAM or file slack. Contents of the overwritten file can also still be contained in paging files or temporary files that were previously stored there by the operating system or another program.

Files from the Windows Recycle Bin cannot be deleted directly. To select these folders/files, the subfolders of the folder "RECYCLER" in the respective partition must be selected.

## Processing of Files and Folders

If you enter the placeholder "*", all files will be deleted. For example, if "*.txt" is used as the file mask, only the text files in the folder concerned will be deleted.

Note: The file mask "*.*" does not find all files, but files with at least one dot in the file name. Files without a file name extension are not found with this mask.

If a folder with its subfolders is deleted (recursively), all files in the subfolders that match the file mask are also deleted. If the wildcard "*" is specified, all files and all subfolders are deleted.

If a file is deleted recursively, all files with the same name in the subfolders are deleted. For example, with the path "E:\Privat.txt" the files "E:\Secret\Private.txt" and "E:\Secret\Personal\Private.txt" are also deleted.

# User Interface

## Application Window

To make it easier to work alternately with other applications, the applications window can be kept in the foreground ("View" / "Show window on top").

## Toolbars

The toolbars can be displayed or hidden via the "View" / "Toolbars" menu. Toolbars can be switched from single-line to multi-line display using the context menu (right click on the toolbar). The text of a toolbar button can also be displayed or hidden via the context menu.

## Adding Folders and Files

Folders and files can be added in the user interface via the menu, the toolbar or the context menu of the list box. Shortcuts can also be used, which are shown in the menu. With command line parameters folders and files can be passed as well as with Drag & Drop from Windows Explorer. The Explorer integration can be enabled in the settings.

To add one or more files, select the menu item "Edit" / "Add Files". To add a folder, select the menu item "Edit" / "Add Folder". After adding folders or files, they are displayed in the processing list.

## The Processing List

In the column "Folder" the folder of the file is displayed. In the column "File Mask" the name of the file or the file mask is displayed.

For a folder, the file mask is an asterisk (*). The file mask can be changed via the menu "Edit" / "Edit File Mask". The following two placeholders can be used in file masks:

* (asterisk)
  An asterisk stands for any number of characters and also for no character.
? (question mark)
  A question mark stands for any single character.

The column "Subfolder" shows whether the search should also be performed in subfolders (recursive). This is activated by default for folders and deactivated for files. For more information see "Processing of Files and Folders". This setting can be changed with the checkbox on the left side, with a double click on the line or for multiple lines via the menu.

## Options

##### Wipe method

Here you can select the method with which the data should be overwritten. The individual wipe methods are listed under "Wipe Methods" with a detailed description. If the mouse is moved over the selection field, a description for the currently selected wipe method is displayed as tooltip.

##### Close WipeFile after overwriting the files

This setting terminates WipeFile after overwriting the files. If the user cancels the overwriting, WipeFile does not automatically close.

## Templates

The paths in the processing list (folders, files and file masks), as well as the selection for the recursive search, can be saved in a file and later reloaded from it. This is useful if the same files or folders are to be deleted regularly.

The paths in the processing list can be written to a template file via the menu item "File" / "Save Template".

Templates can be opened via the menu item "File" / "Open Template". The paths saved in the template are added to the processing list. If there are already entries in the processing list, then you will be asked whether the existing entries should be replaced.

# Settings

## General

##### Language

In this selection list the language of the user interface can be changed.

##### Show grid lines in processing list

If this option is enabled, grid lines are displayed in the processing list to better identify the columns and rows.

##### Size columns automatically

The columns in the processing list are always adjusted to the window width if this option is active.

##### Remove successfully wiped entries from processing list

If this option is enabled, entries are removed from the processing list after successful wiping.

##### Confirm wiping

Determines whether a prompt should be displayed before overwriting and deleting files.

##### Show notification message after wiping

If this option is enabled, a notification message is displayed in case of success or if the user abort the wipe process.

##### Play notification sound after wiping

This setting determines the sound to be played after wiping.

## Wiping

##### Overwrite data with text

When wiping with the WipeFile methods "Simple", "Medium" and "Secure", the specified text is used to overwrite the data. If no text is specified, the default text is used.

##### Change file times to

Before deleting a file or folder, the creation time, modification time and the last access time are changed. This setting specifies the date and time (in the UTC time zone) to be assigned to files and folders. If the option "Random date/time" is enabled, the file times are changed to a random value.

## Logging

##### Logging type

This setting can be used to define the scope of the protocol output. Possible options are:

> ##### No logging

> No log file is created.

> ##### Errors only

> Only those folders and files where errors occurred are recorded in the log file. In addition, general errors are noted when searching for files.

> ##### All files

> All processed files and folders are recorded.

##### Folder for log files

In the text field, the folder path for log files can be specified. With the button on the right side a folder can be selected.

## Explorer Integration

##### Integrate into the context menu

With this option WipeFile can be added to the Explorer context menu.

##### Integrate into the "Send to" menu

With this option, WipeFile can be added to the "Send To" menu.

##### Create a Start menu link

Use this button to create a shortcut in the Windows Start menu.

# Wipe Methods

WipeFile - Simple
  The file content will be overwritten once with a predefined text.

##### Zero

  The file content will be overwritten once with 0x00.

##### Random

  The file content will be overwritten once with random characters.
WipeFile - Medium
  The file content will be overwritten with 0x00 and afterwards with a predefined text.
Random & Zero
  The file content will be overwritten with random characters and afterwards with 0x00.
Zero & Random
  The file content will be overwritten with 0x00 and afterwards with random characters.
Microsoft Cipher
  The file content will be overwritten with 0x00, 0x80 and 0xFF.
  This corresponds to the wipe method of the console command "cipher /W" in Microsoft Windows.
US Navy - MFM
  The file content will be overwritten with 0xFF, 0xBF 0xFF 0xFF 0xFF and random characters.
  This corresponds to US Navy standard "NAVSO P-5239-26 - MFM".
US Navy - RLL
  The file content will be overwritten with 0xFF, 0x27 0xFF 0xFF 0xFF and random characters.
  This corresponds to US Navy standard "NAVSO P-5239-26 - RLL".
US DoD / US Air Force
  The file content will be overwritten with 0x00, 0xFF and random characters.
  This corresponds to US Department of Defense standard "DoD 5220.22-M" and US Air Force standard "AFSSI5020".
WipeFile - Secure
  The file content will be overwritten with 0x00, 0x80 and 0xFF. Afterwards with a predefined text.
Bit Toggle
  The file content will be overwritten twice, each with 0x00 and 0xFF.
NATO Standard
  The file content will be overwritten three times, each with 0x00 and 0xFF. Afterwards with random characters.
  This corresponds to the standard of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization (NATO).
Peter Gutmann
  The file content will be overwritten 35 times with random and predefined data.

# Command Line Parameters

With Command line parameters you can pass folders and files to WipeFile. Files can also contain file masks.

##### Example:

    WipeFile.exe "E:\Test\Delete\" "E:\Test\File.txt" "E:\Test\*.dat"

The folder "E:\Test\Delete\", the file "E:\Test\File.txt" and the path with file mask "E:\Test\*.dat" are entered in the processing list.

## Load Templates

The command line parameter "/T" (or "/Template") can be used to load one or more templates at program start. The file name is passed in the same parameter and separated by an equal sign (=).

##### Example:

    WipeFile.exe /T="E:\Test\Template1.wft3" /T="E:\Test\Template2.wft3"

## Set Wipe Method

The command line parameter "/M" (or "/Method") can be used to set the wipe method. The short name of the method is passed in the same parameter and separated by an equal sign (=).

##### Examples:

    WipeFile.exe /M=WipeFileSecure

##### Short Names:

Short Name | Method
--- | ---
WipeFileSimple | WipeFile - Simple (1x)
Zero | Zero (1x)
Random | Random (1x)
WipeFileMedium | WipeFile - Medium (2x)
RandomZero | Random & Zero (2x)
ZeroRandom | Zero & Random (2x)
MSCipher | Microsoft Cipher (3x)
NAVSO_MFM | US Navy - MFM (3x)
NAVSO_RLL | US Navy - RLL (3x)
DoD_USAF | US DoD / US Air Force (3x)
WipeFileSecure | WipeFile - Secure (4x)
BitToggle | Bit Toggle (4x)
NATO | NATO Standard (7x)
PeterGutmann | Peter Gutmann (35x)

## Automate WipeFile

The command line parameter "/W" (or "/Wipe") starts the wipe process immediately after the program starts. The folders and files can be specified using a template or command line parameters.

The command line parameter "/S" (or "/Silent") can be used to suppress all hints or queries during overwriting. This does not apply to logging error messages. This parameter is also observed if the parameter "/W" has not been specified, or if automatic overwriting has not been started due to missing files.

The command line parameter "/C" (or "/Close") determines the start value of the option "Close WipeFile after wiping". The option is activated with "/Close=1" and deactivated with "/Close=0".

# Credits and Acknowledgments

## Icons

This application uses icons and/or modified icons from FatCow Web Hosting.

## Translations

Special thanks to all persons who have provided or updated a translation for this application.

- Arabic by Ali Alnajafi (e-mail)
- Chinese by 大眼仔~旭（Anan） (website, e-mail)
- Chinese (Simplified) by SJX (e-mail)
- French by Largo
- Greek by geogeo.gr (website)
- Hungarian by LaMoLa (e-mail)
- Italian by Denis "Urubko" (e-mail)
- Japanese by Tilt (website, e-mail)
- Korean by kolanp (website, e-mail)
- Polish by Cwenar R.
- Portuguese by Joao Nelson (website, e-mail)
- Russian by solokot (e-mail)
- Spanish by Alex Sandoval (website, e-mail)
- Turkish by shampuan (website, e-mail)

# License

This summary gives a brief overview of the license agreement.

#### It is allowed to:

- use the software free of charge for private and commercial use
- share/publish the unchanged software free of charge

#### It is prohibited to:

- sell or share the software for a fee
- change the software before sharing it
- reverse engineer (decompile or disassemble) the software

#### There is no right:

- of support or other assistance
- for rectification of errors or to other changes