HDDErase.exe
Erase all Hard Diskm Data - an Open Source Freeware Utility
Gordon F, Hughes, CMRR, 858-534-5317, gfhughes@ucsd.edu
Beta Test Version 1.6 2/11/2004

HDDErase.exe is a DOS based command-line utility to securely erase all data on ATA disk drives
in Intel architecture computers.
To run the utility, make a boot floppy to boot in DOS, copy the hdderase.exe program on that floppy,
and reboot the computer with the floppy.

To make a DOS Boot floppy disk:
First method: Download and run DOS 6.22 boot disk maker from http://www.bootdisk.com.
Erase the two Qbasic files from the resulting floppy to make room and copy HDDErase.exe onto the disk.

Other methods:
Windows ME: Insert a floppy disk into drive A:, double-click My Computer on Desktop,
right-click floppy drive A:, select Format from the resulting menu, and click Start.
After the floppy is formatted, double-click drive C:, Double-click the WINDOWS folder,
Double-Click the COMMAND folder, Double-click the EBD folder,
click the COMMAND.COM file to highlight it, hold the Ctrl key
and click the IO.SYS file to highlight it as well, Right-Click on the IO.SYS file,
select Copy from the resulting menu, Right-click the Floppy Drive (A:),
and select Paste from the resulting menu.

Windows 2000:
Insert the Windows 2000 Professional CD. Open a command prompt and switch to the CD
by typing in the drive letter and pressing Enter. Type: \Valueadd\3rdparty\Ca_Antiv, Press Enter.
Now insert a floppy disk into Drive A and then type: makedisk. Press Enter.
After the disk is created, delete the unnecessary files from floppy.

Windows XP: Place diskette in the computer.
Open My Computer, right click drive A: and click Format.
In the Format window check Create an MS-DOS startup disk.
Click Start

Instructions for using hdderase.exe:
Copy the downloaded SE program hdderase.exe onto a DOS floppy disk.
Boot the computer in DOS using the hdderase boot floppy.
Run A:> hdderase.exe
All ATA disk drives plugged into system board will be identified and their information displayed.
Example output from program:
P0 is ST360021A
P1 is NONE
S0 is NONE
S1 is WD75AA-00BAA0

P0 is the primary master drive (normally the syste drive C:) P1 is the primary slave drive.
S0 is the secondary master and S1 the secondary slave drive.
The example above shows P0 is a drive with model number ST360021A,
S1 is a drive with model number WD75AA-00BAA0, and there are no drives on primary slave and secondary master.
Program prompts user to choose one drive to erase:
Type P0, P1, S0 or S1.

Four drive erase choices are provided:
1) Secure Erase Unit: the ATA internal drive Secure Erase command.
The highest level of Secure Erase.
Can take 10-60 minutes depending on drive capacity and rpm.
Progran reports estimated time to secure erase is reported.
Program reports whether Secure Erase successfully completes.
2) Multi-pass overwrites with each pass consisting of three overwrites: by zeros, ones and random numbers.
"DoD 5220" erase, a lower security level.
Can take twice as long as Secure Erase
User is prompted to enter number of triple passes desired.
3) Fast Erase. Puts a random 256-bit password on drive in milliseconds,
locking the drive against future data access until next drive user
executes a Secure Erase command that completes successfully.
An intermediate level of erasure security.
This utility can be later used to Secure Erase the drive and leave it unlocked.
4) Single-pass overwrite. New fast DoD erase candidate for modern drives.
Overwrites all data on the drive with random data bits.
Similar level of erasure security as multi-pass overwrite (option # 2) but executes 3X faster.

Program tests whether drive is new enough to support the ATA security feature set,
which allows method #1 and method #3, and notifies user if not supported by the selected drive
(ATA drives more than several years old, generally < 10-15 GB)
Method #2 has universal applicability but longest execution time and less security.

Notes:
If Secure Erase command execution is interrupted before completion, drive will be left in locked state.
Run program again after reboot to successfully execute Security Erase and unlock the drive for a new use.
After Fast Erase, HDDErase.exe can be run to Secure Erase drive and leave it unlocked and empty.
Computer BIOS should be set to boot from floppy A: (some BIOS chips prohibit option 1 and 3)
Program creates a log file of important events.
The Windows Disk Management system program can be used to partition and format an erased disk for reuse.
Secure Erase wipes entire drive - otherwise user data could be left on O/S page files and in slack (not in use) space.
Maximum drive capacity for multi-pass overwrites is 2 Terabytes.

- http://cmrr.ucsd.edu/hughes/subpgset.htm

Wow, this is a question 5 years in the making! lol

I am trying to run HDDerase version 4.0 on my Dell with Windows 7 and am having an issue.

I run the boot disk in DOS and am getting the 3 steps and getting to the options for the drives.
This is the problem.

I'm getting
P0 is NONE
P1 is NONE

Its like its not recognizing the drive.
This is all it says and does nothing. I've read countless posts on here and other sites, only a couple have gotten this and no one has ever had a response to fix it. I'm hoping with as long as its been since anyone has posted here maybe someone will have an answer for me. Please!
It's supposed to be so easy and I just don't understand it. Have read all the readme files and whole bunches of stuff, and no explanation on this. Thanks in advance.

I had this same problem with a SATA drive on a Dell Optiplex GX620 computer. I had to go into the bios and change the SATA behavior to support legacy mode.