WipePi for Windows

[Mark Leck]

Less than 6 months ago I didn't have a clue about command line, I knew it existed but never really knew what could be done with it, until I installed a Linux distro on an old unused laptop, then when I eventually received my Pi it brought out a further desire to try different things and one thing was to write my own program, so what better way to write one that in around about way relates to the Pi.

So after noticing via the various forums that other users were having similar problems to myself with the reformatting of SD Cards on a Windows based system after having Raspberry images on them, I decided to put together a little quite basic .vbs app' that makes the whole process, fast, efficient and quite fool proof, its not going to be winning any awards for Ingenuity but it does make the batch re-formatting of SD cards in Windows a breeze.

Anyway I would love to hear back any comments or suggestions, and hopefully a few success stories too

WipePi

[Joe Schmoe]

Could you say a little about what it does?

My WAG is that it would just be an interface to the SD card reformatter tool (downloaded from the SD card foundation or group or what they are). Am I right?

[Mark Leck]

It quite simply adds a GUI to Diskpart, to be honest it is nothing special, it just deletes all existing MBR or GPT partitions, then re-formats the SD card, ready for for re-imaging again, but it automates the process, adds a degree of error checking via AI and saves peeps having to get involved with windows CMD in the process......It will work on any drive that uses/requires FAT32 file structure.

[AndrewS]

Before running an unknown .exe file on my computer I'd like to see a little more information about the tool on your website http://www.juicypi.com/wipepi/ about what it does, how it works, screenshots, etc.
The fact it's forced to only work on the Z: drive doesn't give me much confidence either. And there's no source code available, which kinda goes against the 'openness' of the Pi?

[Joe Schmoe]

It's funny how us hackers just want to see the source code (and are naturally reticent about running a blind EXE) - but the point is that we are not the target audience.

The target audience thinks that source code is smelly and unkempt (and get it out of my sight!)
Moreover, they are quite happy running blind EXEs - they do it all the time.

[AndrewS]

I guess "the target audience" you refer to is also why viruses / trojans / botnets etc. are so prevalent

[Joe Schmoe]

So true. So true.

[Mark Leck]

^^^Over 5,000 downloads and not one reported virus, I wonder why that is

I do intend to get this up on github eventually, but most of my work is done on Linux, this was a quick spare of the moment thing to help the Windows community out hence nothing on my github yet.

As I will no-longer be serving the community from juicypi.com in a couple of weeks time the new home for WipePi will be here:
http://ukmark.eu/Public/wipepi/

Just in case anyone is still worried about Virus's:
https://www.virustotal.com/en-gb/url/ba ... 362424792/

Should anyone require the sha256 for the downloadable wipepi.exe file:

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