{ "content": [ { "type": "text", "text": "# ntfswipe(8) (man)\n\n**Summary:** ntfswipe - overwrite unused space on an NTFS volume\n\n**Synopsis:** ntfswipe [options] device\n\n## Flags\n\n| Flag | Long | Arg | Description |\n|------|------|-----|-------------|\n| -a | --all | — | Wipe all unused space. This may take significant time. If the option --unused-fast (or -U) is also present, the faster w |\n| -b | --bytes | — | Define the allowed replacement bytes which are drawn randomly to overwrite the unused space. BYTE-LIST is a comma-separa |\n| -c | --count | — | Define the number of times the unused space is to be overwritten. If both options --bytes and --count are set, the space |\n| -d | --directory | — | Wipe all the directory indexes, which may contain names of deleted files. |\n| -f | --force | — | This will override some sensible defaults, such as not using a mounted volume. Use this option with caution. |\n| -h | --help | — | Show a list of options with a brief description of each one. |\n| -i | --info | — | Display details about unused space, without wiping anything. |\n| -l | --logfile | — | Overwrite the logfile (update journal). |\n| -m | --mft | — | Overwrite the unused space in the MFT (main file table, which contains the file names, and the contents of short files). |\n| -n | --no-action | — | Executes the wiping process without writing to device. |\n| -p | --pagefile | — | Overwrite the Windows swap space. |\n| -q | --quiet | — | Suppress some debug/warning/error messages. |\n| -s | --undel | — | Overwrite the space which had been allocated to a file which has been deleted recently and is still undeletable. This op |\n| -t | --tails | — | Overwrite the space at the end of files which is unused, but allocated because the al‐ locations are always done by full |\n| -u | --unused | — | Overwrite the space which is currently not allocated to any file (but may have been used in the past). |\n| -U | --unused-fast | — | Overwrite the space which is currently not allocated to any file, trying not to over‐ write the space not written to sin |\n| -v | --verbose | — | Display more debug/warning/error messages. This option may be used twice to display even more messages. |\n| -V | --version | — | Show the version number, copyright and license of ntfswipe. |\n\n## Examples\n\n- `Wipe out all unused space in an NTFS volume.`\n- `ntfswipe -a /dev/sda1`\n- `Wipe out all deleted file names from an NTFS volume.`\n- `ntfswipe -dms /dev/sda1`\n\n## See Also\n\n- ntfs-3g(8)\n- ntfsls(8)\n- ntfsprogs(8)\n\n## Section Outline\n\n- **NAME** (2 lines)\n- **SYNOPSIS** (2 lines)\n- **DESCRIPTION** (3 lines)\n- **OPTIONS** (6 lines) — 18 subsections\n - -a --all (3 lines)\n - -b --bytes (4 lines)\n - -c --count (4 lines)\n - -d --directory (2 lines)\n - -f --force (3 lines)\n - -h --help (2 lines)\n - -i --info (2 lines)\n - -l --logfile (2 lines)\n - -m --mft (3 lines)\n - -n --no-action (2 lines)\n - -p --pagefile (2 lines)\n - -q --quiet (2 lines)\n - -s --undel (4 lines)\n - -t --tails (3 lines)\n - -u --unused (3 lines)\n - -U --unused-fast (3 lines)\n - -v --verbose (3 lines)\n - -V --version (2 lines)\n- **EXAMPLES** (9 lines)\n- **BUGS** (4 lines)\n- **AUTHORS** (3 lines)\n- **AVAILABILITY** (3 lines)\n- **SEE ALSO** (5 lines)\n\n## Full Content\n\n### NAME\n\nntfswipe - overwrite unused space on an NTFS volume\n\n### SYNOPSIS\n\nntfswipe [options] device\n\n### DESCRIPTION\n\nntfswipe clears all or part of unused space on an NTFS volume by overwriting with zeroes or\nrandom bytes.\n\n### OPTIONS\n\nBelow is a summary of all the options that ntfswipe accepts. Nearly all options have two\nequivalent names. The short name is preceded by - and the long name is preceded by --. Any\nsingle letter options, that don't take an argument, can be combined into a single command,\ne.g. -fv is equivalent to -f -v. Long named options can be abbreviated to any unique prefix\nof their name.\n\n#### -a --all\n\nWipe all unused space. This may take significant time. If the option --unused-fast (or\n-U) is also present, the faster wiping method is used.\n\n#### -b --bytes\n\nDefine the allowed replacement bytes which are drawn randomly to overwrite the unused\nspace. BYTE-LIST is a comma-separated list of values in range 0-255 expressed in oc‐\ntal, decimal or hexadecimal base.\n\n#### -c --count\n\nDefine the number of times the unused space is to be overwritten. If both options\n--bytes and --count are set, the space is repeatedly overwritten this number of times\nby each of the values in the list.\n\n#### -d --directory\n\nWipe all the directory indexes, which may contain names of deleted files.\n\n#### -f --force\n\nThis will override some sensible defaults, such as not using a mounted volume. Use\nthis option with caution.\n\n#### -h --help\n\nShow a list of options with a brief description of each one.\n\n#### -i --info\n\nDisplay details about unused space, without wiping anything.\n\n#### -l --logfile\n\nOverwrite the logfile (update journal).\n\n#### -m --mft\n\nOverwrite the unused space in the MFT (main file table, which contains the file names,\nand the contents of short files).\n\n#### -n --no-action\n\nExecutes the wiping process without writing to device.\n\n#### -p --pagefile\n\nOverwrite the Windows swap space.\n\n#### -q --quiet\n\nSuppress some debug/warning/error messages.\n\n#### -s --undel\n\nOverwrite the space which had been allocated to a file which has been deleted recently\nand is still undeletable. This option is not compatible with --bytes and the replace‐\nment bytes are random ones or taken from a standard list.\n\n#### -t --tails\n\nOverwrite the space at the end of files which is unused, but allocated because the al‐\nlocations are always done by full clusters.\n\n#### -u --unused\n\nOverwrite the space which is currently not allocated to any file (but may have been\nused in the past).\n\n#### -U --unused-fast\n\nOverwrite the space which is currently not allocated to any file, trying not to over‐\nwrite the space not written to since the previous wiping.\n\n#### -v --verbose\n\nDisplay more debug/warning/error messages. This option may be used twice to display\neven more messages.\n\n#### -V --version\n\nShow the version number, copyright and license of ntfswipe.\n\n### EXAMPLES\n\nWipe out all unused space in an NTFS volume.\n\nntfswipe -a /dev/sda1\n\nWipe out all deleted file names from an NTFS volume.\n\nntfswipe -dms /dev/sda1\n\n### BUGS\n\nThere are no known problems with ntfswipe. If you find a bug please send an email describing\nthe problem to the development team:\nntfs-3g-devel@lists.sf.net\n\n### AUTHORS\n\nntfswipe was written by Richard Russon, Anton Altaparmakov and Yura Pakhuchiy. It was ported\nto ntfs-3g by Erik Larsson.\n\n### AVAILABILITY\n\nntfswipe is part of the ntfs-3g package and is available from:\nhttps://github.com/tuxera/ntfs-3g/wiki/\n\n### SEE ALSO\n\nntfs-3g(8), ntfsls(8), ntfsprogs(8)\n\n\n\nntfs-3g 2021.8.22 June 2014 NTFSWIPE(8)\n\n" } ], "structuredContent": { "command": "ntfswipe", "section": "8", "mode": "man", "summary": "ntfswipe - overwrite unused space on an NTFS volume", "synopsis": "ntfswipe [options] device", "flags": [ { "flag": "-a", "long": "--all", "arg": null, "description": "Wipe all unused space. This may take significant time. If the option --unused-fast (or -U) is also present, the faster wiping method is used." }, { "flag": "-b", "long": "--bytes", "arg": null, "description": "Define the allowed replacement bytes which are drawn randomly to overwrite the unused space. BYTE-LIST is a comma-separated list of values in range 0-255 expressed in oc‐ tal, decimal or hexadecimal base." }, { "flag": "-c", "long": "--count", "arg": null, "description": "Define the number of times the unused space is to be overwritten. If both options --bytes and --count are set, the space is repeatedly overwritten this number of times by each of the values in the list." }, { "flag": "-d", "long": "--directory", "arg": null, "description": "Wipe all the directory indexes, which may contain names of deleted files." }, { "flag": "-f", "long": "--force", "arg": null, "description": "This will override some sensible defaults, such as not using a mounted volume. Use this option with caution." }, { "flag": "-h", "long": "--help", "arg": null, "description": "Show a list of options with a brief description of each one." }, { "flag": "-i", "long": "--info", "arg": null, "description": "Display details about unused space, without wiping anything." }, { "flag": "-l", "long": "--logfile", "arg": null, "description": "Overwrite the logfile (update journal)." }, { "flag": "-m", "long": "--mft", "arg": null, "description": "Overwrite the unused space in the MFT (main file table, which contains the file names, and the contents of short files)." }, { "flag": "-n", "long": "--no-action", "arg": null, "description": "Executes the wiping process without writing to device." }, { "flag": "-p", "long": "--pagefile", "arg": null, "description": "Overwrite the Windows swap space." }, { "flag": "-q", "long": "--quiet", "arg": null, "description": "Suppress some debug/warning/error messages." }, { "flag": "-s", "long": "--undel", "arg": null, "description": "Overwrite the space which had been allocated to a file which has been deleted recently and is still undeletable. This option is not compatible with --bytes and the replace‐ ment bytes are random ones or taken from a standard list." }, { "flag": "-t", "long": "--tails", "arg": null, "description": "Overwrite the space at the end of files which is unused, but allocated because the al‐ locations are always done by full clusters." }, { "flag": "-u", "long": "--unused", "arg": null, "description": "Overwrite the space which is currently not allocated to any file (but may have been used in the past)." }, { "flag": "-U", "long": "--unused-fast", "arg": null, "description": "Overwrite the space which is currently not allocated to any file, trying not to over‐ write the space not written to since the previous wiping." }, { "flag": "-v", "long": "--verbose", "arg": null, "description": "Display more debug/warning/error messages. This option may be used twice to display even more messages." }, { "flag": "-V", "long": "--version", "arg": null, "description": "Show the version number, copyright and license of ntfswipe." } ], "examples": [ "Wipe out all unused space in an NTFS volume.", "ntfswipe -a /dev/sda1", "Wipe out all deleted file names from an NTFS volume.", "ntfswipe -dms /dev/sda1" ], "see_also": [ { "name": "ntfs-3g", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ntfs-3g/8/json" }, { "name": "ntfsls", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ntfsls/8/json" }, { "name": "ntfsprogs", "section": "8", "url": "https://www.chedong.com/phpMan.php/man/ntfsprogs/8/json" } ], "section_outline": [ { "name": "NAME", "lines": 2, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "SYNOPSIS", "lines": 2, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "DESCRIPTION", "lines": 3, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "OPTIONS", "lines": 6, "subsections": [ { "name": "-a --all", "lines": 3, "flag": "-a", "long": "--all" }, { "name": "-b --bytes", "lines": 4, "flag": "-b", "long": "--bytes" }, { "name": "-c --count", "lines": 4, "flag": "-c", "long": "--count" }, { "name": "-d --directory", "lines": 2, "flag": "-d", "long": "--directory" }, { "name": "-f --force", "lines": 3, "flag": "-f", "long": "--force" }, { "name": "-h --help", "lines": 2, "flag": "-h", "long": "--help" }, { "name": "-i --info", "lines": 2, "flag": "-i", "long": "--info" }, { "name": "-l --logfile", "lines": 2, "flag": "-l", "long": "--logfile" }, { "name": "-m --mft", "lines": 3, "flag": "-m", "long": "--mft" }, { "name": "-n --no-action", "lines": 2, "flag": "-n", "long": "--no-action" }, { "name": "-p --pagefile", "lines": 2, "flag": "-p", "long": "--pagefile" }, { "name": "-q --quiet", "lines": 2, "flag": "-q", "long": "--quiet" }, { "name": "-s --undel", "lines": 4, "flag": "-s", "long": "--undel" }, { "name": "-t --tails", "lines": 3, "flag": "-t", "long": "--tails" }, { "name": "-u --unused", "lines": 3, "flag": "-u", "long": "--unused" }, { "name": "-U --unused-fast", "lines": 3, "flag": "-U", "long": "--unused-fast" }, { "name": "-v --verbose", "lines": 3, "flag": "-v", "long": "--verbose" }, { "name": "-V --version", "lines": 2, "flag": "-V", "long": "--version" } ] }, { "name": "EXAMPLES", "lines": 9, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "BUGS", "lines": 4, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "AUTHORS", "lines": 3, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "AVAILABILITY", "lines": 3, "subsections": [] }, { "name": "SEE ALSO", "lines": 5, "subsections": [] } ] } }