The `CreateFile` and `WriteFile` APIs in Windows are often used...

The CreateFile and WriteFile APIs in Windows are often used to interact with files, devices, or drives at a low level. When used to "wipe data on a drive," the code likely performs the following actions:

1. Open the Drive:

   • The CreateFile function is invoked with a path that refers to the drive, such as \\.\C: (for the C drive).
   • The file handle is opened in unbuffered mode, possibly with GENERIC_WRITE access, which allows writing directly to the drive.

2. Overwrite the Drive's Contents:

   • The WriteFile function is used to overwrite the drive's data.
   • Typically, the code writes blocks of data (e.g., zeros, random data, or specific patterns) repeatedly to overwrite all sectors of the drive.

3. Repeat Until Complete:

   • The code ensures every sector of the drive is overwritten. This usually involves calculating the total size of the drive and writing in chunks (e.g., 512 bytes or 4 KB blocks) until all space is covered.

This approach erases existing data on the drive, making it more difficult to recover using conventional methods. However, the exact behavior depends on parameters passed to CreateFile and the nature of the data written with WriteFile.

For example:

• If zeros (0x00) are written, it performs a basic wipe.
• If random patterns are written multiple times, it attempts to make recovery even harder (e.g., adhering to certain data sanitization standards).

Important Notes:

• This kind of operation is extremely destructive; it permanently erases data on the drive.
• It is generally used in secure erasure or disk initialization processes.
• Code like this might require administrative privileges to access raw drive sectors.