If WIPERAPP marks certain drives as “locked” or “inaccessible,” it is often due to security restrictions such as encryption or firmware-level password protection. These security measures prevent unauthorized access, making it necessary to disable them before WIPERAPP can perform any erasure operations.

¶Drive Encryption

Some drives are encrypted using software-based encryption like BitLocker, FileVault, or VeraCrypt, or hardware-based encryption built into the storage device. Encryption prevents unauthorized modifications, meaning WIPERAPP cannot access or wipe data on an encrypted drive. Drives with encryption must be fully decrypted before they can be erased. WIPERAPP will run and wipe soft-encrypted drives (e.g., software-encrypted drives) without requiring additional actions.

Drive Password Protection

Certain storage devices have firmware-level password protection, restricting access until the correct password is entered. This security feature is commonly found in enterprise-grade or self-encrypting drives (SEDs). If a drive has password protection enabled, WIPERAPP will not be able to detect or modify it. In such cases:

• WIPERAPP will display the message: Drive Password Locked.
• To resolve this, you must unlock the drive in the BIOS settings by entering the correct password or disabling the password protection entirely.