Applies to: All editions
Preserve the current state
When an operation fails, do not erase the evidence needed to understand it. Preserve:
- The displayed error text;
- The target model, serial, capacity, media, bus, and device path;
- Selected pre-erasure, sanitization, fallback, and health settings;
- Preflight blocks or warnings;
- Stage and timestamp of the failure;
- Operation log and exported report;
- Controller, HBA, enclosure, or hypervisor details;
- Windows version and DriveErase version;
- Active edition;
- Whether the device was direct attached, USB, RAID, virtual, or multipath;
- Changes made immediately before the issue.
Do not include the full product key, passwords, recovery keys, unrelated device data, or sensitive customer content.
Reproduction information
Where safe, record whether the issue:
- Occurs after device refresh;
- Occurs only in the Privileged Execution Environment;
- Affects one device or all devices on the controller;
- Follows a particular firmware method or health test;
- Persists with direct attachment;
- Persists after a clean restart and new job;
- Can be reproduced on disposable test hardware.
Do not reproduce a destructive issue on production data merely to obtain more detail.
Support request structure
Provide:
- Concise issue summary;
- DriveErase version and edition;
- Windows and environment type;
- Device and controller details;
- Exact steps and selected method;
- Expected and observed result;
- Full non-sensitive error text;
- Attached report or log where permitted;
- Actions already taken.
Evidence and custody
When the device contains regulated or customer-owned data, maintain custody and do not return, reuse, or dispose of it based on an incomplete job. Record the support case in the asset workflow and restrict diagnostic files to authorized recipients.