permanantly delete already deleted files 3

[SASeagull]

Hi there hope you can help

I'm looking for a tool that can delete non recoverably any files from my hard drive (I understand you need to overwrite the drive with data x times). I saw some free tools that let you permanently delete files though you seem to need to have to already have the software installed and then choose the file to delete

So current status is I have deleted the files and emptied the recycle bin (well aware that these can be relatively easily recovered). So the thing is I need to leave Windows and the software eg MS office intact but deleted files properly deleted. Hope this makes all sense and appreciate your help!

Have a great day!

 

[apstef]

I think you can use CCleaner from Piriform (its free) to wipe free space.

 

[goombawaho]

If it's something really, really juicy, the FBI will still be able to sniff traces of it out. Hammer/chisel are the only tools to irrevocably damage a "file" by destroying the hard drive. Don't want you to feel too secure.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[SamBones]

We send our decommissioned drives to a metal shredder. They are reduced to little BB sized fragments.

Anything short of physical destruction, especially from free software, is a little suspect.

Again, it all depends on how critical the "deletion" is. If it's Grandma's secret apple pie recipe, then the freeware tool is probably more than adequate. If it's the formula for Ice-Nine, then the shredder is probably them best way to go.

 

[strongm]

>the FBI will still be able to sniff traces of it out

A myth, actually.

This commonly held belief within the industry is actually based on outdated research from the mid 90s (research which also suggested a 'safe' numbers of overwrites and patterns to defeat the lab recovery techniques, known as the Gutmann method after the lead researcher)

The increased data density and a change in disk technology has rendered it impossible using known techniques to recover any data that has been overwritten just once, with no special pattern.

Modern SATA drives have a built-in low-level command for doing just that to an entire disk, Secure Erase (or SE)

Here' s a summary of the pretty much current position: 

http://www.infosecisland.com/blogview/16130-The-Urban-Legend-of-Multipass-Hard-Disk-Overwrite.html

(the military tend to posit hypothetical situations, and thus mandate disk destruction to be on the safe side; organisations working with, say, the DoD or MoD are generally obliged to adhere to the same standard, even if they know it isn't really necessary)

 

[SASeagull]

Thanks guys. Yeah have gone with CCleaner, should suffice for this I think, and thanks for the other info also

 

[ChrisHirst]

Plug it in to a Linux machine and format it, and you can wipe the drive with all zeros in the process, so any recovery will be pointless.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

 

[guitarzan]

Chris: OP stated they want to leave Windows and Office intact.

 

[ChrisHirst]

Aha so it does, more of a forum83 type of question then.

Chris.

Indifference will be the downfall of mankind, but who cares?
Time flies like an arrow, however, fruit flies like a banana.
Webmaster Forum

 

[goombawaho]

The swap file is full of goodies too or could be.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.

 

[Beilstwh]

CCleaner will also purge all the swap and work files before it does the wipe and it's also a great product to clean up the registry of junk. I use it on my computers and I am very pleased.

Bill
Lead Application Developer
New York State, USA

 

[goombawaho]

Yes, yes, we all use CCleaner practically. Personally, I like to turn the swap file to OFF, reboot the PC and wipe the swap file with something and then re-enable and reboot.

"Living tomorrow is everyone's sorrow.
Modern man's daydreams have turned into nightmares.