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9th April 2009, 04:59 PM
|  | TST Member | | Join Date: Jan 2009, 103 posts. Location: New Jersey, USA Reputation:  | | | Deleting "Deleted" Files
Recently I accidentally deleted 3 pictures and then cleared out my Recycle bin.
I used File Scavenger to try to recover them and I got them but you cannot imagine the ton of stuff I found on the disc. I thought once deleted it was gone.
We've been using this computer and HD for 8 years and I never imagined all this old stuff, long since gotten rid of or so I thought, would still be on it.
Is there any way to get all that stuff I thought was gone completely gone?
Some of it is sensitive stuff about tax returns. I'd love to be able to lose it. How can I do it?
Regards
Len
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9th April 2009, 05:26 PM
|  | TST Oracle | | Join Date: Jul 2008, 8,171 posts. Location: UK Norfolk ..... Reputation: | |
I found that out after having to do a reinstallation od XP
Athough it said all data will be lost i managed to recover files with undelete program
Have a read here please Secure Delete: what is it, and do I need it? - Ask Leo!
__________________ Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming...
Damn, What a ride!!  |
9th April 2009, 05:42 PM
|  | TST Oracle | | Join Date: Dec 2007, 8,001 posts. Location: Market Haemorrhoids, Middle England Reputation: | | |
The only 100% certain way of stopping files is to stick the drive in the attic and install a new one.
__________________ Confuse and Prosper. |
9th April 2009, 06:15 PM
| | TST Member | | Join Date: Jan 2009, 103 posts. Location: New Jersey, USA Reputation: | | |
Albert I'm beginning to think that's true....lol.
However I'd like to know how a recovery app. can find them but there is nothing available that can delete them.
Donna, the Secure Delete looks like it can permanently delete files I delete from here on out. I'm looking to delete all this crap from 9 years ago that File Scavenger dredged up for me.
Nothing around that does that?
Regards
Len
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9th April 2009, 06:24 PM
| | TST Oracle | | Join Date: Dec 2007, 8,001 posts. Location: Market Haemorrhoids, Middle England Reputation: | |
I hate to recommend a Norton product but have a look at this Norton CleanSweep : Symantec Store
__________________ Confuse and Prosper. |
9th April 2009, 06:43 PM
| | TST Member | | Join Date: Jan 2009, 103 posts. Location: New Jersey, USA Reputation: | | |
Albert, is it me or does the link for Clean Sweep lead to no where?
The page it links you to has no link for Clean Sweep.
Or is it, as is my quess, that you have to by a 'suite' of crap to get Clean Sweep?
In any event I couldn't find it. I think I'll try my old faithful....CDnet downloads and see what I can scrounge up.
Seems to me that if they are there, there should be a way to get rid of them.
They are just cluttering up my computer at this point.
Regards
Len
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9th April 2009, 06:51 PM
|  | TST Expert | | Join Date: Aug 2008, 776 posts. Reputation: | |
Len, here is something I posted a while ago................... Sdelete and Eraser
They are both free and work quite well.
Of course the larger your drive and more data the longer it may take.
Take care though and make backups first.
Good luck and hope this helps.  |
9th April 2009, 06:54 PM
| | TST Oracle | | Join Date: Jul 2008, 8,171 posts. Location: UK Norfolk ..... Reputation: | | |
Unless you are selling your computer i wouldnt worry too much Len
__________________ Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming...
Damn, What a ride!! |
9th April 2009, 07:40 PM
| | TST Member | | Join Date: Jan 2009, 103 posts. Location: New Jersey, USA Reputation: | | |
Thanks Gunner, I may end up giving that a try. But I'm not sure you understand my goal here. I don't want to erase what it currently on the drive.
I want to erase the stuff that showed up when you use a file hunter and it turns up stuff that you thought was gone long ago.
I don't do the Turbo Tax thing any more so I'm not all that concerned with too much of what's on it now. But if File Scavenger could come up with all this stuff it's a bit scary. I'd just like to get rid of the files that show up after I've supposedly deleted them. Can Sdelete get rid of them?
Btw Donna, I would never sell a computer with my hard drive on it. Even if someone told me it was 'ghosted' they'd have to buy their own HD for it.
Regards
Len
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9th April 2009, 07:44 PM
| | TST Oracle | | Join Date: Jul 2008, 8,171 posts. Location: UK Norfolk ..... Reputation: | |
If you can put them all in one folder then How to Permanently Delete Data from Your Hard Drive - ReadWriteWeb Quote: |
Eraser is a free, open source program that works with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 2003 Server and even DOS. It uses carefully selected patterns to overwrite your hard drive several times and lets you select single files, entire folders or the entire drive to be wiped clean.
| Just be careful
__________________ Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming...
Damn, What a ride!! |
9th April 2009, 08:03 PM
| | TST Expert | | Join Date: Aug 2008, 776 posts. Reputation: | | Quote:
Originally Posted by djlen  But I'm not sure you understand my goal here.
I don't want to erase what it currently on the drive. | I understand perfectly. Both apps I mentioned will destroy free space files.
Both can be set to only shred and overwrite and completely get rid of
"permanently" deleted information only.
Just take care and read directions.
Good luck. |
9th April 2009, 08:07 PM
| | TST Member | | Join Date: Jan 2009, 103 posts. Location: New Jersey, USA Reputation: | | |
"Eraser is an advanced security tool (for Windows), which allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. Works with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 2003 Server and DOS."
What exactly does 'overwriting' mean? It uses the term 'carefully selected patterns'.
Sorry for all the questions. I'm just trying to understand how this works.
Regards
Len
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9th April 2009, 08:08 PM
| | TST Member | | Join Date: Jan 2009, 103 posts. Location: New Jersey, USA Reputation: | | |
Tell you what.....I'm definitely going to be careful with this as you all have mentioned the need for care here.....lol.
Regards
Len
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9th April 2009, 08:15 PM
| | TST Oracle | | Join Date: Jul 2008, 8,171 posts. Location: UK Norfolk ..... Reputation: | | Quote:
Originally Posted by djlen "Eraser is an advanced security tool (for Windows), which allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. Works with Windows 95, 98, ME, NT, 2000, XP, Vista, Windows 2003 Server and DOS."
What exactly does 'overwriting' mean? It uses the term 'carefully selected patterns'.
Sorry for all the questions. I'm just trying to understand how this works.
Regards
Len | It will over write the file so its unrecoverable
Im not an expert im afraid  
__________________ Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming...
Damn, What a ride!! |
9th April 2009, 08:15 PM
| | TST Expert | | Join Date: Aug 2008, 776 posts. Reputation: | |
From your remarks above I guess you read this about Eraser.
Care, yes. Extreme care when doing anything to your system.
One can make one little mistake in, say, the registry and system will not boot.
Backups are a must. They are also a headache reliever.  |
9th April 2009, 08:19 PM
| | TST Oracle | | Join Date: Jul 2008, 8,171 posts. Location: UK Norfolk ..... Reputation: | |
Len would you like me to test it and see how easy it is to use for you
If a blonde can understand it then im sure in your hands it will be safe 
__________________ Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming...
Damn, What a ride!! |
9th April 2009, 08:30 PM
| | TST Member | | Join Date: Jan 2009, 103 posts. Location: New Jersey, USA Reputation: | | |
Yes Gunner. That's exactly what I was referring to in my post. I wouldn't erase anything that I wasn't sure of.
Donna - Not real crazy about the 'blonde' reference....I'm a bit of a feminist....but let's keep that between you and me....lol Besides, you know how I feel about your PC knowledge!!! You're the best!!
But I'm just wondering if it can actually delete the files that the Scavenger found.......permanently. I would only want to use it on the old stuff right now.
So if you have some recovered files available and are willing to go to the trouble, that would be great.
Regards
Len
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9th April 2009, 08:35 PM
| | TST Oracle | | Join Date: Jul 2008, 8,171 posts. Location: UK Norfolk ..... Reputation: | |
Yes i have and it was a tongue in cheek remark Len
sorry i didnt mean to offend
__________________ Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming...
Damn, What a ride!! |
9th April 2009, 08:47 PM
| | TST Oracle | | Join Date: Jul 2008, 8,171 posts. Location: UK Norfolk ..... Reputation: | |
Well i ran undelete first and saved a folder it found to the desktop
I opened eraser and chose the on demand option
i dragged the folder from the desktop into the program
There are several Are you sure checks before i pushed the button and its gone
not in the recycle bin
Treat it with respect Len as Gunner advised
Dave merge me please 
__________________ Life should NOT be a journey to the grave with the intention of arriving safely in an attractive and well preserved body, but rather to skid in sideways, chocolate in one hand, wine in the other, body thoroughly used up, totally worn out and screaming...
Damn, What a ride!! |
9th April 2009, 10:09 PM
| | TST Member | | Join Date: Jan 2009, 103 posts. Location: New Jersey, USA Reputation: | |
Donna - Thank you firstly. Did use this.............. FreeUndelete - OfficeRecovery.com ......to get the files or some other 'undelete'? I want to be sure I use an app. that will work with 'eraser'. Apparently what you used is and I want to use the same combination. Looks pretty simple, huh?
Secondly, I thought I'd scan and bring back old files that were deleted from my F drive which is only a storage drive for music and dubs w/subtitles for Karaoke. I am a DJ and have had tons of music files that I've dumped over time.
I could start with them before I even get into the C drive which would be more risky to mess with.
What do you all think?
Regards
Len
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