How to delete files permanently?!?

  • Thread starter Thread starter Efirmitiv
  • Start date Start date
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Efirmitiv

Hi,
Is it possible to delete files permanently?
I have deleted files and found them with recover my files program, get data
program. The program hadn't recovered all through past month files because
it couldn't find them all, but most of my important data has been found by
the program?
That's not how i planed to delete files. :)
We are talking about personal computer and personal data.

Is it possible to install some kind of password to protect the recycled
files, or the files which were deleted previously, cca.month, years ago.
Although i have an adjusted password for entrance into XP, i do not believe
that such a "security" could stop someone from viewing my past/deleted
files, what to do,please assist!?

Thanks,
Marko
 
Standard Windows deletions simply flags the file(s) you wanted to erase as
available space again. So until a new file is written over the sector(s) the
"erased" file occupied on the hard drive, it's still there and can easily be
reread if the flag is reset - that doesn't take long and is very basic stuff.

If you want to make things harder to recover, there are any number of free /
pay for 3rd party utilities which do a little more than Windows does - most
of them overwrite the file you want to erase with junk data; often on a cycle
of multiple writes to make recovery virtually impossible.

If you want to make things impossible to recover, many companies insist on a
hard drive's physical destruction - that's because the right tools and the
right skill set will get at least some of your 'erased' files back in most
cases. So the only totally safe answer is a hammer and a new hard drive :-)
 
This is free.

Restoration Version 2.5.14 Author: Brian Kato
http://www3.telus.net/mikebike/RESTORATION.html

Description
[[Restore files which are deleted from the recycle bin or deleted while
holding down the Shift key by mistake. Conversely, this program has another
function that makes it almost impossible to restore all deleted files. You
can use it after deletion of confidential documents, embarrassing files and
so on.]]

HOW TO: Use Cipher.exe to Overwrite Deleted Data in Windows Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/814599

How To Use Cipher.exe to Overwrite Deleted Data in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315672

Cipher.exe probably already exists on your machine.

cipher help...
Start | Run | Paste the following line and click OK...

hh ntcmds.chm::/cipher.htm

Open a command prompt...
Start | Run | Type: cmd | Click OK |
Type: cipher /? Hit your Enter key.

/W
Removes data from available unused disk space on the entire
volume. If this option is chosen, all other options are ignored.
The directory specified can be anywhere in a local volume. If it
is a mount point or points to a directory in another volume, the
data on that volume will be removed.

Using /w
/w removes data from portions of the volume it can access and have not been
allocated to files or directories. It does not lock the drive, so other
programs can obtain space on the drive, which cipher cannot erase. Because
this option writes to a large portion of the hard volume, it might take a
long time to complete and should only be used when necessary.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
 
there is one freeware that
i use that may be what you
are seeking.

it is called ccleaner.

if you adjust the advance
settings you can regularly
clean the disk using a
7 pass and overwright
technique.


Hi,
Is it possible to delete files permanently?
I have deleted files and found them with recover my files program, get data
program. The program hadn't recovered all through past month files because
it couldn't find them all, but most of my important data has been found by
the program?
That's not how i planed to delete files. :)
We are talking about personal computer and personal data.

Is it possible to install some kind of password to protect the recycled
files, or the files which were deleted previously, cca.month, years ago.
Although i have an adjusted password for entrance into XP, i do not believe
that such a "security" could stop someone from viewing my past/deleted
files, what to do,please assist!?

Thanks,
Marko
 
Hi,
Is it possible to delete files permanently?
I have deleted files and found them with recover my files program, get data
program. The program hadn't recovered all through past month files because
it couldn't find them all, but most of my important data has been found by
the program?
That's not how i planed to delete files. :)
We are talking about personal computer and personal data.
Click to expand...



It depends on what you mean by "delete files permanently." Are you
asking whether they can absolutely *never* be recovered by anyone
else? Note the following.

1 When you delete a file, it normally goes into the recycle bin. That
"deletes" of it in one sense, but it can be retrieved from the recycle
bin, if the bin hasn't been emptied.

2. Once you empty the recycle bin, you can no longer retrieve files
from it. However a deleted file is still on the disk --just the space
that it used is now marked as available. There exist many different
undelete programs that can still recover the file, until the space is
rewritten.

3. Once it's gone from the recycle bin, you can make the file much
more difficult to recover by using one of the many available programs
that overwrite deleted files multiple times.

4. Even if the space has been overwritten multiple times, there are
sophisticated (and usually very expensive) data recovery techniques
that can still, at least sometimes, find remnants of the deleted file
and recover it.

5. Because of that last point, the US government does not rely on any
software techniques when getting rid of really sensitive data, but
physically melts the drive in a furnace.

For most of us, the technique described in point 3 above is good
enough. But I don't know what your need are.
 
Hi,
Is it possible to delete files permanently?
I have deleted files and found them with recover my files program, get data
program. The program hadn't recovered all through past month files because
it couldn't find them all, but most of my important data has been found by
the program?
That's not how i planed to delete files. :)
We are talking about personal computer and personal data.

Is it possible to install some kind of password to protect the recycled
files, or the files which were deleted previously, cca.month, years ago.
Although i have an adjusted password for entrance into XP, i do not believe
that such a "security" could stop someone from viewing my past/deleted
files, what to do,please assist!?

Thanks,
Marko
Click to expand...

IMHO, one of the simplest, and most user friendly, is "Eraser" and it can be
downloaded free at www.heidi.ie/eraser.
 
Interesting solutions indeed, i prefer rather not to use severe techniques,
although don't exlude them from use, they're of course a possible solution
too :)
 
Thanks.
Activation RULES!!! said:
Standard Windows deletions simply flags the file(s) you wanted to erase as
available space again. So until a new file is written over the sector(s)
the
"erased" file occupied on the hard drive, it's still there and can easily
be
reread if the flag is reset - that doesn't take long and is very basic
stuff.

If you want to make things harder to recover, there are any number of free
/
pay for 3rd party utilities which do a little more than Windows does -
most
of them overwrite the file you want to erase with junk data; often on a
cycle
of multiple writes to make recovery virtually impossible.

If you want to make things impossible to recover, many companies insist on
a
hard drive's physical destruction - that's because the right tools and the
right skill set will get at least some of your 'erased' files back in most
cases. So the only totally safe answer is a hammer and a new hard drive
:-)
Click to expand...
 
This will i have to reread ni quite and peaceful enivironment...

Will see about manging these programs and my own capability to work it out,
I hope it will help.

Thanks.

Wesley Vogel said:
This is free.

Restoration Version 2.5.14 Author: Brian Kato
http://www3.telus.net/mikebike/RESTORATION.html

Description
[[Restore files which are deleted from the recycle bin or deleted while
holding down the Shift key by mistake. Conversely, this program has
another
function that makes it almost impossible to restore all deleted files.
You
can use it after deletion of confidential documents, embarrassing files
and
so on.]]

HOW TO: Use Cipher.exe to Overwrite Deleted Data in Windows Server 2003
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/814599

How To Use Cipher.exe to Overwrite Deleted Data in Windows
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/315672

Cipher.exe probably already exists on your machine.

cipher help...
Start | Run | Paste the following line and click OK...

hh ntcmds.chm::/cipher.htm

Open a command prompt...
Start | Run | Type: cmd | Click OK |
Type: cipher /? Hit your Enter key.

/W
Removes data from available unused disk space on the entire
volume. If this option is chosen, all other options are ignored.
The directory specified can be anywhere in a local volume. If it
is a mount point or points to a directory in another volume, the
data on that volume will be removed.

Using /w
/w removes data from portions of the volume it can access and have not
been allocated to files or directories. It does not lock the drive, so
other programs can obtain space on the drive, which cipher cannot erase.
Because this option writes to a large portion of the hard volume, it might
take a long time to complete and should only be used when necessary.

--
Hope this helps. Let us know.

Wes
MS-MVP Windows Shell/User

In
Efirmitiv said:
Hi,
Is it possible to delete files permanently?
I have deleted files and found them with recover my files program, get
data program. The program hadn't recovered all through past month files
because it couldn't find them all, but most of my important data has been
found by the program?
That's not how i planed to delete files. :)
We are talking about personal computer and personal data.

Is it possible to install some kind of password to protect the recycled
files, or the files which were deleted previously, cca.month, years ago.
Although i have an adjusted password for entrance into XP, i do not
believe that such a "security" could stop someone from viewing my
past/deleted files, what to do,please assist!?

Thanks,
Marko
Click to expand...
Click to expand...
 
Very interesting. I will use it by occassion, 3 is good and far enough, but
there's often that the 'but' thing. Sensitive data is for some period a
sensitive data so using good encryption and good reerase programs and
solutions is sometimes grateful.

Thanks.
Marko
 
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