Augeas

What delete options are you using?

I asked this question some time ago. There were over 1,000 views, but no response. As Recuva scans very quickly I think that it's unlikely to scan the entire disk. So I think the info comes from the file allocation tables that the O/S uses. These must be the old entries that have some deleted flag against them. As Recuva always allocates some name or other to the files, I don't think that it is picking up file sections or fragments from the disk, as they wouldn't have names associated with them. Also this fragmented data would be more or less noise to any software, all the software could do is report sectors as having data in them (and zeroes are data). These bits would generate an enormous report, and couldn't be recovered as files, so perhaps Recuva is taking the right decisions. Well, you can recover files with it, as I have done. Circumstances will dictate whether the file you really want to recover can be found. I have to say though that I've never used Recuva (or anything else except backups) to recover a file that I've lost, I've only used it to check that a file I've deleted has really gone - and they all go eventually. Your filenames with no meaning could be from the Recycler's habit of renaming files it deletes. Rgds.

None of the disk scrubbers will give you a clean drive, they just overwrite what's there with a different kind of rubbish (zeros, or random chars, etc.). What they may do is remove the file names from the file allocation table (or whatever it's called), giving you the impression that the disk is 'clean'. It isn't. Overwritten files aren't recoverable by anyone. Until recently CCleaner didn't overwrite all files it deleted when the secure deletion option was chosen. The current version does (in my experience), so you should be safe. I don't really worry about all those deleted file names that Recuva shows, although I am amazed that there are so many! Rgds.

What do you mean by scan, analyse or run? I think you are saying that you are running CC with simple overwrite. What makes you think that it is overwriting multiple times? If it is the green progress bar then that does travel all the way several times in a run, but I would have thought that that was a progress indicator, not a sign that the same files are being overwritten several times. There have been complaints that CC runs rather slowly. I haven't found this myself, but this may be the source of your concern. Apparently the next (imminent) release will fix this. Gutmann? Don't bother with it. One overwrite is enough. Rgds.

Recycler renames the files to something silly when it is cleared out, so you may have to search on date/time. I can't remember if it renames the file type as well, possibly it does, so searching for jpg won't find them. Recuva is excellent as it gives you a preview so you can flick through many files quickly. The bad news is that every time you touch Windows, run programs, etc you're overwriting what's been deleted, so be cautious. Don't reboot, don't post to this forum, don't do anything else if you can help it (even better if you have another pc to use), download Recuva to a flash drive, install it on, and run it from, that. You get the idea. Rgds.

You could take the lack of replies from forum members as a good sign - nobody else seems to have this problem. It's highly likely to be a false positive by the AV software. My AV software, and I guess the AV software of the rest of the forum members, shows Recuva to be clean. Rgds.

In my opinion (sorry AV) people will do what they want to do, not what others think they should do. Software applications should be more or less fool-proof, or at least intuitive so that they can be used immediately without ploughing through a manual. (I have not read any CC manual, I admit.) I think that the Cleaner section is indeed more or less foolproof with the standard ticks. Not a lot of damage can happen to a PC with this. Lost cookies and temp int files can be a nuisance but aren't life threatening. Where I think more caution is required is in the Reg Cleaner and Uninstall Application Sections. Some users think that they have to use these sections and press away happily, reducing their PC to a gibbering wreck. Perhaps nothing ticked here and a caution box in the header would help? Rgds.

Recuva (excellent though it is) will not show you anything that CCleaner (also excellent) can remove. Recuva shows deleted files, CCleaner deletes files. Rgds.

It's probably the 'Don't delete temp files less than 48 hrs old' option. Try later, or untick the box. Rgds.

It is possible to delete specific files and folders from other drives. Just add them to the custom files to be deleted (by using browse) and off to oblivion they go. Rgds.

As far as I can tell (from my experience as a user), yes. You could always do a few little tests if there is any particular aspect that is worrying you.

Do you mean that when you do a scan nothing is returned, or are you searching by file/path name? When you say blocked do you mean ignored? You can show all your deleted files by selecting 'Show Files in Hidden Sys Directories' and 'Show Zero Byte Files' in the Options box. Do you have anything entered in the Filename or Path box? This will restrict the results shown - to the point of zero. Are you using CCleaner secure deletion to delete files? This will alter the file names. Are you deleting to the Recycler and then emptying that? These deleted files will have altered names.

I don't have this problem (with XP and IE). CC 2.03.532 takes a little longer on secure deletion (one pass) as it now wipes temp int files properly, but it still only takes about 15 secs to clear 10 mb or so. Rgds.

I think you've answered your own question. CCleaner will delete whatever files you specify. If there is a virus or malware in one of those files it will be part of that file and will be deleted along with the data. CCleaner does not specifically look for viruses or malware, or anything else for that matter, it just deletes files. Rgds.

XP Home SP2 / IE 6 / CC V2.02.527. All wanted cookies kept and all unwanted cookies deleted. Rgds.

Al, It wouldn't take more than a few minutes to set up a dummy folder with a few copied files in it and try it. Rgds.

I agree entirely, but nattering about Gutmann is more interesting. I can't understand why such a myth has been swallowed wholesale for so many years by countless users (and developers, Piriform!) when a few minutes on Wikipedia would bring some sense to it all. But back to the subject. CCleaner V2.02.527 on XP seems to have cured the 'not overwriting temp int files' problem I reported earlier in this thread. I have as yet to test this extensively but it looks good so far - thanks Piriform. (I like the new Recuva display as well.) I can't add to the Recycler problem as I rarely use it. Rgds. PS I'm sure Piriform know all about Gutmann, but have to include it as a sop to the masses.

I wouldn't get too hung up on Gutmann and his 35 passes. His paper was delivered getting on for twelve years ago and applied to what is now obsolete disk technology. Gutmann later stated that his theory had been overtaken by events and "A good scrubbing with random data will do about as well as can be expected". One overwrite will give you as good a deletion as anything else. If you hold the advance plans for the USA's invasion of Iran on your disk you shouldn't be messing about with CC. Rgds. (To any goverment agencies scanning the internet, that was a joke.)

I think we need some clarification here. Does 'Secure deletion' apply to all the files that CC deletes? (Excluding index.dat files which are deleted by the O/S startup files.) I was under the impression that it does. So all those temp files, temp internet files, etc will be overwritten? If so, then secure delete certainly does not work. I very rarely delete files to the recycler (I use shift/del) so I can't pontificate on that. But I know that when I run CC in secure delete mode it produces a variable number of ZZZZZZ.ZZ files (and all of those I have tested have been overwritten), and a whole string of files which retain their original name and, whilst not all are capable of being recovered due to the nature of Windows, the majority are recoverable. I'm not really too worried about this, if I have a sensitive file I copy it to a folder which is marked for emptying by CC, and these files seem to be renamed and overwritten OK. But if I'd surfed rather injudiciously I'd be worried at all those temp internet files lying there ready to be recovered and no (easy) way of getting rid of them. Rgds.

I am a little confused! I don't really know how CCleaner works. If you run Analyze and the index.dat files come up as marked for deletion, and you don't actually press the Run Cleaner button, I'm not sure whether the files would be deleted on next bootup. My guess would be that no action would be taken and the files would not be deleted. When you run CCleaner then the index.dat files are marked for deletion, but remain on your PC, still being updated as and if you surf, until the next time you reboot. I believe they are deleted on bootup, not on closedown. They are recreated either by Windows or when you open IE (I believe they are not used in other more sensible browsers). In any event this is more interesting than essential. I think you could spend the rest of your life quite happily without giving a thought to these files. They exist because Microsoft says so, they serve no useful purpose to mankind or your PC. To confuse matters more it's not necessary to run the Analyse part of Cleaner, if you are happy with your settings then you can just go ahead with the Run Cleaner part only. Rgds.

Well, you can, but it isn't elegant. In Options - Custom click on Add File. In the file name box add the file or folder you want to empty or delete, and click Open. The file/folder name will be added whether or not it is in the Add File default folder, or even whether or not it exists. Try it. Rgds.

I think that Wallaby means the index.dat files which are, as he says, marked for deletion when CC runs. As they can't be deleted when Windows is running they are indeed deleted at the next boot-up. Of course when Windows kicks in it notices that they are missing and recreates new, smaller and empty index.dat files. If you don't want them to be deleted then untick the 'Delete Index.dat Files' box in the Cleaner Settings on the left hand side. The index.data files contain an exhaustive list of all websites you have visited. There's no absolute rule whether the files should or shouldn't be deleted, it's your PC after all. I delete them and I should think that that would be the decision of most CC users. I can't see any compelling reason to keep them. Rgds.

Alright then, I'll rephrase it. If there's some deleted file on the disk that could be recovered by this enterprising felon, I want to be able to find it first so that I can take some action to prevent it falling into said felon's hands. The thought of having deleted files on a disk that might be important and you can't find them is scary. In my experience the LLLLL.LLL bears no relationship to the original file name, so it's no help to that annoying felon, who seems to be everywhere. Some names are L.L and some are LLLLLLLLLLLL.LLLLLLLLL. Also I've found that these renamed files are overwritten properly, in as much as I haven't been able to recover one of these files to a readable state. I have also read recently, I can't remember where, that the recover after overwriting by interpreting the magnetic 'shadows' is more myth than reality, and there's no software available that will do this. I'll try to dig this up again. Rgds.

Actually, if CC removed file names we wouldn't know what was on the disk waiting to be recovered in the future by some felon or other. So I retract my vote, or at least modify it so that it is an option for individual files, not an automatic mass delete. Rgds.

But this is only your second post! Actually the secure delete problem, whilst being a nuisance, is not really critical. That is if you're not spending all day downloading highly dubious stuff. I didn't even use this option until I deleted a financial file than then realised that one day I might replace either my hard drive or PC. But all you have to do is to just surf and not use CC, and as long as your internet temp file is large enough you will overwrite the problem deleted file. Then use CC. Now, if I want to delete a private file I first alter the critical data under edit, without altering the size of the file, and save it. I then open it with wordpad and foul up the contents so it's not openable with it's original application. Then I rename it to some other file type and put it into the 'folders to empty' folder and run CC with single pass overwrite (CC seems to overwrite the contents of this folder OK, and rename the files). This method may not be forensically spot on, but it's a good try. After all the main principle of disk washers is to fill the disk with crap files and then delete them, similarly to what I've described individually. I realise that this might not be suitable for people with large gb's of data to be deleted, or a lot of critical files that need to be cleaned every day, but I'm not in that category. Yes, CC to remove file names please. Rgds.