Free space decreasing while wiping free disk space

CCleaner for Windows
1

Hi,

yesterday I tried to wipe the free disk space on my C: partition, I chose the secure deletion (can't remember if 7 or 35 passages but anyway) and started the process. I had about 4 GB free space in there before proceeding, but the process stopped at 24% and I was prompted to free some disk space by the standard windows wiping utility: I had less that 300 MB left!

Now, my questions are:

-is there any file increasing in size when the wiping process is going on?

-if so, do the different procedures (1, 3, 7, 35 passages) take up different volumes of space (in other words, if I choose a 3-passage procedure will this file size increase less than with a 35-passage one?)

-is this avoidable or, if not, is it possible to know the prospected maximum size this file will reach in order to know in advance if I can start wiping in the first place? (something like the prospected dimensions of the image the backup program creates?

-now that I have the problem, can I delete this bulky file (where is it BTW?) or would this create problems of some sort? I certainly can't stay with this reduced free space.

Thanks a lot for your reply, I couldn't find this topic in the online guide.

gg

2

Yes, no, yes.

There are multiple files made during a WIpe Free Space cycle, this is how the freespace is wiped. It is "overwritten"

It is overwritten a number of times equal to the number of passes.

The files will be equal in total to the total free space you had when starting the process.

You can delete the files, they could be in C:\ZZZz.zz.zzzz.z.z or something similar to that.