Permanently deleting Thunderbird after uninstalling

CCleaner for Windows
1

Hello people,

I recently gave Thunderbird a try but given my lack of knowledge on the program i was surprised that it

automatically downloads all the emails from web mail with IMAP. I now want to uninstall Thunderbird as i realise i just wanted it for added security but feel that Gmail is as good for that ??

Whats the best way to remove all traces of Thunderbird from my system - emails everything, as after i uninstall the Thunderbird profile is still going to need deleting, and i want to completely nuke all of it including the 1000 plus emails.

Should i compress large files before deleting and then shredd it or something else ?

Looking for the best free option whether it be with ccleaner or otherwise.

Thanks a million.

Pooshredder

2

I don't use Thunderbird myself but wondered if this helps at all until someone who uses it comes along

http://www.ehow.co.uk/how_8102988_uninstall-thunderbird-completely-then-reinstall.html

3

Google is quite secure against losing messages, but not infallible.

I got About 55,499,567 results (0.25 seconds)" when I searched

gmail lost

The top 4 results appear to be where Google software glitches destroyed messages,

most of which were restored from Tape archives some days later.

Having your own local copy would give you extra security against Google losing your messages.

Personally I use Gmail and no longer bother with Thunderbird which I previously used.

Gmail is secure enough against data loss for the value I place on my messages.

Since Google processes my Gmail and reads the messages and has in the past offered to add special offers to my calendar,

I do NOT trust the security of an advertiser supported and hackable cloud service with unencrypted messages containing my credit card and bank account details.

I do suggest that if you feel safer by wiping your Thunderbird profile and messages it would be better to avoid any manipultaion such as compressing the profile,

because the result will be that all the sectors of the disc that held the UNcompressed profile will still hold the data and will NOT be wiped when you wipe the compressed profile.

4

Hazelnut and Alan,

Thanks for the help.

Alan good info about not compressing. The stuff you mention is all i'm worried about really. I dont really care about storing emails just looking for the best free security at the moment. So you do not trust Gmail with ALL your emails ?

I already have CCleaner but wondering whether something like Eraser is better for individual folders ?

5

Okay guys just remember this is the CCleaner Discussion area, should you wish to talk about other email providers or about software unrelated to the topic please start a thread about it in the Software area of the forum.

6

So with CCleaner, to shred and delete my Thunderbird folder so its contents are unretrievable/shredded what steps should i follow?

I simply check the ''custom folders & files'' box and ''add'' the folder, and run ccleaner as normal ? When you do a regular CCleaner scan on say your Temp files, is that the same as wiping those files ?

Should i do this once the said thunderbird file is in my Recycle bin or before ? How many passes ?

I've heard some people say that you should limit wiping files as it can age the hard drive ??

I've never wiped/shredded a file before so its gonna be like losing my virginity,....fumbling...excitement...nerves.

7

1-pass is sufficient, 3-passes if you're feeling paranoid.

I'm not convinced routine secure deletion damages modern HDDs, cos a 1-pass secure deletion writes no more data than what occurs during normal use.

Edited.

8

Thanks for the help kroozer.

I'm using WIFI alot so just want to be careful given the curious nature of humans when nobody is watching/judging them, and if my laptop ever got knicked/stolen..

I still think i pass as a healthy 1 pass guy though...sort of. :)

9

I'm not convinced routine secure deletion damages modern HDDs, cos a 1-pass secure deletion writes no more data than what occurs during normal use.

All and all Kroozer isn't incorrect. For a small number of files a multipass in not going to cause wear and tear of an extreme amount on a harddrive. It becomes an issue (and why I among others warn against it) when it is always engaged and especially if done in a Drive wiping situation. The Sad fact is any drive (Flash, SSD, Magnetic-Based-Drives etc.) has a limited number of Writes to it. Often than Maximum seems gigantic to us humans but in computer terms it is actually a very small number.
10

. . . any drive (Flash, SSD, Magnetic-Based-Drives etc.) has a limited number of Writes to it.

. . . which is why I opt for the very quick file defrag. Consider how much writing and head shifting occurs during a 30 to 90 min partition defrag.

Uh oh . . TPLfS.png . . drifted off topic.

11

Nergal,Kroozer

Cheers for that. I like your helpful warning on your sig aswell Nergall..

I'm travelling alot.

So in my situation of wanting to make a file untraceable what would be your choice of action?

So wiping this file in my recycle box is not going to cause me any problems at all and you would choose that option with a 1 pass wipe??

Multiple passes are not as safe ?

Trying to educate myself.

Thanks again.

12

[non official statement]one secure overwrite is enough (usually) to thwart the majority of non-law-enforcement software, if you are worried that some one may have access to it. I only use higher when destroying either a malware file within a safe-box or a file which I may not have legal right to on a personal machine, which occurs with my job (i.e. Not a commonplace event in the public)