Unable to overwrite files using recuva.

Unable to delete any files. when I try, the following message pops up: (operation completed; overwritten 0 files in o.6 sec.) File stays where it is. It apparently does not remove any thing. I've read the documents, to no avail. Is there perhaps something missing?

As it says in the docs, either the file is under 1k and resides in the MFT, or is zero length, or has already been overwritten by another file.

As it says in the docs, either the file is under 1k and resides in the MFT, or is zero length, or has already been overwritten by another file.

Augreas:

These are pictures so I thaink they are more than 1k. I don't know what resides in the MFT is. I'm not to smart on this thing. But after I try to delete, pictures still there. Appreciate any help you might be able to provide. Thanks. dshac

Are you having trouble overwriting everything you attempt to secure delete, or some you can and some you can't? Make sure that what you're seeing isn't the contents of another file that has overwritten the file you're deleting. (I'm sure there's a less complicated way of saying that.) For instance if you have live pic files they may well be written to the same space that the deleted file used to occupy, and when you follow the deleted file pointer you see the live file. Alternatively if a file of any sort has been completely overwritten by another file then Recuva will show the Not Overwritten message. In both cases this is normal. That's about the extent of my guesswork. I don't think you have to be in admin mode to run Recuva, but you could check that too.

Are you having trouble overwriting everything you attempt to secure delete, or some you can and some you can't? Make sure that what you're seeing isn't the contents of another file that has overwritten the file you're deleting. (I'm sure there's a less complicated way of saying that.) For instance if you have live pic files they may well be written to the same space that the deleted file used to occupy, and when you follow the deleted file pointer you see the live file. Alternatively if a file of any sort has been completely overwritten by another file then Recuva will show the Not Overwritten message. In both cases this is normal. That's about the extent of my guesswork. I don't think you have to be in admin mode to run Recuva, but you could check that too.

Thanks. This is the results on all files I've tried to delete. It just says 0 files deleted, x number of seconds..

Unable to delete files. when I try to delete, the following message pops up: (operation completed; overwritten 0 files in o.6 sec.) File stays where it is. It apparently does not remove any thing. Please advise what I am doing wrong or what do I need to do to overwrite files..

You could try using CCleaner to 'Wipe Free Space'. Its tedious n time consuming but effective i would think :P

You could try using CCleaner to 'Wipe Free Space'. Its tedious n time consuming but effective i would think :P

Thanks for info. What does "wipe free space" do?

Thanks for info. What does "wipe free space" do?

ADDENDUM

Joeboy: Thanks. I did what you suggested and apparently that did the trick. Ran recuva again and all seems to be clean now.

ADDENDUM

Joeboy: Thanks. I did what you suggested and apparently that did the trick. Ran recuva again and all seems to be clean now.

Im not sure if you already know this but, just in case u dont heres a quick explanation (as i understand it, i dont claim to be right ).

Imagine a shelf on the wall, with a lot of little compartments with glass doors on it, with the appropriate keys on them.

~ Deleting a file from your computer (recycle bin) is like taking away the key to that particular compartment with the file in it, The file is still in there, but you cant get to it since there is not key/link! At this point these compartments without keys are by default ready to be overwritten as you delete more files (the traditional way) from ur computer.

~ Overwriting using Recuva jumbles the contents in the compartments, but sometimes whats being over written can be seen through the glass doors (like a file by a picture / some papers with a vase)

~ Wiping free space takes all the contents from all the compartments n chucks em out. its as simple as that :)

hope ive helped :)