Read a number of posts here & on other erasing tools' forums, but found nothing concrete about what Recuva (& perhaps tools like it) will show / recover, after running secure erasing tools.
Recuva itself has a secure erasing tool, once a search for deleted files is run. But what is generally shown by Recuva for files / folders that were previously securely erased w/ various tools like Eraser, Shredder & numerous others? When Recuva is run immediately after erasing files?
I don't know if running widely used "wiping" tools on a test file, on a magnetic HDD, on a NON system partition w/ no VSS, would cause Recuva to not display ANYTHING for the wiped file (under the specified circumstances).
When I erase "test" files using Eraser 6.x or Shredder 2.5, then immediately run Recuva, it finds NO trace of the erased files (or at least doesn't show any). Thats' w/ ALL the Recuva options checked under "Options," except Show Non Deleted files.
"Show Securely Erased Files" is checked, which seems to indicate there would BE something to show.
But it shows nothing - which is good - if the result is accurate & it's not just "failing to display" what ever remenants are left of securely erased files, even if random data. The absence of displayed data doesn't mean there IS no data. Please don't start the discussion, "the only way to be positive that data is unrecoverable is to destroy the device..." I'm asking about a specific set of events here.
By contrast, erasing free space on a partition using CCleaner (admittedly a different process than erasing a file), then Recuva shows a few folders w/ clearly obfuscated names & no recoverable data. That's fine.
I've just not found "documentation" of what recovery tools like Recuva will / won't be able to find & display, after running (well known, respected) erasing tools at the file / folder level, under circumstances described above.
Thanks.