wiping free space using Gutmann

CCleaner for Windows
1

When wiping free space using gutmann method with the latest release of your software 2.25.1025 and using a Intel Pentium M 1.5 GHz, the tool quickly arrives at 100%, then stays there for hours consuming 100% CPU with no User Interface indication that it is doing anything. I stopped it at 12 hours for 30 GBytes.

Is this normal ? I understand that a 35 passes takes a long time on a hard drive, but wanted to know how many hours it would take. Did I prematurely shut down the tool after 12 hours or is it just hanging?

Let me know. THanks

2
When wiping free space using gutmann method with the latest release of your software 2.25.1025 and using a Intel Pentium M 1.5 GHz, the tool quickly arrives at 100%, then stays there for hours consuming 100% CPU with no User Interface indication that it is doing anything. I stopped it at 12 hours for 30 GBytes.

Is this normal ? I understand that a 35 passes takes a long time on a hard drive, but wanted to know how many hours it would take. Did I prematurely shut down the tool after 12 hours or is it just hanging?

Let me know. THanks

Well, Most people will agree that 35 passes is pointles. I have not seen any evidence that 1 over pass has ever been recovered.

I like a quote some body on here said, "Do you wash your hands 35 times before eating dinner?"

I cant for the life of me remember where i got these "facts" from so take it with a pinch of salt. And this is completely off the top of my head from what i remember......

"it would take about 25 years to recover 1kb of over written data under a microscope(if memory serves right)"

any way, i once did 35 passes of wipe free space. It took 4 days. You should not really use the computer when it's in opperation.

I dont know how hungry wipe free space is with CCleaner as i dont bother with it, but i'd imagine it does take quite a few resources up. So if your interfearing with it when in use, this is probably the likely explenation of the "no user interface"

3
Well, Most people will agree that 35 passes is pointles

That's not true, it's great for giving 35 times more wear on your HD every run ;)

4

That well-heated Pentium didn't fail, but it still may.

5

You did not state the size of the drive you were cleaning ???

I’m using an older version but I have used the Gutmann and it does not take more than 20 minuets on a 180Gb drive.

I agree it does wear out the drive faster with all those passes.

I am not that convinced with this software because I used recovery software to see if I could retrieve a file I made for a

erase & recover test. I had destroyed a file I created then I ran CC.

On reboot I ran a recovery program to see if the file had been destroyed by CC. It was still recoverable !

Now I just do the scramble on the file manually and then I use CC to clear it.

CC is still a good prog for removing crap, I have saved many peoples computers from Crashland with this software.

One PC had over 1.7Gb of trash on the system, that explained why it kept crashing to my friend :lol:

6
it does not take more than 20 minuets on a 180Gb drive.

Then you certainly ain't overwriting 35 times. If you were you'd be creating and writing 6.3 terabytes, and you won't do that in 20 mins. Even if only half of your disk is 'free' you would have to write well over 3 terabytes, and the same applies.

7

Then CC must be lying because it is was set to Gutmann 35 pass and does it in less than 20 min.

The drive also has the operating system on it so it is not the full 180Gb but still it should not take hours unless the drive has a very poor read write speed or some other anomaly is affecting it.

I would not like to try it on my external storage though as they are quite large drives.

:lol: At the end of the day you only have the softwares word for it that it did what you asked. :unsure:

8

I wa sunder the impression ccleaner only used 1 pass on WFS????

Either way, 35 passes is uttery pointless. accept as Jd pointed out :blink:

9

There is always the alternative option of the Gutman 35 pass : fill your drive with lots of trash so that it simply over writes the data you want removed. I recommend CDs or DVDs on the highest bit rate setting or create the largest pictures possible if you have a good art package or video camera. Then once the drive is full you do a simple delete >>> Problem solved Via the scenic route :P

10

While your at it you might as well incinerate your HD and buy a new one. Problem solved.