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Secure Delete doesn't work


gurtz

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Hi there,

 

I am using the latest version of CCleaner (v2.01.507), and have the Secure Deletion option set to "DOD 5220.22-M (3 passes)". However, nothing is getting securely deleted. After running CCleaner on my system, I ran an undelete utility and was able to restore every file, that had supposedly been permanently destroyed, with no problem at all.

 

Can anyone tell me what is going wrong? This certainly seems like a bug to me.

 

[bTW, aside from this issue -- great program! Thanks much!]

 

Gurtz

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Hi there,

 

I am using the latest version of CCleaner (v2.01.507), and have the Secure Deletion option set to "DOD 5220.22-M (3 passes)". However, nothing is getting securely deleted. After running CCleaner on my system, I ran an undelete utility and was able to restore every file, that had supposedly been permanently destroyed, with no problem at all.

 

Can anyone tell me what is going wrong? This certainly seems like a bug to me.

 

[bTW, aside from this issue -- great program! Thanks much!]

 

Gurtz

 

 

Menue (right-click) will not delete.

go to Start

enter Regedit

search Secure Eraser

 

delete the Entries /key

Press Key F3 for more

an delete.

after this Start CCleaner go to Registry an clean

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Menue (right-click) will not delete.

go to Start

enter Regedit

search Secure Eraser

 

delete the Entries /key

Press Key F3 for more

an delete.

after this Start CCleaner go to Registry an clean

 

I'm sorry, I don't understand your instructions. I did run Regedit and searched for "Secure Eraser", but it didn't find any matching entries (so there was nothing I could delete).

 

I think you might have misunderstood my original message. The problem I am having is that, even though CCleaner SEEMS to be working, and it DOES delete files from my drive ... it is NOT deleting them SECURELY. I know this because I was able to recover the deleted files using an "undelete" program. Does this make sense?

 

Thank you for your help,

Gurtz

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Menue (right-click) will not delete.

go to Start

enter Regedit

search Secure Eraser

 

delete the Entries /key

Press Key F3 for more

an delete.

after this Start CCleaner go to Registry an clean

Not quite sure what that post has got to do with anything, let alone the problem the thread is about :huh:

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However, nothing is getting securely deleted.

 

Gurtz

Hooray! I've posted about this at least three times before with absolutely zero response, so it's a relief to know I'm not alone in the universe.

 

I've found this to be common with all releases of CC, at least in the last year when I started to use secure deletion. CC seems to delete some files, overwriting the file name with a random capital letter, such as LLLLL.LL, but the vast majority of files remain under their own name and many are recoverable with ease in an unblemished state. CC appears to overwrite those files I dump into a custom folder which I have set up for CC to empty, but all the rest, including temp internet files, are untouched.

 

I'm running XP/SP2 home, IE 6.0 with no other security s/ware except AVG a/virus.

 

Rgds.

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Hooray! I've posted about this at least three times before with absolutely zero response, so it's a relief to know I'm not alone in the universe.

 

I've found this to be common with all releases of CC, at least in the last year when I started to use secure deletion. CC seems to delete some files, overwriting the file name with a random capital letter, such as LLLLL.LL, but the vast majority of files remain under their own name and many are recoverable with ease in an unblemished state. CC appears to overwrite those files I dump into a custom folder which I have set up for CC to empty, but all the rest, including temp internet files, are untouched.

 

I'm running XP/SP2 home, IE 6.0 with no other security s/ware except AVG a/virus.

 

Rgds.

 

I must say, I didn't think to try it with custom folders but, you are right: many (if not all) files in Temporary Internet Files -- though they are deleted -- are completely recoverable.

 

I am also XP/SP2 professional. I use Maxthon as a browser, though it uses IE 6.0.2180 at the core. I am using Avast! Anti Virus and Sunbelt Kerio Personal Firewall.

 

Thanks for the respose. Glad I'm not the only one.

 

Gurtz

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Bug confirmed on ntfs. Use cipher /w(volume name) as a workaround until its fixed. e.g. cipher /w:C:\

 

I'm sorry, I don't understand what you're suggesting. I run CCleaner.exe from my c:\Program Files\CCleaner folder. Is "cipher /w:C:\" a command-line option? If so, how do I use it? "CCleaner cipher /w:C:\"???

 

Thanks.

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It was new to me too, but after Googling it, yes, it is a command line option, not a CCleaner option.

 

To think that the answer to everyone's 'How to get rid of deleted files' question was under our noses all the time. I wonder why such a useful tool seems to be so unknown? In my XP Inside Out book it isn't even mentioned.

 

There seems to be some doubt whether it's available in XP home, which I'm using. You should be OK in Pro. Let us know if you try it.

 

Rgds.

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No, I don't have cipher on my version of XP Home. Cipher is not intended for frequent use, according to Microsoft. Perhaps because it takes so long?

 

I'm going to try Disk Redactor, freeware at http://www.cezeo.com/products/disk-redactor/ This - according to the blurb - overwrites all free unused space and writes zeros over all deleted files. The filenames remain but the files are zapped. It's not only free but small (375 kb) and portable.

 

Rgds.

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Mr G will fix it I'm sure :)

 

IMHO there's a lack of experienced professionals getting involved in the product. Too many people are coming on board, posting about them being pleased for a new beta release and then dont really go and test it. We should be encouraging more people to properly test the software. Ive reported many issues about Vista and I know Mr G is looking at those. I think people should be asking how much their helping with solid bug reports and getting their friends to help with testing too.

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CCleaner is free, you do not pay for it.

 

I wasn't going to jump in on this but actually we do pay our portion for it, with us visiting the site etc with the google ads for your source of revenue and not saying we don't pay atleast something for it is not right.

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I use a hosts file, I don't see a single ad.

 

I will say it again, CCleaner is free in the sense that no money is required from you in order to run the program.

 

I do not begrudge the CCleaner owners the right to try and raise revenue in order to provide me, and you, and every other user with a free program.

 

Support contact

https://support.ccleaner.com/s/contact-form?language=en_US&form=general

or

support@ccleaner.com

 

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. . .[bTW, aside from this issue -- great program! Thanks much!]

Gurtz

 

Gurtz, you are very gracious. :)

 

So . . . basically CCleaner doesn't really work.. . .Oh, well. You get what you pay for.

 

I started to reply 2 or 3 times, didn't. Now I will. I represent no one but myself.

 

CCleaner does work; one of its ancillary functions has a bug. It will get fixed. There are few software applications which are bugless, fewer still which are free and bugless. Windows is the MOAB (Mother of all Buggy) :lol: , and we pay for it then tune it up for Microsoft as we go. WXP isn't finished even yet.

 

CCleaner is free, period. So are Recuva and Defraggler. Sometimes nice people like Snowdrift contribute. I doubt if there are enough mouseclicks in the world to pay for the server time, developer costs, hardware, etc, to maintain this forum and those apps.

 

This forum has 2 outstanding characteristics, I think. Most important is the courtesy with which the members and moderators behave, even when a member says something wrong, as I have often done.

 

The other is the enourmous knowledge shared by the members. I have gigabytes of safe freeware, recommended by members. They correct each other but don't fight (much :P ).

 

So please be as polite as you can. If you don't like the derned software, don't use it. But be polite. :)

The CCleaner SLIM version is always released a bit after any new version; when it is it will be HERE :-)

Pssssst: ... It isn't really a cloud. Its a bunch of big, giant servers.

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...

CCleaner does work; one of its ancillary functions has a bug. It will get fixed. There are few software applications which are bugless, fewer still which are free and bugless. Windows is the MOAB (Mother of all Buggy) :lol: , and we pay for it then tune it up for Microsoft as we go. WXP isn't finished even yet.

...

So please be as polite as you can. If you don't like the derned software, don't use it. But be polite. :)

 

login123, thanks for the kind comment (about me).

 

I must agree with you on all your subsequent points! Though I reported the bug at the start of this thread, it is just one bug in a piece of software that, on the whole, does an excellent job. As you indicated, Windows has a ton of bugs -- even XP, which has been around for years. And unlike the developers of CCleaner, who produce free software on a shoe-string budget, Microsoft has the resources of a thousand suns behind their products. They don't really have much of an excuse for poor software (other than the massive complexity they have to deal with). [i would trade all the prettyness of the current versions for Windows for a simple version that is fast and never crashes. But that will probably never be. Oh well. I'm getting side tracked...]

 

Back to CCleaner. It really is good software, and I have no doubt the secure-delete issue will be fixed in due course. Until then I'll continue to use it, but will just have to be aware of the current limitation (and work around it). No big deal.

 

Thanks to the developers for all their efforts!

 

Gurtz

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