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Secure Delete doesn't work


gurtz

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I have written about CCleaner NOT erasing file content and particularly file names numerous times. Just a relief to finally see so many who have confirmed my findings of months and months ago. Hopefully this bug will be fixed in the next release once and for all. Either that, or just remove the 'Secure delete' option completely from CCleaner, if it is not going to work properly. And, as long as we are on the topic, it would be FANTASTIC if CCleaner would destroy FILE NAMES along with destroying file contents. Most true 'erasers' wipe both names and content. Thanks for listening.

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I have written about CCleaner NOT erasing file content and particularly file names numerous times.

But this is only your second post!

 

Actually the secure delete problem, whilst being a nuisance, is not really critical. That is if you're not spending all day downloading highly dubious stuff. I didn't even use this option until I deleted a financial file than then realised that one day I might replace either my hard drive or PC. But all you have to do is to just surf and not use CC, and as long as your internet temp file is large enough you will overwrite the problem deleted file. Then use CC.

 

Now, if I want to delete a private file I first alter the critical data under edit, without altering the size of the file, and save it. I then open it with wordpad and foul up the contents so it's not openable with it's original application. Then I rename it to some other file type and put it into the 'folders to empty' folder and run CC with single pass overwrite (CC seems to overwrite the contents of this folder OK, and rename the files). This method may not be forensically spot on, but it's a good try.

 

After all the main principle of disk washers is to fill the disk with crap files and then delete them, similarly to what I've described individually.

 

I realise that this might not be suitable for people with large gb's of data to be deleted, or a lot of critical files that need to be cleaned every day, but I'm not in that category.

 

Yes, CC to remove file names please.

 

Rgds.

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Actually, if CC removed file names we wouldn't know what was on the disk waiting to be recovered in the future by some felon or other. So I retract my vote, or at least modify it so that it is an option for individual files, not an automatic mass delete.

 

Rgds.

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Actually, if CC removed file names we wouldn't know what was on the disk waiting to be recovered in the future by some felon or other. So I retract my vote, or at least modify it so that it is an option for individual files, not an automatic mass delete.

 

Rgds.

So you want it left recoverable so felons can find it??? Either way secure deletion only really stops your average Joe recovering stuff you've deleted, it's usually still recoverable forensically. So filenames SHOULD be erased IMO, unlike at present where they are just renamed something like 'LLLLLLL.LLL' which just makes it obvious what you've tried to securely delete - slightly defeats the object of securely deleting it if it's so easy to find what you've tried to 'securely' remove.

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Alright then, I'll rephrase it. If there's some deleted file on the disk that could be recovered by this enterprising felon, I want to be able to find it first so that I can take some action to prevent it falling into said felon's hands. The thought of having deleted files on a disk that might be important and you can't find them is scary.

 

In my experience the LLLLL.LLL bears no relationship to the original file name, so it's no help to that annoying felon, who seems to be everywhere. Some names are L.L and some are LLLLLLLLLLLL.LLLLLLLLL. Also I've found that these renamed files are overwritten properly, in as much as I haven't been able to recover one of these files to a readable state.

 

I have also read recently, I can't remember where, that the recover after overwriting by interpreting the magnetic 'shadows' is more myth than reality, and there's no software available that will do this. I'll try to dig this up again.

 

Rgds.

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