Secure deletion options

[bravo25c]

I am new to using CC. I have read the help pages, and have searched the forums, but I am trying to find what the secure deletion options are, how to use them, and what do I need to be aware of when using them. I have a Dell Inspiron with an AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual Core Processor 5000+, 2.0 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8300 GS, and running Windows Vista. I am looking for a secure way to delete internet files, history, and misc. computer files. I apologize if this has been answered else where and I have not been able to find it.

 

Thanks.

[Augeas]

The secure delete option is triggered in Cleaner/Options/Settings. If you select Secure deletion the data in the files that CC is configured to delete will be overwritten, making them unrecoverable, and the file names changed to some variant of ZZZ.ZZZ. The various secure delete options are for single or multiple overwrites: I believe that the general concensus on this forum is moving towards only one overwrite being quite sufficient.

 

Remember that you will have to set your pc so that Cleaner does the deletion, not your browser, so don't have any options to clear cookies or temp internet files set in your browser, and do have those selected in Cleaner. You will become more familiar with CC as you use it, as with any software.

 

Secure deletion does not apply to IE index.dat files, as they have to be deleted by the O/S at pc boot time. You could run Recuva, select the index.dat files, and secure delete them there.

 

How people use their pcs and CC must vary widely. I rarely use secure deletion as it takes longer, if I have anything I want to secure delete I run CC in normal mode, do my work on the sensitive files, and then run CC in secure delete mode. It's up to you how you do things.

 

If you have any specific questions just ask.

[davey]

I am new to using CC. I have read the help pages, and have searched the forums, but I am trying to find what the secure deletion options are, how to use them, and what do I need to be aware of when using them. I have a Dell Inspiron with an AMD Athlon 64x2 Dual Core Processor 5000+, 2.0 GB RAM, NVIDIA GeForce 8300 GS, and running Windows Vista. I am looking for a secure way to delete internet files, history, and misc. computer files. I apologize if this has been answered else where and I have not been able to find it.

 

Thanks.

Hello bravo,

Welcome to the forums.

Boy, do we love our members that do their homework.

 

Please accept my apologies for the circle that the Help page can put you in... .

What you need is this helpful webpage.

http://www.ccleanerbeginnersguide.com/

CCleaner Beginner's Guide.com Bookmark and save to Favorites

See the section labeled Options. You want to read Options > Settings . Personally, I only use two of those Settings.

Language which is important to some degree and secure deletion which I set to normal most of the time or 1 for one overwrite. (one well placed bullet to the head is usually more than sufficient for each byte overwritten.However if you like you can apply several so maybe a few of those bytes can never be resurrected.)

 

Augeas has given you the meat and I'll throw in the potatoes and a little sauce.

Enjoy and you are always welcome back for more !

Best wishes,

davey

Edited September 4, 2008 by davey

[Augeas]

(one well placed bullet to the head is usually more than sufficient).

That's good. Insensitive maybe, but good.

[hazelnut]

Yes, a little insensitive I think.

 

Perhaps Davey it make be an idea if you just put a couple of links in your sig to the beginners guide etc instead of writing all that in each post and let people look for themselves.

 

As for this....

 

Please accept my apologies for the circle that the Help page can put you in... Please accept my apologies for the circle that the Help page can put you in... Please accept my apologies for the circle that the Help page can put you in... Please accept my apologies for the circle that the Help page can put you in... Please accept my apologies for the circle that the Help page can put you in.

 

I have requested(more than once) that they change it to point to the most important Webpage that exists as regards CCleaner.

 

The beginners guide is written by a member and it is up to MrG what he has on his web pages.

 

As I said above just put a link to it in your sig.

[bravo25c]

Thank you all for your time in responding to my inquiries. Of course, I have many more questions and will try to be specific.

 

1. I have all the items checked under IE to include: temp files, cookies, history, recent URLs, delete index.dat files,last download location, and auto complete form history. Are these the correct settings to check for secure deletion? If I run normal mode, are the files recoverable?

 

2. How do I make sure that my browser is not doing the deletion, and how do I set up my PC to make sure CC is doing the deletion?

 

I will spend some time reviewing the newbie guide, but I need to get these items understood for the present. Again, thank you for your time.

 

Bravo25c

[davey]

Thank you all for your time in responding to my inquiries. Of course, I have many more questions and will try to be specific.

 

1. I have all the items checked under IE to include: temp files, cookies, history, recent URLs, delete index.dat files,last download location, and auto complete form history. Are these the correct settings to check for secure deletion? If I run normal mode, are the files recoverable?

 

2. How do I make sure that my browser is not doing the deletion, and how do I set up my PC to make sure CC is doing the deletion?

 

I will spend some time reviewing the newbie guide, but I need to get these items understood for the present. Again, thank you for your time.

 

Bravo25c

Hi Bravo,

Excellent questions and ideas.

Make sure that you review the links so that you get your cookies and Macromedia/Adobe "flash cookies" saved. It really doesn't hurt anything if you don't, you just have to re-enter some data when you log-in at some of those sites. It seems now that more sites are using "flash cookies" and less of the old un-encrypted cookies.

Your Autocomplete Forms History is a security risk if you are not the only one using your PC but many people leave it uncleaned anyway. That is up to you to decide.

NO DATA that is "cleaned" by CCleaner is backed up by CCleaner.

The only things that are backed up are changes to the Registry in the Registry issues function . You must set the option to Show prompt to back up registry issues at Options > Advanced. You must also reply "Yes" to to the back up prompt. It is always best to let CCleaner create the back up file name. If you do change it just be sure that you put the extention .reg at the end of the name. If you are an average user I suggest leaving the Registry alone as far as Issues are concerned.

 

IE browser defaults settings are currently set not to to do any deletion. Add-ons and other browsers must be reviewed individually.

Any file "deleted Normally" is available to be used and overwritten by some other program immediately. Most of what is deleted normally is overwritten during the normal use of your computer.

It is recoverable if not overwritten by CCleaner or some other program.

Many users have "recovered" accidentally deleted files through the use of another Piriform program called Recuva. "Secure deletion" option in CCleaner precludes recovery as the files are immediately overwritten.

davey

[Augeas]

1. I have all the items checked under IE to include: temp files, cookies, history, recent URLs, delete index.dat files,last download location, and auto complete form history. Are these the correct settings to check for secure deletion? If I run normal mode, are the files recoverable?

Except for Auto Complete, these are the settings I use. (So they must be OK.) Auto Complete brings up a message saying that saved passwords will be deleted, so I don't tick that.

 

Davey's advice about browser settings is fine, I think you need to check what they are on your browsers.

[CharlesM]

The secure delete option is triggered in Cleaner/Options/Settings. If you select Secure deletion the data in the files that CC is configured to delete will be overwritten, making them unrecoverable, and the file names changed to some variant of ZZZ.ZZZ. The various secure delete options are for single or multiple overwrites: I believe that the general concensus on this forum is moving towards only one overwrite being quite sufficient.

 

Remember that you will have to set your pc so that Cleaner does the deletion, not your browser, so don't have any options to clear cookies or temp internet files set in your browser, and do have those selected in Cleaner. You will become more familiar with CC as you use it, as with any software.

 

Secure deletion does not apply to IE index.dat files, as they have to be deleted by the O/S at pc boot time. You could run Recuva, select the index.dat files, and secure delete them there.

 

How people use their pcs and CC must vary widely. I rarely use secure deletion as it takes longer, if I have anything I want to secure delete I run CC in normal mode, do my work on the sensitive files, and then run CC in secure delete mode. It's up to you how you do things.

 

If you have any specific questions just ask.

 

I'm not seeing the ability to select which method is used to perform a secure delete. Earlier versions (at least 2.06) allowed a number of choices. Have these been removed now and the only opton is a single overwrite?

 

Thanks

 

Charles.

[Augeas]

No, the options are still there, in the usual drop-down list.

[davey]

I'm not seeing the ability to select which method is used to perform a secure delete. Earlier versions (at least 2.06) allowed a number of choices. Have these been removed now and the only opton is a single overwrite?

 

Thanks

 

Charles.

Hi Charles,

Read your CCleaner's Guide.

http://www.ccleanerbeginnersguide.com/

CCleaner Beginner's Guide.com Bookmark and save to Favorites

 

At Options > Settings you will find your secure delete options as Augeas says.

davey