Secure Delete

[int0x26]

First off, I love your program. I have it installed on every computer I use. Excellent work.

 

I noticed on the contact page that you've begun work adding secure deletion to CCleaner. I was wondering how's that going and what methods are you planning on using? I ask because designing such a system is a pretty complex task and its scope is probally as large if not larger than the whole of CCleaner. Are you, or have you considered using some tested (and free) libraries such as Eraser?

 

Thanks,

int0x26

[englishmen]

Sorry to go off subject . Wow i just checked out the contact page and I've never been on that page before because i have never had any major problems i could not sort out myself. As you said it says secure deletion is being worked on YAAAAAAA. Maybe MrG should make a blog type page where he tells us how things are going on the new version of Ccelaner, what he is working on & any problems with new features etc.

[jobartley515]

Contact page......I didn't even know there was a contact page until today..

 

Yah I think MrG should have a page where he tells us about how things are coming on upcoming versions of CC....It would really keep people interested in the program!!!

[Capman]

Where is the contact page?

[Tarun]

Sorry to go off subject . Wow i just checked out the contact page and I've never been on that page before because i have never had any major problems i could not sort out myself. As you said it says secure deletion is being worked on YAAAAAAA. Maybe MrG should make a blog type page where he tells us how things are going on the new version of Ccelaner, what he is working on &  any problems with new features etc.

 

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It's said secure deletion is being worked on since v1.18 or earlier.

[Capman]

But, Where is the contact page?

[Tarun]

But, Where is the contact page?

 

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Way down at the bottom of the frontpage, it's a contact form.

[Capman]

Way down at the bottom of the frontpage, it's a contact form.

 

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Found it

 

It is here if anyone else wants it.

[englishmen]

It's said secure deletion is being worked on since v1.18 or earlier.

 

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I guess it is going to take a while for MrG to implement it then, it sounds like a hard thing to implement even if he is a programmer.

[Tarun]

I guess it is going to take a while for MrG to implement it then, it sounds like a hard thing to implement even if he is a programmer.

 

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I know DjLizard programmed a secure file deleting application in Delphi 7 in a matter of days. Even sent it to me. I think he also offered it to MrG and CCleaner.

[jobartley515]

Well perhaps MrG will include Secure Deletion soon in an upcoming version...

[englishmen]

I know DjLizard programmed a secure file deleting application in Delphi 7 in a matter of days.  Even sent it to me.  I think he also offered it to MrG and CCleaner.

 

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Well lets hope MrG likes it and integrates into the next CCleaner, fingers crossed.

[NoviceDave]

I noticed on the contact page that you've begun work adding secure deletion to CCleaner. I was wondering how's that going and what methods are you planning on using? I ask because designing such a system is a pretty complex task and its scope is probally as large if not larger than the whole of CCleaner. Are you, or have you considered using some tested (and free) libraries such as Eraser?

 

Eraser is an excellent product, which I?ve used for years. I came to this web page looking for a more automated process for securely wiping my internet tracks from my hard drive. If this product offered secure deletion, I believe it would make it much more desirable.

 

Let?s not forget that the objective of a well written program like this. To be sold. E4M (Encryption for the Masses) would be a good example of an excellent program first distributed as freeware that got gobbled up for a hefty price. If this software is to compete in the real world of securely concealing one?s on-line tracks, it will have to include this feature.

[Greenknight]

If this software is to compete in the real world of securely concealing one?s on-line tracks, it will have to include this feature.

 

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I disagree. I see the primary use of CCleaner as removing the Windows garbage that bogs down your computer.

 

Covering your tracks is another matter, and while it might be worth adding (if it doesn't make the program too unwieldy), CCleaner is not going to fade away without it.

 

It's not as if this function isn't readily available from other free programs. I already have two apps with this capability, Spybot S&D and HDCleaner. I have never used the secure file deletion function of either.

[int0x26]

I disagree. I see the primary use of CCleaner as removing the Windows garbage that bogs down your computer.

 

Covering your tracks is another matter, and while it might be worth adding (if it doesn't make the program too unwieldy), CCleaner is not going to fade away without it.

 

It's not as if this function isn't readily available from other free programs. I already have two apps with this capability, Spybot S&D and HDCleaner. I have never used the secure file deletion function of either.

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True CCleaner is great without this feature, but consider this.

 

CCleaner, according to its own frontpage description, has as a main feature the ability to remove your internet and viewing history. So CCleaner is a tool to do this. It specifically targets those types of files and removes or cleans them.

 

Eraser, and other similar programs, are designed to securely delete files and slack space. All of these stand-alone DOD compliant file erasers either erase a file you have specifically asked it to, or can spend hours cleaning the slack space, which is an all or nothing process.

 

All of this means if I want to completely and irrevocably delete my internet history, I have to first have CCleaner target what it knows to be the log files and delete them, and then run Eraser to wipe out all of the free space on the HD which will include the files CCleaner deleted. Now this process would work fine, but its much more effective to build that into CCleaner since CCleaner could specifically wipe only the required files as it moves along thus reducing the time to wipe from a few hours (on say an 80gig hd at 30% capacity) to a minute or less. I'd also make an assumption that "most" people who are interested in secure delete have "only" an interest in wiping out exactly what CCleaner cleans. The exception would be persons who are selling/giving away a used HD, or who have a whole bunch of something they want wiped out.

 

The reason we haven't seen this feature yet, I'd imagine, is that its insanely complicated and anyone who says anything different is either naive or misinformed. True, its simple enough to overwrite a file a few times, but even that is no real protection. The majority of the work goes into writing the pseudo-random data generators and having god-like knowledge of FAT or NTFS (since CCleaner is only for Win systems). For instance, if CCleaner were to only modify a file, say an index file or something, and not delete it, you?d have to record that file?s full FAT chain list prior to modification, write out your changes, and then traverse the recorded chain seeing what sectors have now been freed and securely erase those, or overwrite the original full-size file with random garbage multiple times before laying out the new smaller version. Either way it?s a pain. That?s why I recommended using the Eraser library because its mature and has the though parts already done.

 

Maybe MrG would consider putting this project up on SourceForge or the ilk and allowing a few other developers to add some of the functionality people request. I know I?d be willing to volunteer.

[Greenknight]

HDCleaner, at least, allows you to wipe free space on one or more selected partitions, you don't necessarily have to do the entire HD. Still a lengthy process, I'm sure.