Where is the path C:\?\

[idlewild]

Hi. I'm testing some secure deletion software, mostly Eraser and CCleaner for wiping free space. After I delete I use recuva to test whether the deleted files can be found or reconstructed. It seems that I can still find some files, which I restore to some folder I made, but this is not a solution to delete them permanently. Recuva shows a path C:\?\* (where * means some folder name) for some files recovered. For some of them I can see a preview as well and they are recoverable. I think in order to permanently delete them I have to locate the folder first and delete them from there but I can't figure it out. Any ideas?

[Augeas]

I'm not really following this. If you want to make sure files are deleted, why are you recovering them? Just secure overwrite with Recuva.

 

The path c:\?\ means that the directory record has been reused, and Recuva cannot determine the owning directory. Just overwrite the file with Recuva.

 

Recuva will not overwrite the file name, nor can it overwrite very small files (under 800 bytes or so). But recovering deleted files is not the way to delete them. Wipe Free Space in CC is the way to go to overwrite file names and small files.

[kandyman2017]

This is the same issue I am having.

@Augeas He is trying to delete files, but he cannot identify the location of the live data because the filepath is listed as c:\?\. Secure overwrite does not get rid of the thumbnails.

[Augeas]

Well, it is four and a half years since Idlewild visited, so I don't think he cares one way or the other. The answer to his and your question is in paragraph two of my post. Let's stick to one thread, shall we?