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I know that on the windows operating system, when you delete a file it's still recoverable. I'd like to avoid simply paving the harddrive with zeros as I would like to keep my OS installation as is, but is there a way to truly delete files that have been previously deleted?
Joel Martinez
Posted 2009-09-01T20:35:55.867
Reputation: 1 227
16
You want to choose the wipe free space option.
emgee
Posted 2009-09-01T20:35:55.867
Reputation: 4 487
16
No need for additional software.
Drop into a command prompt and use the built-in CIPHER command.
cipher /w:C:\
- Quit all programs.
- Click Start, click Run, type cmd, and then press ENTER.
- Type cipher /w:driveletter:\foldername, and then press ENTER. Specify the drive and the folder that identifies the volume that contains the deleted data that you want to overwrite. Data that is not allocated to files or folders will be overwritten. This permanently removes the data. This can take a long time if you are overwriting a large space.
Kez
Posted 2009-09-01T20:35:55.867
Reputation: 15 359
1Here, "built-in" seems to mean "included with the default Windows install". However, "built-in" has the usual meaning of "a command internal to cmd.exe", at least in the context of CLI utilities. – kreemoweet – 2015-02-13T02:32:23.527
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Actually CCleaner should do it with Gutmann secure file deletion and "wipe free space drives" enabled!
Grumpy ol' Bear
Posted 2009-09-01T20:35:55.867
Reputation: 5 313
1That's going to take sometime. Isn't DOD-level deletion (3 passes) enough for secure deletion? – Isxek – 2009-09-01T21:52:14.310
1That depends on your needs. The CIA might still be able to recover data after 3 passes. A while ago I read that it was possible to restore data after 7 deletes. – Christian – 2009-09-01T22:00:36.367
1Ture paran...err...security knows patience ;). – Grumpy ol' Bear – 2009-09-01T22:03:40.620
A maximum of 5 passes (10 for CIA) of random data should really be enough. Gutmann himself has said^Wwritten that his 35-pass wipe is completely pointless on today's disks - different bit encoding, higher densities, and so on. – user1686 – 2009-09-08T13:09:55.997
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A single zero fill is enough. http://news.softpedia.com/news/Data-Wiping-Myth-Put-to-Rest-102376.shtml
– Robert Harvey – 2009-09-18T03:34:46.7072Bear in mind that if the CIA want your data, they'll just waterboard you until you tell them. 1 pass is enough to stop joe-average recovery. There isn't a setting high enough that'll stop someone who has a billion dollar budget from the US government if you're really on their hit list. – SecurityMatt – 2012-03-11T18:12:45.267
1After single pass zeros you'll still need special equipment to read previous contents of disk. You can't do this with any software and actually you cant even use original heads for reading after single pass zero filled disk. – Sampo Sarrala - codidact.org – 2014-03-27T18:29:59.820
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Microsoft offers a free Windows Sysinternals program called SDelete which should do what you're looking for. It seems to perform the same function as shred does on Linux systems.
See: https://technet.microsoft.com/en-us/magazine/dd334519.aspx
Also: Shredding files in windows
Hope that helps.
DrDR
Posted 2009-09-01T20:35:55.867
Reputation: 311
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The excellent PortableApps has two cleaner programs:
Andomar
Posted 2009-09-01T20:35:55.867
Reputation: 1 221
1
Keep using your PC. After, say, a week, there'll be nothing left to recover. The only times when recovering is really, really effective is when people get their hands on drives that were just quick-reformatted and then sold, nothing else done to them.
Phoshi
Posted 2009-09-01T20:35:55.867
Reputation: 22 001
2That completely depend on how much there was data, and how computer is used for those few weeks, or months. I would not rely on dice rolls... it might be that almost all data is still readable if you only work on small files and regularly clean your browser's caches. – Sampo Sarrala - codidact.org – 2015-06-29T21:37:00.760
1Do you have any sources to back this answer up? It seems spurious at best. – Hashim – 2017-09-03T22:06:51.637
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Have you tried File Shredder?
Tiago Veloso
Posted 2009-09-01T20:35:55.867
Reputation: 1 072
That installer has more adware than anything I've ever seen. Unless you do the advanced install, uncheck everything, and decline most of the apparent "license agreements" you'll end up installing half a dozen browser toolbars and similar junk. – TrueWill – 2014-02-07T16:00:04.430
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There is a program called Prevent Restore, but I have never used it and never heard of the author, so I can't vouch for its quality.
CCleaner has the option to securely clear the Recycle Bin and Temp files, but not those that you have already deleted.
Dan Walker
Posted 2009-09-01T20:35:55.867
Reputation: 8 869
0
If it's an SSD then you can be much more thorough- using the "secure erase" command.
Austin ''Danger'' Powers
Posted 2009-09-01T20:35:55.867
Reputation: 5 992
-1
You can always checkout www.fileshredder.org They have an option to shred non localized disk space.
Meiko
Posted 2009-09-01T20:35:55.867
Reputation: 95
1Please see my comment under Tiago's answer. The installer is full of deceptive adware. – TrueWill – 2014-02-07T16:01:30.013
Didn't know Eraser had that option - good choice! – Dan Walker – 2009-09-01T20:41:05.203
Thank you, Eraser looks wonderful. I just wiped a whole load of files from my computer and was about to post a question, when whola! there you go, there's an answer just right there! – ymasood – 2009-09-01T22:28:59.010