11 replies to this topic

[DanielIT]

in Recuva I find the option Secure Delete
It allows to erase found files
I search for deleted files and can recover these files or "sanitize"
Is sanitize similar to use a program like Eraser?
I apologize, but I am not expert of computer

[Augeas]

Secure Delete in Recuva overwrites the file with zeros, the file can not then be recovered. Rgds.

[DanielIT]

thank you, Augeas.

[puteruser]

I guess I don't understand. Once Recuva secure deletes the file, shouldn't it remove the staggling fileheader? A subsequent scan after running secure delete still shows 16000+ files listed as potentially recoverable.

Am I doing something wrong.

[Augeas]

No, you're not doing anything wrong. Recuva does leave the filename in the MFT, I think there was some mention of having the option to remove the name at some point in the future. I think that Recuva's secure delete option should also rename the file, as CCleaner does. Rgds.

[Idaho Cliff]

Augeas, on Feb 5 2008, 08:04 AM, said:

Secure Delete in Recuva overwrites the file with zeros, the file can not then be recovered. Rgds.

How do I access the "Secure Delete" Feature in Recuva? When I select files I have no option to do a secure delete.

For some files I was able to restore them to their orginal directory and then re-delete them using CCleaner (set to do a one pass secrure delete). But that only works where I can restore them to a directory that has been emptied. I couldn't figure how to do that for files that had been deleted from the Recycle Bin either. I tried restoring them to an empy directory but the deleted file info from the Recycle bin was still there.

I have the free version of Recuva V1.10.223 on Windows XP.

EDIT: I guess I solved my problem. I found that if I did a Right Mouse-Click I got several more options, including one to do a secure delete. That seems to be the only way to get this and several other options. If I'm missing something, let me know. I also didn't find that instruction in the Beginners Guide (maybe I missed it).

FWIW: It would be great if there were a means of "completely" deleting the file name too. At least I don't think that's possbible yet.

It still looks like there may be some advantage in using the CCleaner Secure Delete (where it's possible to delete the entire contents of a given folder), rather than a normal delete (to the recycle bin) and then using Recuva

/s/ Cliff

[Augeas]

Correct on all points except the first. If you restore any deleted file then the original deleted copy will remain on the disk, so whatever you do to the restored file will not affect the original deleted file in the slightest.

Yes, it would be snazzy if Recuva could rename the deleted files it is erasing. Perhaps that will come.

Personally I hardly ever bother with the recycle bin. I throw my rubbish into a folder and wipe that with CC now and again.

[JDPower]

Augeas, on Feb 12 2008, 11:28 AM, said:

Personally I hardly ever bother with the recycle bin. I throw my rubbish into a folder and wipe that with CC now and again.

I use Eraser and just right click>Erase (does a better deletion job than CCleaners secure delete unfortunately)

[Augeas]

Yes, that option would be handy.

[Idaho Cliff]

Augeas, on Feb 12 2008, 04:28 AM, said:

Personally I hardly ever bother with the recycle bin. I throw my rubbish into a folder and wipe that with CC now and again.

JDPower, on Feb 12 2008, 10:21 AM, said:

I use Eraser and just right click>Erase (does a better deletion job than CCleaners secure delete unfortunately)

Thank you both for your quick replies.
After reviewing several forums, it looks like Eraser may be the way to go. I even saw a post where Spybot is no longer supporting their Secure Delete and they are recommending Eraser.

It looked to me like the Eraser "Erase Unused Space" option would be the way to go, at least periodically. It is a bit scary to try something like that, however. I have a 120 GB Hard Drive with a C and H partition. Maybe I'll try the H partion first. I do have most of the files on the C drive backed up up on an external USB drive and I could live without the data on the H drive. But it would be a disaster for me if I couldn't boot up. (As stated before, I have Windows XP SP2 with all updates as of yesterday [will have some more tonight]).

I also was wondering if I should do a disk defrag before or after doing an Erase Unused Space, or both?

I assume the I should go ahead and download the Eraser Version 5.86a, although version 5.7 is still available for some reason.
/s/ Cliff

[JDPower]

Idaho Cliff, on Feb 13 2008, 02:15 AM, said:

I also was wondering if I should do a disk defrag before or after doing an Erase Unused Space, or both?

I would defrag before doing it. Should (IMO) make the job a little easier and quicker for Eraser

[juju]

JDPower, on Feb 13 2008, 03:34 AM, said:

I would defrag before doing it. Should (IMO) make the job a little easier and quicker for Eraser

This is not actually the case, it is better to erase then defrag. Defraging first results in files getting moved around and as a result the free disk space wipe can potentially miss parts of files. Erasing first means that you ensure that all deleted files get over written securely.

For the paranoid++ people, it'd be worth doing, an erase followed by a defrag followed by another erase