Overwriting sectors, Java cache, & USB portable?

[scbeekeeper]

Hi to all,

 

New to the forum, 1st post.

 

I absolutely LOVE CCleaner and use it regularly (love the right click context menu option for no-brain cleaning), but have a few questions regarding it (vs. a couple other cleaners).

 

When it cleans, I know it has varying levels of data file overwriting (mine's set at NSA - 7 passes), but does that mean it automatically overwrites (and "cleans") the _sectors_ where the data file was written?? I know "SuperShredder" claimed to do this, but unistalled it when I found it had some malware incorporated into it. Is "secure file deletion" the same as or different from "sector cleaning"??

 

Also, does CCleaner clean the Java cache, too? Is that what the toggle is on "Applications"? ( I have SunJava RE v5.0 Update 9 installed.)

 

Any advice on settings and use of the "Applications" menu, too, would be greatly appreciated, as I'm deathly afraid of messing up my freshly installed apps and OS after my recent HD crash and reformat/re-install. Want to optimize, and NOT backtrack again. (Ghost images often, but not using restore points to forestall virus problems.)

 

In other's opinions, is there any need to have any of the other standalone freeware cleaners?? I've used plenty before I found this one, and consider it to be the best, by far, but don't know if there are other features that others offer that I'm not aware of.

 

One last question: I'm amassing a pertty good selection of USB-portable apps for my travels and work on various different computers, and am wondering if there is a CCleaner portable version already out, or one in the works?? Would love to use it instead of the other portables I presently use.

 

Thanks in advance!

Any and all thoughts and feedback are much appreciated!

 

SCbeekeeper

[hazelnut]

Just to start you off here is a bit of reading for you

 

http://forum.ccleaner.com/index.php?showtopic=5707

 

http://www.internetrotsyourbrain.com/ccleanerbeginnersguide/

 

and welcome to the forum scbeekeeper

[Oliver]

scbeekeeper wrote:

[...] but does that mean it automatically overwrites (and "cleans") the _sectors_ where the data file was written?? [...]

a. in a literal sense the sectors are not really "cleaned" - they are just overwritten multiple times. The term "cleaning" is misleading since it is not actually possible to "clean" or "eleminate" old data from a harddisk in order to relegate it back into a condition like pure snow.

 

b. if such a "cleaning" (wiping) is of such a strong importance to you, I fear CCleaner wouldn?t be the right tool for you to do the job. You?d better refer to a separate program like Eraser.

 

Concerning your last question:

 

http://software-today.com/content/view/35/56/

 

 

Oliver