erase deleted files permanantly
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2002
Posts: 813
Likes: 0
From: NJ
i believe that if you go to find files and folders and delete them from there they would be permantly deleted. but until you defrag someone that knows what they are doing can still retrieve them.when you defrag the sectors of your drive get written over and then you cant retrive the files.
Lead Driver
Joined: Dec 2003
Posts: 6,773
Likes: 7
From: On the road in Ohio
Here some info you deleting files in windows , but the most secure way is with a hammer to the hard drive 
and then a torch 
then consum the ashes 
try this.
http://www.softwarepatch.com/tips/howto-delete-xp.html
and then a torch then consum the ashes try this.
http://www.softwarepatch.com/tips/howto-delete-xp.html
Despite all its quirks, Windows does do some things for a good reason. Some files need to be locked down when they are in use, otherwise you risk damaging the file or harming the Operating System. Unfortunately Windows XP seems to be plagued by files that cannot be deleted. These are frequently simple files like videos (AVI), MP3s or other seemingly harmless files. You try to delete the file, Windows waits a few seconds before announcing that access is denied, the file is currently in use and cannot be deleted. However, you know it's not in use and you just want it deleted.
If you have encountered this problem, here is a step-by-step process for trying to purge the files you can't delete. It starts with the basics for Windows XP and moves on to more involved tricks. The process will work for all recent Windows releases, but Windows XP has been causing the most the problems, so we will focus on it. Please note: we are assuming that the file is not crucial to the operation of Windows - deleting important system files can cause havoc.
If you have encountered this problem, here is a step-by-step process for trying to purge the files you can't delete. It starts with the basics for Windows XP and moves on to more involved tricks. The process will work for all recent Windows releases, but Windows XP has been causing the most the problems, so we will focus on it. Please note: we are assuming that the file is not crucial to the operation of Windows - deleting important system files can cause havoc.
Elder User
Joined: Apr 2004
Posts: 545
Likes: 1
From: Shreveport, La.
Yes, they are still on the hard drive. A simple emptying of the trash bin only rewrites the first character or two of the file's ID tag.
If you want them to go away as in non-recoverable, there's several ways.
The easiest way is to purchase a program that does the 'wipe out' for you.
There are many such programs out there. Check out the Kim Komando web site for reviews and suggestions. Or- Go to your favorite software store, just tell them what you want to do and they'll point you in the right direction.
Do read the specifics on the boxes, each program has its version of bells and whistles, you might find one that you really like.
If you want them to go away as in non-recoverable, there's several ways.
The easiest way is to purchase a program that does the 'wipe out' for you.
There are many such programs out there. Check out the Kim Komando web site for reviews and suggestions. Or- Go to your favorite software store, just tell them what you want to do and they'll point you in the right direction.
Do read the specifics on the boxes, each program has its version of bells and whistles, you might find one that you really like.
Post Fiend
Joined: Jun 2002
Posts: 13,873
Likes: 3
From: Atlanta GA
> Even though I drag files to the waste basket, aren't they still on my hard drive?
Yes, just empty the waste basket. As someone mentioned earlier, the only real way in a high security situation to 100% remove files is to destroy the media they are on.
Good data recovery services, including the police, can even pull files from a low level formatted drive, unless you use a SCSI drive and controller for your data and you know how to set things such as interleaf and stuff.
Yes, just empty the waste basket. As someone mentioned earlier, the only real way in a high security situation to 100% remove files is to destroy the media they are on.
Good data recovery services, including the police, can even pull files from a low level formatted drive, unless you use a SCSI drive and controller for your data and you know how to set things such as interleaf and stuff.
Freshman User
Joined: Feb 2005
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Lead Driver
Joined: Feb 2003
Posts: 8,140
Likes: 4
From: Oak Harbor, OH
About once every six months I do a process called writing zeros to the drive. There is usually a utility that will do this on the cd that comes with the HDD. That is the only way to really delete the files. MSDOS used to have an undelete program that would re-write the first few bytes and make the file re-appear.
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Elder User
Joined: Nov 2002
Posts: 543
Likes: 1
From: South East Texas
The files are still on the drive when you delete them unless something gets written over them in that place on the disk. Deleting stuff tells the FAT that area of the disk is available to write to. If nothing has been written over them yet, then there are several programs out there that can recover them. I use one called Recover4All Just in case something gets deleted by accident.
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