It is possible to get rid of his files. Secure deletion of individual files

Read, how to quickly and easily clean the system disk of your computer or laptop from unnecessary files. Built in Windows tool Disk Cleanup can quickly clean up system files and thus free up hard drive space. But not all files need to be deleted (although this option is present). For example, it is not advisable to delete temporary Windows 10 installation files, although the system says that they can be deleted without consequences.

For the most part, using the tool you can safely delete all the files specified in it. This will not appear in any way on Windows. But, this may make it impossible to install updates or rollback in case of system failures, as well as diagnose and solve problems and errors. Therefore, it is always necessary to understand which files to delete and for what purpose, and also weigh the importance of freeing up disk space and the files that can be deleted for this.

To launch the tool, click right click mouse on system disk and press the button. The tool will immediately scan the disk and display a list of files that it can delete. But exactly the files that can be deleted using the access of the current user account will be displayed.

In order to be able to clean up system files, the account must have administrator rights.

To delete one of the proposed groups of files, select it. To avoid deleting, remove the selection. The total volume of files that can, in principle, be deleted is indicated at the top of the window. At the bottom, the volume that will be freed as a result of deleting selected groups of files is indicated. Click "Ok", and will delete the selected groups of files.

How important are temporary Windows installation files (ESD)?

Windows 10 has temporary installation files that can also be deleted using the . They usually take up quite a lot of space - it can be more than 5 gigabytes. But this group of files is very important and deleting them can cause problems for the user over time.

These files are used by the system to reset the system to factory settings (function "Return the computer to its original state"). If you delete them, you can free up quite a lot of disk space, but then you will not be able to reset the system if necessary. To do this you must use installation disk. Therefore, it is not recommended to delete such files.

Other files that can be deleted using Disk Cleanup

Let's also look at other groups of files and what functions they perform. But keep in mind that this list files was compiled on a specific Windows 10 computer, it may differ slightly on other computers. Some files may be present on one computer but not on another.

• Windows Update Log Files. When you install updates using Windows Update(Windows Update), Windows keeps older versions of system files. As a result, the user can delete installed updates. But if the system update function is disabled or you do not plan to remove installed updates, then these files can be deleted.
• Windows Defender. this is a group of non-critical files that are used Windows Defender. Microsoft does not explain the purpose of these files, but they are most likely temporary files. You can safely delete them; this will not affect the operation of the antivirus built into Windows 10.
• Downloaded program files. Temporarily stored in this folder ActiveX controls And Java applications, automatically downloaded from the Internet when viewing certain pages.
• Temporary Internet files. The folder contains web pages stored on your hard drive to speed up browsing. They can be deleted, but this folder will again be filled with the browser cache. This applies to the built-in Microsoft browser Edge. Google Chrome or Mozilla Firefox have their own cache stores. It is worth noting that clearing the browser cache slows down the browser.
• Memory dump files for system errors. If a blue screen error (BSoD) occurs, the system creates a memory dump file that can be used to determine the cause. If the error problem is resolved or you do not plan to deal with it (for example, it no longer occurs), then these files can be deleted.
• System archives of error reports. If the software crashes, Windows creates a bug report and sends it to Microsoft. Using these reports, you can identify and solve the problem. If the user does not intend to look for solutions to system errors, then he does not need report archives.
• System error reporting queue. The same as , only with a queue of reports that have not yet been sent to Microsoft.
• Windows installation temporary files. The most important group of files. These files are used for the “Reset the computer to its original state” function. If you remove them, you can return the computer to its original state only by using the Windows installation disk.
• Delivery optimization files. These are files that were previously downloaded to your computer and may be deleted if they are not used by the Delivery Optimization service. Windows Update Delivery Optimization allows you to receive Windows updates and Windows Store apps from sources other than Microsoft. This feature helps download updates and applications faster in case of limited or unreliable Internet connection.
• Device driver packages. Windows retains all old driver versions. Using this package you can remove old unnecessary versions of drivers. Only the latest driver versions will remain.
• Previous versions Windows. If you update Windows 7/8 to 10, the system creates a folder on your hard drive with the old version of Windows, which it will delete after 30 days. Using this folder, during this time the user can return to old version Windows. If you do not use the return, the folder itself will be deleted after 30 days. If you don't need to go back to the pre-upgrade version of Windows, you can delete these files using "Disk Cleanup".
• Basket. Check this folder, and among other things, will empty the Trash.
• Temporary files. Programs sometimes store temporary information in the TEMP folder. Before closing such programs, this information is usually deleted. Temporary files that are stored for more than a week will be deleted.
• Sketches. Windows creates page thumbnails for images, videos, or documents so they can be quickly displayed when you open a folder. Once these thumbnails are deleted, they will be automatically restored if necessary.

Also, when cleaning the disk, you can see others in the list of files to be deleted. They are not always present, but may appear if they are present on the computer or in other Windows versions(eg Windows 7):

• Temporary installation files. Sometimes programs create installation files during installation and then do not automatically delete them. By checking this option, such files will be deleted.
• Offline web pages. Offline web pages are web pages that are stored on your computer. They can be viewed without an Internet connection.
• Debug dump files. These are debug files that are created after a crash to resolve the cause.
• User Archives of Bug Reports. Same as "System error report archives"
• Bug reporting user queue. Same as "System error reporting queue", but saved in the user account and not in the system.
• Old CHKDSK files. The CHKDSK tool runs when the file is corrupted. hard systems disk. Fragments of damaged files are stored in this folder.
• Game statistics files. Statistics of games built into the operating system.
• Installation log files. These files are created during program installation. They can help identify the problem if it occurs.
• System errors minidump files. These are smaller memory dump files that are created when errors occur blue screen(BSoD). They take up less space but can carry important information about problem identification.
• Postponed Windows update files. These are system files that are no longer needed as a result of a Windows update.

In conclusion, we can say that using the tool "Cleaning" disk, you can delete all offered files if you do not plan

Most people have information on their computer that they would not like to share with others - passwords, personal information, financial reports. The list goes on for a long time. This is especially true for Russian national revolutionaries, against whom the Turkish authorities have declared a real hunt. We store on our computers prohibited literature, data about comrades-in-arms, lists of enemies of the people, books that describe methods of making explosives, our own articles, which often fall under the Russophobic Articles 280/282. Criminal Code of the Russian Federation and much more that may be of interest to the dogs of the System.
Naturally, to store such information, you should use encryption disks created using the True Crypt data encryption program.
Read more about this in the instructions: https://nordrus.info/security/TrueCrypt_manual_Windows.pdf
However, while working on a computer, each user has to delete certain files, get rid of information that has become unnecessary, which, nevertheless, can compromise you in the eyes of the competent authorities, telling them that you are not as simple as you seem at first glance . To delete information we use standard deletion OS means. However, standard file deletion is not reliable. When you delete a file, you assume that the data has been destroyed. Actually this is not true. When you delete a file, the operating system does not actually delete the file from hard drive; it only removes the file reference from the file system. That is, the file is only marked as deleted, but physically it remains on the disk until another file is created on top of it, and even after that the deleted data can be recovered by studying the magnetic fields on the surface of the hard disk.
Before the file is overwritten, anyone can easily recover it using commonly used programs. For example, you wrote a radical article in which you tell how local officials in alliance with the Caucasian mafia are terrorizing your city. Or you've compiled a quick guide to making explosives at home. Then you published this material on the Internet in your LiveJournal or on your website. Naturally, the file that contains this material should be deleted. Otherwise, when this file is discovered on your computer and information about it is analyzed, it will be clear that you are the author of this material, even if you are hiding under an Internet pseudonym. However, as we have already said, when deleting a file normally standard means The OS file is only marked as deleted, but physically remains on the hard drive. This means that if a search is carried out on you and your computer is confiscated (this is not uncommon now), the gray ones will easily restore the file and all the information about it. To be sure that a file is physically deleted from the hard drive, its contents must be rewritten in a certain way before deletion. It should be noted that there are certain problems in securely deleting a file, mainly caused by the design of the hard drive and the use of data encoding. These issues must be taken into account when rewriting.
In addition, you have probably already deleted data from your hard drive and temporary files, possibly containing confidential information, using standard OS tools. This data is still on your computer's hard drive. In this case, overwriting unused disk space will help you. Overwriting unused disk space means that all hard drive space marked as empty will be overwritten so that previously deleted data cannot be recovered.
To solve these problems, we recommend using the Eraser program. With Eraser, you can safely delete private data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times.
Eraser gives you the ability to regularly overwrite unused disk space to remove remnants of temporary files and other sensitive information that you previously stored on your hard drive.
For more full use For all the functionality of Eraser, it is preferable to use it not portable, but stationary installed version this program.

1. Installation and configuration of Eraser

Download installation file programs. Download link:
- If you need a portable version of the program, download it by following the link:

- To start installation, double-click the left mouse button on the installation file.
- In the window that opens, click the "Next" button.

In the next window, check the "I accept the terms of the license agreement" checkbox and click the "Next" button.

Select the installation location for the program and click the "Next" button.

In the next window, click the "Next" button.

Select "Anyone who uses this computer (all users)" and click the "Next" button.

Wait until the program is installed.

Click the "Finish" button.

Click the "Next" button.

The program will start automatically. In the upper left corner of the window that opens there is the main menu of the program. Go to Edit - Preferences - General... In the window that opens, you can see the basic settings of the program.
- Check the boxes in this window as shown in the screenshot.

In the same window, click the "Set protection" button. In the window that appears, you can set a password for the program. Enter your password and confirm it. Click OK. You will now need to enter a password to access Eraser.

Go to the "Scheduler" tab. Check the boxes as shown in the screenshot and click OK

In the main program window, go to Edit - Preferences - Erasing...
- In the "Erasing with" section, select "Gutmann". Also make sure all checkboxes are checked.

Go to the "Unused Disk Space" tab. In the "Erasing with" section, select "Pseudorandom Data". Make sure all checkboxes are checked. Click OK.

2. Securely erase data from your hard drive

The Eraser program allows you to physically delete data (files, folders) from your hard drive and overwrite the place on the disk where the data was located. This is a guarantee that the data you delete will not be restored using third party programs. We recommend deleting any files using Eraser. We do not recommend using the standard deletion that is used in Windows, nor do we recommend using the Recycle Bin.

2.1. Deleting a directory (folder) or file in the desktop version of the program

Right-click on the file you want to delete and select Erase from the menu that appears.

To confirm the deletion, click the "Yes" button in the window that opens.

Wait while the program deletes the file.

If you are using the portable version of Eraser, then you need to note that the process of deleting a directory (folder) and the process of deleting a file are different.

2.2. Deleting a directory (folder) in portable version programs

Launch the program.

In the "Task Properties" window that opens, select "Files in folder".
- Check the "Subfolders" and "Remove folder(s)" checkboxes. If you want to delete only the contents of a directory (folder), without deleting the directory (folder) itself, also check the "Only subfolders" checkbox. If you want to delete the directory (folder) itself, and not just its contents, then you do not need to check this box.
- By clicking the button, select the directory (folder) you want to delete. Click OK.

Wait until the program deletes the selected directory (folder).

You can stop deletion at any time by clicking the "Stop" button.

2.3. Deleting a file in the portable version of the program

Launch the program.
- Go to the main menu of the program Task - New Task...

In the "Task Properties" window that opens, select "File".
- Check the "Use wildcards" and "Include subfolders" checkboxes.
- Click the button to select the file you want to delete. Click OK.

In the main program window will appear new task. Select it by clicking on it once with the left mouse button.
- Go to the main menu of the program Task - Run...

To confirm, click “Yes” in the window that appears.

Wait while the program deletes the selected file.

You can stop deletion at any time by clicking the "Stop" button.

3. Safely move a file from one directory to another

Eraser allows you to move a file from one directory to another in such a way that no traces of the moved file remain in the first directory.
- By right-clicking on the selected file, select Eraser Secure Move from the menu.

Select the directory where you need to move the file and click OK.

To confirm, click the "Yes" button.

Wait while the program moves the selected file. Please note that this file will be deleted from the previous directory without the possibility of recovery.

The portable version of Eraser does not have a secure file transfer feature.

4. Overwrite unused disk space

With Eraser, you can overwrite unused space on your hard drive or portable USB device. This allows you to finally get rid of various debris and small traces of your work on the computer.

4.1. Overwriting unused disk space in the desktop version of the program

Right-click the drive or USB device whose unused space you want to erase and select Erase Unused Space from the menu that appears.

To confirm the overwrite, click “Yes” in the window that opens.

4.2. Overwriting unused disk space in a portable version of the program

Launch the program.
- Go to the main menu of the program Task - New Task...

In the "Task Properties" window that opens, select "Unused space on drive". Select the drive or USB device whose unused space you want to overwrite from the drop-down list and click OK.

A new task will appear in the main program window. Select it by clicking on it once with the left mouse button.
- Go to the main menu of the program Task - Run...

To confirm, click “Yes” in the window that appears.

Wait while the program cleans up unused disk space.

You can stop dubbing at any time by clicking the "Stop" button.

When writing the instructions, materials from the site were used

Or documents with passwords.

Or even worse, when your information falls into the hands of not just an ordinary curious person, but professionals who know how to use the obtained data to rake money from you.

You may say, “That would never happen to me.” “I always delete all files” or “I always format the disk before it goes into the wrong hands.” Not so simple. The data still remains on the disk.

When you delete a file, it is not completely deleted. The file data remains on the disk until it is overwritten. About the same thing happens when you format HDD. Most of the data remains the same. The disc is simply completely free for recording.

To protect yourself, you need to overwrite/delete/erase all important information. Also, in the Window OS, you need to clear the “swap file”, as it may contain your confidential data.

• For data security on large hard drives, one pass of data rewriting is more than enough.

  The best practice, of course, is to regularly overwrite free disk space. I found virtually nothing on the overwritten space of the large disk. With just one overwrite with random data, PC Inspecot File Recovery didn't find anything useful, or found a bunch of files filled with random data.

  However, on disks small size the data can be recovered, but this largely depends on the pattern used to fill it empty space random data.

• Since cleaning all the free space takes quite a lot big time You can only clean specific files. For specific files and folders it will be much easier and faster to overwrite information with random data. However, it should be taken into account that some media use a wear leveler at the hardware level, which may prevent normal disk cleaning.
• Currently, data cleaning programs also assume that it is necessary to erase data from the download file that is used in the Windows family. This can be done using the Ultimate program Windows Tweaker or following these instructions:

Clearing the swap file:

2. Go to the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management"

3. Create or change the ClearPageFileAtShutdown key of type (REG_DWORD) to the value 1

4. Restart your computer

Pagefile encryption (Vista or higher):

1. Launch Command Prompt.

2. Run the command "fsutil behavior set EncryptPagingFile 1".

3. Restart your computer.

• If you need to erase the entire disk before getting rid of it, then Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) is suitable for you. This utility is specially designed to clean the entire disk. But be prepared that you will have to spend time, since the disk already contains There will be nothing at all, including partitions.

Review of free data removal programs

Eraser is one of the most powerful tools for secure data removal

More programs for securely deleting data

• Revo Uninstaller (from the review of uninstallers): includes the "Unrecoverable Delete" utility for overwriting files, as well as the "Evidence Remover" utility for cleaning up free space.
• Recuva (from a review of file recovery programs): A program for file recovery. But it can also delete files found during recovery.
• EraserDrop: Has a good drag & drop interface. Allows you to quickly delete unnecessary files. Supports Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7.
• UltraShredder: A small program. Easy to use. And it can work from a flash drive. Supports Windows XP/2000/98/98SE.

An alternative with a slightly different plan is (DBAN). It is used to create a floppy disk (rare) or CD for automatic cleaning hard drives any computer that was booted from them. A great tool if you need to clean many computers, as well as if you quickly need to delete important information. However, in the hands of a beginner, this utility can become a dangerous weapon.

Good to know about secure data deletion

Do I need to do 35 passes?

If it's quick, then no. The current sizes of hard drives are becoming quite huge. And the chances of just finding 10Kb of your data on a 500GB disk are quite small. Therefore, several passes to fill with random data will be quite enough.

Why is it necessary to wash? Just to know what you deleted? Or that I have good manners?

• Stealing information is not paranoia. This is reality. Your information can be accessed by a virus that can easily crawl through your hard drive in search of a certain type of information. Or the person who got your hard drive can easily see what was interesting on it before.
• When I delete a file, that means I delete it!!! I don’t store it somewhere in a basket, or wait for someone to restore it. True, sometimes this is for the better.
• There are some types of programs that restore themselves after deletion, due to the fact that the file itself is not physically deleted.
• To protect confidential information from unauthorized persons.
• Some organizations require it as per their security policy. However, some of them may require more extreme actions.

Quick Guide (download free secure data deletion utilities)

eraser

		Works with any devices, including IDE, SCSI, RAID, CD-RW. Good scheduler. Rich in functionality. Good support. Quite informative reports.
		Consumes a lot system resources. Starts slower than File Shredder.

File Shredder

		Small. Easy to use. Has enough functionality to improve efficiency.
		Not everything is provided. No scheduled launch. Very small help.

CCleaner

		It works quite well and quickly. There is a portable version.
		It takes a lot of steps to finally get to the uninstall functions. Installs Yahoo Toolbar by default.

Deleting files – normal procedure when working with a computer, which is used several times a day. However, simply by sending files to the Recycle Bin and emptying it, you leave traces of data on the system that can then be used to recover deleted information. If you are not happy with this situation, then it will be useful for you to learn how to delete files without the possibility of recovery.

Normal deletion

Any user has sent files to the trash: to do this, right-click on it and select “Delete”. After this, the recycle bin is emptied, and unnecessary information seems to disappear from the computer.

Another way to get rid of an unnecessary file is to erase it immediately, without first sending it to the trash. To do this, you need to select it with the left button, and then press the key combination Shift+Delete.

A warning will appear asking you to confirm the action by clicking “Yes.”

You can configure deletion so that files are not sent to the trash in principle, even without pressing a certain key combination.

Now information will be immediately erased from the hard drive, bypassing temporary storage for deleted data.

Permanent deletion

If you deleted files and then emptied the Recycle Bin, then know that this information can be restored if desired. Fortunately, there are a lot of programs for performing such an operation, both paid and free.

The only way completely erase information - overwrite other data in its place. It is advisable to do this several times to completely destroy all traces of the deleted file.

You can't do this manually; but, with the support of special software, you will quickly perform the desired operation.

SDelete

To permanently delete data, you can use a utility from Microsoft called SDelete. This program operates through the command line, overwriting a remote file with random numbers.

1. Download the utility onto your computer.
2. Launch Command Prompt (press Win+R to open the Run menu and enter the command “cmd.exe”).
3. Specify the path to the folder in which the downloaded SDelete utility is stored using a command like “cd C:\downloads” and press Enter.
4. Use a command like “delete file path” to delete data you don’t need.

IN command line A message should appear indicating that the destruction of information was successful. After this you can close all windows.

Recuva

Recuva is commonly used to restore deleted files from a flash drive or hard drive. However, her functionality are often not used to their full potential, because with the help of this utility you can also erase information, leaving no chance of its recovery.

The first thing to do is erase the files in the usual way, sending them to the trash and then emptying it.

To delete data completely, you must first start the recovery procedure:

So, you have received a list of files that can be recovered. Now you need to destroy them, permanently erasing them from your hard drive.

Remember: the more rewrite cycles you specify, the higher the likelihood that the information will be completely and irrevocably deleted. Therefore, select 35 cycles at once and click “OK”.

Select the files you want to destroy, and then right-click in the main program window. Select "Securely remove marked ones."

A warning will appear on the screen in which you need to click “Yes” to start the process of permanently deleting the information.

After the procedure is completed, run Recuva to search and restore files again. Check that the data that you have securely deleted no longer appears in the list. If they are, try the steps described above again.

Far Manager

Using this file manager, you can not only manage data stored on your computer, but also permanently delete it from your hard drive.

1. Select the item you want to remove from your computer forever.
2. Press the Alt+Delete key combination or select “Destruction” from the “File” menu.
3. In the window that appears, confirm your intentions by clicking on the “Destroy” button.

If you delete one file, it will be destroyed immediately. When deleting a folder, another warning will appear, again asking you to confirm your intention.

Why erase data using a utility Far Manager can be considered reliable? Because the file will first be erased with zeros, then renamed randomly, and only then will it be sent into oblivion.

Eraser HDD

Another convenient and functional utility that allows you to permanently get rid of unnecessary information, called Eraser HDD and distributed as a portable application. The only drawback of this program is that it cannot delete separate files; You can only clean the entire disk.

Important: since the program completely cleans the disk (removing Windows and even itself), you need to run it from the second hard drive.

After confirming the removal of all data from the hard drive, a notification like this will appear:

By the way, in this way you can delete undeletable files without the help of other applications like Unlocker. Finally, another way to destroy data is to use CCleaner programs.

mysettings.ru

How to erase data without the possibility of recovery

It is known that information is of great importance. Due to the spread of IT technologies, users store a lot of data on a computer, laptop, removable hard drives and other similar devices. But sometimes important files can be accidentally deleted, in which case you need to restore them. Find out how to recover deleted data from your hard drive here. However, sometimes important information needs to be deleted, on the contrary, and manipulations must be made so that even the most advanced hackers cannot recover the data in the files. Therefore, today we decided to look at ways to erase a file without the possibility of data recovery.

Methods for permanently deleting data

There are three ways to completely delete information from any device. The first of them is mechanical. It consists in the fact that the device from which information needs to be erased is harmed mechanical damage, due to which it will not be recoverable. The essence of this method is simple - it is necessary to irreversibly destroy the working surface of the storage medium. Of course, this is the most expensive and crude method.

The second method is called hardware. In this case, the device is exposed to a magnetic field or radiation. This method is also quite expensive, and in order to carry out such a manipulation, you will need special equipment.

The last, quite effective method, which, moreover, can be done at home, is software. In other words, special software is used. We will consider this method of data deletion in more detail, since it is the most gentle with respect to the storage medium.

Problems deleting files

Before we talk about how to permanently delete data files, we should say a little about what exactly happens during the process of erasing information. Sometimes it happens that a file cannot be deleted; what to do in this case, read this article. Once you delete a file, the operating system does not physically remove it from the disk. It only marks it as deleted, performing the corresponding operations, including freeing the clusters that belonged to it and file records.

A cluster is a group of adjacent sectors with which the system conducts operations as a whole. A file record describes file attributes and the placement of clusters on disk.

So, after you delete the file, the clusters become free again, which is why they are used by others, again created files, which over time overwrite their predecessors. However, this may not happen soon. In addition, small pieces of information may remain intact, but in some cases it is important not to leave absolutely any data.

Recovery with Recuva

Let's turn to the Recuva program, which makes it possible to restore and delete data. There are both free and paid versions of this utility. Download this program only from reliable sources, as when downloading the program you may “catch” a virus. Therefore, it is important to install an antivirus program before downloading. Find out what antivirus programs there are here. So, first we just need to remove unnecessary information. To do this, files are selected, and then the Shift+Del button combination is used. In this situation, Shift is designed to ensure that information is not temporarily placed in the trash.

After the manipulations, we open the Recuva program and search for deleted files. In the window that appears, click the “Go to advanced mode” link, from where we go to Settings.

Here we need a Secure Delete button. You need to select as many rewrite cycles as possible. The higher given quantity, the more likely it is that the data will not be restored. Although, of course, the procedure may take long time.

You can check how securely the information was deleted if you use the same program, but restore the files. If the utility reports that this is impossible, you have done everything correctly.

Eraser HDD program

Another application that is used for data recovery is Eraser HDD. This program distributed free of charge. In addition, the advantage of the utility is that it is not required to be installed on your computer. This program is easy to use and quite effective.

How exactly to delete information is up to you to decide, and we have suggested ways to do such manipulations. Programs that are designed for complete removal There is quite a lot of information available on the Internet. They are commercial and freely available. At the same time, they will not harm the device while performing all the specified actions, so you don’t have to worry about the safety of your computer or laptop.

computerology.ru

Deleting files permanently

The topic of today's article is somewhat unusual. Today we will talk about how to permanently destroy data. Destroy them so that they cannot be restored even with the help of special programs or research hardware systems.

Deleting a file is not enough

Regular readers of our site already know that simply deleting a file is completely insufficient from the point of view information security. Deleted files (with rare exceptions in the form of SSD drives) can be restored within just a few minutes. This is due to the fact that when deleting Windows file does not destroy its contents, but simply makes a note in the file system that the file has been deleted and the disk space it occupies is free. Accordingly, the deleted file can be recovered using easy-to-use tools - for example, Hetman Uneraser.

Disk formatting

The very fact that tools like Hetman exist Partition Recovery, is a good indicator that formatted partitions are far from a guarantee of data security. In fact, with the exception of all the same SSD drives, formatting a partition in “fast” mode (and in older versions of Windows, formatting in “full” mode) does not erase data, but only resets the file system. Accordingly, data after such formatting can be restored.

However, it should be noted that completely formatting a disk using Windows Vista and Windows 7 will still overwrite the contents of the disk with zeros, and formatting an SSD disk in any way will most likely (but not one hundred percent) also lead to the destruction of data.

Data destruction programs

There is a whole class of programs designed for reliable and safe destruction of information. Such programs use arrays of random numbers to physically overwrite the disk space occupied by the file being destroyed. Some security standards (such as those used by the US Army) require multiple rewrite cycles and insist on the use of cryptographically strong random number generators. In practice, it's more like shooting sparrows from a cannon. For private users and most commercial organizations, a single rewrite cycle will be enough.

Finding such a program is easy - just search for the keywords “secure file deletion.” Free disk space is erased in a similar way - even the same programs are often used.

It should be noted that these methods only work with traditional magnetic storage, in which unambiguous addressing of physical space on the disk is possible. In case of SSD drives this is not the case, and the destruction of information on them is a separate and rather little-researched topic.

Destroying data on CDs and DVDs

When getting rid of old backups, be sure to destroy the data. The easiest way to destroy information on a CD or DVD is to physically destroy the media. Do not give in to the temptation to break the “blank” with your hands - you will most likely cut yourself with fragments, and small fragments of plastic and aluminum substrate will be found in the most unexpected places for a long time.

The easiest way to destroy disks is to use an office shredder equipped with a CD and DVD receiver. In addition to them, there are also specialized devices - by the way, they are not at all as expensive as one might think. For most purposes, it is normal to cut the disc into four strips.

There are also devices that render disks unusable by drilling several holes in them (by the way, you can make holes in the disk yourself using a regular drill). Experts consider this method less reliable compared to using a shredder.

Separately, it is worth mentioning device manufacturers safe storage information. DataTraveler and Silicon Power offer USB or hard drives that store information encrypted. To destroy access to the data of such devices, it is enough to delete the decryption key. Hard drive data recovery software will not be able to decrypt the contents and will be absolutely useless.

We can also mention the heating of the disks, leading to the destruction of the translucent information layer. Like other methods, this method should be used only in specialized devices - overheated “blanks” can quickly melt.

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How to permanently delete files

If you read my article “How to Recover Deleted Files,” then you already know that physically deleting data from your computer is not that easy. They are quite easy to restore later. Today I will teach you how to delete files without the possibility of their subsequent recovery.

Some readers may wonder why this might be needed at all. The reasons can be very different. But the most popular option is to sell your old computer (or simply digital media, like a flash drive or hard drive). After all, few people want personal documents, photographs or videos to fall into the hands of strangers.

And some users also store files with passwords from various Internet resources on their computers. Imagine for a second that someone had the data to access your account on the Yandex.Money project or something similar.

Meanwhile, it is quite possible to delete data so that it cannot be restored. For this we need special software. The principle of its operation, as a rule, is that it clogs clusters with fragments of a file that needs to be deleted, with arbitrary information. That is, it physically overwrites it. As a result, even if the file is detected by the recovery program, it will not be able to restore it.

Since our priority is free programs, we will turn to the already familiar Recuva program, which has free version and can not only restore deleted files, but also reliably delete them.

So, to securely erase data, first we simply delete it. To do this, it is best to select the files to be deleted and press the Shift+Del button combination. Usage Shift keys allows you to delete a file without placing it in the trash.

Now we launch the Recuva program and look for the files we deleted. How to do this is described in detail in the article “How to Recover Deleted Files.” But we won’t restore them.

Perform the procedure for searching for deleted files, as described in the specified article (it is better to search not in specific folder, but across the entire disk, since the file could previously be moved). You should get a list of deleted files. Click the "Go to advanced mode" button.

The window will change appearance. As you can see, the “Settings” button has appeared. Click it.

In the settings we are interested in the “Secure removal” item. We must select the number of cycles to overwrite deleted files. The more of these cycles, the greater the guarantee that the deleted file cannot be restored, but it will take longer. In my opinion, it is better to play it safe and choose maximum amount cycles. After all, we need positive result, otherwise why would we even take on this, right? We select the parameters that suit us and click “Ok”.

We mark the files that we need to securely delete, right-click and in the context menu that appears, select the “Securely delete marked” item.

When asked whether we really want to destroy these files, we answer positively. And we wait for the procedure for securely deleting files to complete, after which we click “Ok”.

That's all. To check how everything went, you can try to recover your data using the article “How to recover deleted files”. Moreover, if you have used a small number of rewrite cycles, I highly recommend doing this to ensure that your files are truly securely deleted.

If the recovery process fails, then you did everything right. If you still managed to recover some files, repeat the procedure again, not skimping on the number of rewrite cycles.

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You can send your questions for the section “ Free help» to the address: In the subject of the letter write “Free help”.

When deciding to clean up a hard drive, users usually use formatting or manual removal files from Windows Recycle Bin. However, these methods do not guarantee complete erasure of data, and with the help of special tools you can recover files and documents that were previously stored on the HDD.

If there is a need to completely get rid of important files so that no one else can restore them, standard methods operating system will not help. For these purposes, programs are used to completely delete data, including those deleted by conventional methods.

If files have already been deleted from the HDD, but you want to erase them permanently, then you need to use special software. Similar software solutions allow you to overwrite files so that later they will be impossible to recover even with the help of professional tools.

In short, the principle is as follows:

1. You are deleting a file "X"(for example, through the “Trash”), and it disappears from your field of view.
2. Physically it remains on the disk, but the cell where it is stored is marked free.
3. When new files are written to disk, the cell marked as free is used and the file is overwritten "X" new. If the cell was not used when saving a new file, then the previously deleted file "X" remains on the hard drive.
4. After repeatedly overwriting the data on the cell (2-3 times), the initially deleted file "X" finally ceases to exist. If the file takes up more space than one cell, then in this case we are talking only about a fragment "X".

Therefore, you yourself can delete unnecessary files so that they cannot be restored. To do this, you need to write down everything 2-3 times free space any other files. However, this option is very inconvenient, so users usually prefer software tools that, using more complex mechanisms, do not allow them to recover deleted files.

Method 1: CCleaner

A well-known program designed to clean your hard drive of debris, it can also reliably delete data. At the user's request, you can clear the entire drive or just free space using one of four algorithms. In the second case, all system and user files will remain untouched, but the unoccupied space will be securely erased and inaccessible for restoration.

Method 2: Eraser

Eraser, like CCleaner, is easy and free to use. It can reliably delete files and folders that the user wants to get rid of, and in addition to this, it cleans up free disk space. The user can choose one of 14 deletion algorithms at his discretion.

The program is built into context menu, therefore, by clicking on unnecessary file with the right mouse button you can immediately send it for deletion in Eraser. A small minus is the lack of Russian in the interface, however, as a rule, basic knowledge of English is sufficient.

Method 3: File Shredder

The File Shredder program is similar in its operation to the previous one, Eraser. Through it you can also permanently delete unnecessary and confidential data and erase free space on the HDD. The program is built into Explorer and can be called by right-clicking on an unnecessary file.

There are only 5 erasure algorithms, but this is quite enough to safely delete information.

Note: Despite the fact that use similar programs very simple, this does not guarantee complete data deletion if only part of the disk is overwritten.

For example, if there is a need to permanently delete an image, but the OS has thumbnail display enabled, then simply deleting the file will not help. A knowledgeable person will be able to restore it using a photo that stores sketches. A similar situation is with the paging file and other system documents that store copies or sketches of any user data.

Method 4: Multiple formatting

Normal formatting of the hard drive, of course, will not delete any data, but will only hide it. A reliable way to delete all data from a hard drive without the possibility of recovery is to perform a full format and change the file system type.

So, if you use the NTFS file system, then you need to complete(not fast) formatting to FAT and then again to NTFS. Additionally, you can mark up the drive by dividing it into several sections. After such manipulations, there is practically no chance of data recovery.

If you have to work with the hard drive where the operating system is installed, then all manipulations must be performed before booting. For this you can use bootable USB flash drive with the OS or a special program for working with disks.

Let's look at the process of multiple full formatting with changing the file system and partitioning the disk.

1. Create a bootable USB flash drive with the desired operating system or use an existing one. On our website you can find instructions for creating a bootable flash with,.
2. Connect the USB flash drive to your PC and make it the main one boot device via BIOS.

   In AMI BIOS: Boot > 1st Boot Priority > Your flash

   

   In Award BIOS: > Advanced BIOS Features > First Boot Device > Your flash

   

   Click F10, and then "Y" to save settings.

3. Before installing Windows 7, click on the link "System Restore".

   

   In Windows 7 you are taken to "System Recovery Options", where you need to select the item "Command line".

   

   Before installing Windows 8 or 10, also click on the link "System Restore".

   

4. From the recovery menu, select "Troubleshooting".

   

5. Then "Extra options".

   

6. Select "Command line".

   

7. The system may prompt you to select a profile and also enter a password for it. If the password is account not installed, skip input and press "Continue".
8. If you need to find out the real letter of the drive (provided that several HDDs are installed, or you only need to format the partition), enter the command in cmd

   wmic logicaldisk get deviceid, volumename, size, description

   and press Enter.

   

9. Based on the size (in the table it is in bytes), you can determine which letter of the desired volume/partition is real, and not assigned by the operating system. This will protect against random formatting the wrong drive.
10. For complete formatting with changing the file system, write the command

    format /FS:FAT32 X: - if your hard drive currently has a file NTFS system
    format /FS:NTFS X: - if your hard drive currently has a FAT32 file system

    

    Instead of X Substitute the letter of your drive.

    Do not add a parameter to the command /q- he is responsible for quick formatting, after which file recovery can still be done. You only need to do a complete formatting!

11. After formatting is complete, write the command from the previous step again, only with a different file system. That is, the formatting chain should be like this:

    NTFS > FAT32 > NTFS

    FAT32 > NTFS > FAT32

    After this, the installation of the system can be canceled or continued.