Wiping free space & securely deleting files

[majax01]

1) What is the most effective program that you could recommend for wiping over free hard drive space?

2) What program can you recommend that will securely delete an individual file?

Free or pay doesn’t matter. I’m using Windows XP is that matters.

Also, if I understand this correctly, after a Gutmann pass the data cannot be read by anyone, not even the government? I tried researching all this security stuff but I got a headache 20 minutes in, lol.

Thanks in advance.

[J_L]

1) Darik's Boot and Nuke

2) Eraser

[The Hammer]

Originally Posted by majax01

1) What is the most effective program that you could recommend for wiping over free hard drive space?

2) What program can you recommend that will securely delete an individual file?

Free or pay doesn’t matter. I’m using Windows XP is that matters.

Also, if I understand this correctly, after a Gutmann pass the data cannot be read by anyone, not even the government? I tried researching all this security stuff but I got a headache 20 minutes in, lol.

Thanks in advance.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutmann_methodSeems it's no longer necessary. Here's a bunch to look at paid and free. http://www.spychecker.com/software/erase.html

[caspian]

I use R-Wipe. And I also use Eraser, but on my Vista 64 bit comp, it does not show up when I right click. If there is a fix for that I would appreciate someone letting me know. It wipes faster than R-wipe. And I wipe literally everything.....no matter how trivial.

[majax01]

Is there any difference in the R-wipe method vs the CCleaner method or do they both utilize the same methods?

[majax01]

Originally Posted by The Hammer

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Gutmann_methodSeems it's no longer necessary. Here's a bunch to look at paid and free. http://www.spychecker.com/software/erase.html

Why is that method unnecessary? I had read a few threads that mentioned this.

[J_L]

Originally Posted by majax01

Why is that method unnecessary? I had read a few threads that mentioned this.

There hasn't been complete successful recovery of any overwritten file yet so far. Any more than one overwrite is paranoid overkill that only results in more hard disk i/o.

[majax01]

Thank you for the information.

Does R-Wipe do anything different than CCleaner in regards to overwriting space? Also, does R-Wipe overwrite the space like CCleaner (zzzz.zzz)?

[caspian]

Originally Posted by majax01

Thank you for the information.

Does R-Wipe do anything different than CCleaner in regards to overwriting space? Also, does R-Wipe overwrite the space like CCleaner (zzzz.zzz)?

They claim to wipe alternate data streams I think. And it has a lot of other features. Download a trial for free and look at all of the additional stuff that it wipes in the left panel beyond just free space. There is a lot of other personal info kept on your computer.

[majax01]

So, there is not a difference between R-Wipe & CCleaner other than a claim to wipe alternate data streams?

[I no more]

Originally Posted by majax01

So, there is not a difference between R-Wipe & CCleaner other than a claim to wipe alternate data streams?

Last time I used ccleaner, it didn't wipe cluster tips/slack space. I don't know if it's been upgraded in the last few months.

I also don't know if R-wipe can do slack space.

The program that I use is Winhex. Not only does it wipe free space, slack space, and the MFT (all separate options on Winhex), but it can collect all of your free space or slack space and put it into a file so you can examine it.

It also happens to be the best hex editor I've ever used, and you can look at any portion of a hard drive or file and see exactly what's there.

It's an excellent forensic tool and also does file recovery.

In summary, it's one of the best programs I've ever used. Everything I've described is the pay version. I don't know what the limitations of the free versions are.

[majax01]

OK,

I've decided on Eraser. Sounds good to me.

[I no more]

Correction: R-wipe does wipe cluster tips/slack space.