How create custom erase jobs with Eraser?

Hi,

I have the free program Eraser to erase files/data, and was wondering if anyone who uses the program could tell me how I can create custom erase jobs with the program.

I do understand basically how to create a custom job, somewhat, but the problem I have is when I open Eraser click Edit, Preferences, Erasing, click on the File tab and click New, I don't know how to select how many times I can overwrite the data, or select what will be used to overwrite the data.

It will always just select one overwrite and I can't seem to change it to more. Also it seems to only to be able to select 0's for the overwrite process, when trying to create a custom overwrite job.

I would like to have it overwrite the data 8 times and use random characters [not just 0's and/or 1's] to do the overwriting. I want the overwrite process to use completely random letters and numbers ect...

Does anyone know how to create a custom erase job in this way with Eraser? I would very much appreciate any help with this. Thanks.

 

i'd like to do this too and use it instead of CCleaner. i did start to find places to erase too i'll have alook if you like and we can work it out together. do you have XP?

here are the steps, i think, need to be done. can someone confirm it's correct?

open Eraser and double-click the first line. or if the line is blank right-click it and select New Task

 

then go to the drop-down box and select the drive you are going to use.

 

then select "Files and Folders" and click on the box where the cursor is.

 

navigate to what you want to erase, then click OK

 

make sure you have the box "Subfolders" checked, then click the "Schedule" tab

 

in Schedule's tab you pick when you want it erased, there is an option at the bottom for "reboot" or pick a day and time, then click OK

 

sorry for going over all those bits when it looks like you knew that part, i just wanted to get it clear so if we end up starting a thread about finding as many safe places to erase as possible we have a starting point.

BTW, while i remember, i think the first time you try it you should make a folder, maybe on your desktop, which isn't important and erase that folder, just to see how it works.

now, to change how it erases, going from the last step, go Edit>Preferences>Erasing.

 

then you should have 4 options, this is in the first tab:"Files". GUTMANN - 35 passes as the first option, to Pseudorandom Data - 1 pass, as option 4. there isn't an 8 passes, but you can make it yourself, but, i think it would be easiest to pick option #2 which has 7 passes. then click OK

NOTE: in my picture i'm in the second tab: Unused disk space, that's a mistake

that should be it.

 

Hi Iceni60,

Thanks for the screen shots. Yeah basically I understand how to do what you posted about. What I was trying to figure out was a way to create a custom erase job where you can select as many passes as you like, with a random overwrite of the data. That is a random overwrite with random characters, if this is possible.

What I did find is by selecting the Pseudorandom Data (which I think is an overwrite with random data) you can click "edit" and change the number of overwrites to 8 or as many as you like. Same thing with the other types of overwriting data.

This is as close as I've come to actually creating my own data overwrite job. Maybe someone will chime in that has come up with their own data erase routine with Eraser.

But what I still can't figure out is how to create your own data overwrite job, with your own title, but change the amount of overwrites to anything above one pass, and also set the way the data is overwritten to an absolutely random overwrite of the file/folder you want to delete.

I guess I'll just use the Pseudorandom overwrite that I changed to 8 passes for now. Thanks for the help Iceni60.

 

hi, it's 5:20 and i have to be at college by 6, if someone hasn't shown how to do it by when i get back i'll do some screenshots i can't remember off-hand how to do it, but i have done it in the past so it can be done, it's abit labourious though as you have to put in the passes manually so it's something like this: pass 1 Pseudorandom data, Pseudorandom data, GUTMANN pass 2 Pseudorandom etc. unless there's an easier way. are you using XP? and are you going to use it to erase temp folders and logs etc?

 

OK, to create your own erasing type, open Eraser then go Edit>Preferences>Erasing then click on NEW, pick a name for your custom eraser - hitcher's Nuke, then pick Pattern to use zero's, Byte 2 and Byte 3 will add more zero's to each pass. and/or you can pick Pseudorandom Data instead of the Pattern option. the Pattern Bytes 1, 2 and 3 will be just one pass, so if you want more you have to keep manually adding them for each one; the same goes for Pseudorandom Data selecting it once will be for one pass only. you can mix them up for various passes Pattrens for some and Pseudorandom for others. HTHs