MS really hidden files....!

another one I use....

 

i'm not sure, does it shred/erase?

what i'd really like is to erase/shred everything which can be erased on each boot. i might experiment with eraser, as i havent ever used it, i only want to erase the contents of the folder, and not the whole folder, although i think windows will re-make an important folder if it's been erased by mistake . i'll make a folder fill it with some rubbish and schedule it to be erased on boot, if it works OK, i'll start finding the paths to things i want to erase

 

I think it's mainly temps/mru's etc.....it's quite a harmless little app....I use it at logoff everyday.

 

This is pretty nifty too....

 

it looks to me that they're all either shredders with limited options to what can be shredded or cleaners which just delete to unused disk space. can any of them clean and shred, all that you want, at the same time?

 

Yeah...you're probably right.

 

bigbuck, Spybot doesn't find the files called "MS really hidden files". I've tried it unsuccessfully. It will need something like "Eraser" or "Clean Disk Security".
BTW, I personally know Ray Shaw. He is the local computer expert, writing in the local media and discussing matters on radio. A very clever guy!

Mr.P and iceni60, I have just d/ld "Eraser" and looked at the help files. Similar to "Clean Disk Security" and perhaps a little more complicated. Also read FAQ's on website and found following two quotes, which sound a little concerning:


Exracts from “Eraser FAQ” :


“…………..Deleting a file normally just removes the file’s directory entry, but the data itself remains on the disk, along with traces of the names of the deleted files. This program completely eliminates the contents of deleted files, as well as the file names, making it impossible to recover them even with specialized equipment……. “


“…………..Finally, if you want to guarantee the erasing of a file the only way is to nuke the whole machine. This is because potentially, data may have leaked into the pagefile, the registery, documents and databases. For example, if you delete some document 'supersecret.doc' and a few minutes later your database expands its files and the clusters used by the document are used but the database now contains the document. While the database knows those blocks are free, a text search of the database will reveal all………….”


But despite the above I am willing to try it, if we can set it up together.
Maybe bigbuck will come along for the ride?

gf11

 

i'll give eraser a go

 

Yep.....I like Ray's website.....wondering why it's been down for a few days??
and might consider joining the 'cleaning crew'.
Cheers,
Buck.

 

i'll try it out and come back sometime tomorrow with some paths and how to set it up. i hope someone else wants to do it too.

 

safety in numbers!?!

 

i hope so, i dont mind getting it wrong on my PC, but i dont want to do it with someone else's. does that mean you want to do it too?

 

i wont post anything which im not sure about, i was more worried about deleting the whole folder instead of just the contents, i can give the paths to temp folders and afew other places. but, i'm going to get some imaging software in the next few days and i want to install XP on another partition, so i might wait till then before i start erasing things. it seems abit stupid to do it without backing things up first, or on a test machine

gf11, if you want to get started straight away do it the way Mr.P says above or use something like CCleaner or the program which BigBuck uses, then use eraser to delete unused disk space, that will be totally safe and do the same thing. i am going to use earser at some point soon, so i'll let you know, probably sooner, rather then later

 

To no13, if you are out there...

Hope you did not take any offense. I criticize microsoft in the hopes that someday companies will put a higher priority on privacy concerns and credible customer support. I use the basic precautions that most people here use. What bothers me as much as the spying aspect is that we are forced to accept the double talk. For instance would it really be that out there for Microsoft to list all of the xp updates by number and descriptions of what they are? Imagine a world were you could go down the list and choose to install what you need and disregard the rest. Microsoft is not afraid of people who don't understand their computers. Microsoft LOVES people who don't understand their computers.

To Godfather 11

IMHO the threat is not so much what is hidden on your computer, as it is the attitude that its a good idea to hide files, and the publics acceptance of practices that, at the very least should be discontinued

-HandsOff

 

Something to keep in mind - If your HDD gets the Forensic Treatment then what happens is your discs within the HDD are analysed with an Electron Scanning Microscope and the individual bits are looked at for either a "0" or "1" and if supposing the data was erased with Gutman or even a 350X wipe even then sometimes your data can still be read! How? If the recording head and erase heads do not perfectly line up then there will be remnants of the data slightly showing. Imagine two circles the same size not quite exactly on top of one another. The recording head puts down the "1" but the erasing head tries to erase that "1" but actually misses by just a fraction of a mm and a very small portion of that "1" bit is still showing. This is how data is recovered forensically. Keep in mind, though, that the cost is quite prohibitive - about £70,000.

The aforementioned erasers are still recommended, though, just in case the party in question cannot afford the time or cost of the Forensic Treatment.

 

Yeah I'm keen...but I wouldn't mind to wait a week or so (I'm away on holidays at present- home 7 jan). Once home, I can take a good HDD image and backup to my ext HDD. I'd feel a lot safer messing round with new apps then.
Buck.

 

I gues I'll repeat once again...
these files are pretty much visible [not hidden] and they're worthless... Just set the browser to not have a cache, and use only webmail... simple! Not much need for CCleaner or anything else then..
But rather than being a stuck record, I'll let your discussion move on...
--
To each his own

 

To iceni60, buck, Mr.P and everyone who contributed.
Firstly, the data on my HD is not life-threatening sensitive. Nor do I expect a forensic investigation or even a Tax inspection. Nothing like it at all.
But I am really annoyed, as 'Hands Off' said, that MS thinks it is ok to keep data stored in a place that we can't access, but they can or could.
In my own little mind, the article " MS really hidden files" written by the riddler must have some truth in it. Whether No:13 believes it or not. The riddler could not have written that without getting 'shot' by MS (Maybe he did, who knows) or taken to court. Someone else said in this thread that he had seen the article previously and didn't know what to make of it. Even if we only achieve to satisfy our own curiosity and wipe what is 'hidden' on our HD's, we have all learned something, that you can't be too careful with data on your computers.

I will wait for iceni60 and buck to get ready and set before....... go! If you guys let me know when that will be, I want to go along and clean up as much as I can and perhaps recover some HD space.
Like to use "Eraser" but need some help with setting it up.
Thanks again for all your help. It's awesome!
gf11

 

Sounds Good! Just like to get home to backup HDD before I install and mess around. In your Bris at present on Hols.
Buck.

 

hmm....
I haven't said he's lying... all the files he lists exist. The point is that those files aren't really hidden. I found them all out just by clicking here and there when I first saw Win 98.
The point is that MS may produce shitty software and call it as gemstones, but "the riddler" is trying way too hard to convince people that those files are not intended for viewing and that MS plans to "spy" on us. The arguments he provides are flimsy, and he contorts data to suit his theories... that's really bad detective work IMHO... He found out a known fact and then misrepresented it, cloaking it in a conspiracy theory... There are much more potent things MS has done with WinXp...take a look at http://www.blackviper.com to see some really weird things... again, not hidden, just not documented on the cover of the Windows CD [eg: time synchronizing service... HUGE security hole]

 

Well, I do not have tons of secrets on my computer either, but as long as I don't have to go too far out of my way to do it, I'd just as soon defend my privacy.

I have to believe if the info is anywhere on my disk, then it is all too likely that others, at one time or another have remote access to it.

Someone mentioned not using the automatic updates for patching xp. I agree. It just bothered me that the updater examined my machine for at least a minute or two before deciding what updates I need. I'd like to believe an elaborite process is determining what updates I need, however, how difficult a job is it doing? checking for updates that they have written themselves. Surely they considered making this task doable when they write the updates. ("gee, lets make an update, but make it real hard for our autoupdate program to detect it...")

And so its common knowledge that every URL you have every typed into your browser is stored in some not so secret spot on the computer. (by the way, I would call that KEY LOGGING, and I would like to think that some of these fancy spyware programs would detect it and lable the problem by its name: Microsoft Internet Explorer Keylogger. This is a war of words and so long as Microsoft can avoid the words that should be on the screen of anyone running a spyware program they can continue to just skate). I am willing to pass that off as shitty programming. Only, it would be nice to know

a) what advantage ms saw to storing the info?
b) if its handy to have why not give the user access in tools?
c) if it was just some inept programmer, then surely Microsoft took steps to restore their customers privacy with a patch.
d) if that was too much trouble...then they waited to the next version and fixed it...(what, no?)

I could some it up by saying

HIDDEN FILES? YEAH BABY!

- HandsOff


-HandsOff

 

Bigbuck - Are you serious? Where are you staying? Where is home to you?

No:13 - I really did not wish to imply that you called the riddler a liar. Sorry, for the misunderstanding.
You said somewhere "....clicking here or there to find these files......".
Well, millions of users would not dare try those tricks for fear of erasing some files they know nothing about in the first place. It is easy for an expert to say, but deadly for a newbie to execute. Don't you think?
You also said in post 2 :
".......... With WinXP.. I no longer bother about these things... they're unimportant. All these files are critical to the proper operation of your PC and were hidden just like critical windows components....... "

If these mysterious hidden files are critical to the proper operation, why are we trying to erase them? Would our machines suddenly crash if we do delete them? Or can any of the cleaning programs detect the critical files from the not essential files, and just clean those rogue files off our disks?
Will look at 'black viper's" pages shortly.

Mr.P - Certainly has the right idea. Clean if you wish or leave them if you dare. It is upto the individual for sure.

Hands off - Correct. What could be the answers for your points a,b,c and d ?
There is a need to be able to inspect HDs when criminal activities have been committed with the help of a computer. Surely, there could be a place to have a file that is small, doesn't hide anything and is eraser proof. I am no techo, but I know that MS would not need to have everything 'keylogged'.
Yes, auto-update is a NO-NO with me, and should be for everybody.

 

Yep!......Southside, near Calamvale.....Home=700km North.

 

By critical operation....
I mean different things to different programs...
IE works faster if you let cache/cookies remain [I'm able to surf WSF without logging in EVERY day due to cookies, Opera is VERY fast as it's cache policy is best...otherwise things will not seem to be "normal" to most users.
Outlook/OE need the inbox files so that, well, to store a copy of your hotmail inbox locally... without it, again you will have to connect to the hotmail website to even see old archive messages.
And once again... neither are these files mysterious, nor hidden... All standard programs [remember when Window washer was king?] clean them, AND THEY TELL YOU THEY DO IT... leave even the manuals and help files, most programs mention it in the UI !
Anyways... you have to be as much secure as you feel the need for. Don't take my or anyone else's word for it... Just look for proof behind every statement.
Have fun.
Stay safe.
--
To each his own

 

Hi Buck,

Calamvale is near Browns Plains? That's a far way from Redcliffe.
Home must be around Rocky somewhere? Enjoy your holidays.
gf11