Error message each time after erase Recycle Bin

[starvinmarvin]

I realize from other posts that you want all the steps that occurred, so here goes:

Operating system is a fresh install of Windows 7 Home Premium 64-bit version.

Installed latest version of Eraser (v6.0.something). Received error message each time I tried to run Eraser. The program would not run.

Uninstalled latest version.

Downloaded and installed v5.8.8. It seemed to install OK.

Deleted a couple of files to Recycle Bin. Right-clicked on Recycle bin and selected Erase Recycle Bin 3-pass DOD e.

Progress bar windows showed everything going OK, but when it finished an Eraser log file appeared saying the following:
"Failed: C:\$Recycle.Bin\ ......lots of numbers ........ \$RGPIRL1.lnk (Access is denied)

I went to Program Files and located Eraser.exe and right-clicked and selected "Run as Administrator".

Deleted more simple text files to Recycle Bin and tried to erase them,watched the erase progress bar, but got the same error message as before with (I think) exactly the same string of numbers and "Access denied" after the numbers.

Please see the attached screenshots of the log file.





Is that enough information?

How can I fix this, please?

 

[DavidHB]

First, Eraser 6 on Win 7 x64. I assume that you were using the 'stable' build (1376). Sadly, it appears not to work under Win 7 x64; I had this problem, and the only way to fix it was to use a nightly build (either a '6.0' build or a '6.2' build is probably OK at present, though that may not always be the case). I have come to prefer the Version 6 interface to the one in Version 5, though some features of Version 5 have yet to be replicated in (the completely rewritten) Version 6.

Second, your main point is something which I have recently discussed at some length with Joel. In your version 5.8.8 installation, the 'error' message in the Recycle Bin Erase is not an error message at all, but a normal recognition of a Windows fact of life. In both Vista and Windows 7, the Recycle Bin folders on each drive contain system files which it is impossible for users, even with administrative privileges and running elevated, to access. What these files contain, and particularly whether this content includes user data, seems not to be documented anywhere, which is a potentially significant security hole in Windows. In any event, any attempt to access the files, by any program, returns an error. The only way to get rid of the files is to delete the whole Recycle Bin folder and then run a free space wipe on each drive - not something one can do as a matter of routine, because of the time it takes to wipe free space.

The authors of Eraser have chosen, perhaps with more honesty than thought for the consequences, to report this behaviour of Windows as an error condition (as, in narrow programming terms, it is), which in turn gives users to believe that Eraser has a bug, which it doesn't.

The moral of all this is that it is potentially insecure to put confidential data in the Recycle Bin; it is better to erase it direct. For my part, I cannot comprehend why Microsoft should choose to place such highly protected files in, of all places, the Recycle Bin.

I hope that this explains things,

David

 

[starvinmarvin]

So, basically forget using the Right-click - Erase feature for the Recycle Bin. OK, got it.

Just tried erasing a text document by using the context menu and it worked - no error message or Failed notice !

thanks

P.S. Since I use the context menu erase feature 99% of the time, the main program menu style means little to me.

 

[DavidHB]

Just tried erasing a text document by using the context menu and it worked - no error message or Failed notice !

No error message doesn't mean no "error", of course. The underlying behaviour is the same in both cases.

Version 6 does give an error message with the context menu erase. I have suggested to Joel that this is taking honesty a little too far ...

David

 

[Joel]

Well, in situations like these, where there's no "programmatic best behaviour," I think it's best to report to the user and let the user handle it. Ultimately, this is (was?) supposed to be a power tool and until very recently, only very experienced people used it. I guess, I'm supporting the idea of reporting to the user since privacy is something which is important to people and leaving it as such would allow people to take proactive steps to defend themselves instead of run the risk of leaving their tracks behind.

 

[starvinmarvin]

Just tried erasing a text document by using the context menu and it worked - no error message or Failed notice !

No error message doesn't mean no "error", of course. The underlying behaviour is the same in both cases.

Wait, are you saying that right-clicking directly on a file to erase it is failing to erase the file but not giving me a message to that effect? If so, what's the point of even installing this program on Windows 7?

 

[Joel]

You shouldn't be installing Eraser v5 on Windows 7. That may work, but is not a supported combination. Eraser 5 may actually hide errors, Eraser 6 changes the behaviour to instead report the error to the user for the user to rectify.