Error when erasing unused space.

C

c0m4r

New Member
Hi,

I am getting trouble with erasing unused space.

The error occurs:

Code: 
Session: 7 czerwca 2010 14:55:54
7 czerwca 2010 14:58:49	Error	D:\System Volume Information did not have its cluster tips erased because of the following error: Access to the path 'D:\System Volume Information' is denied.

and Eraser stops processing.

I have already looked for solution but I can't handle it. I will really appreciate your help.

Best regards,
Andrew
 
The error in itself is not a problem; Eraser (like any program running under Windows) cannot access protected system files. But that should not stop Eraser running. Please look at Help:About (the Eraser Window does not necessarily give the correct information), and tell me which version/build of Eraser you are running, and under which version of Windows.

David
 
How does this error show up - in the Task Log or as a program or Windows error message?

David
 
Not being an Eraser Programmer, I don't know why the program can do this; until Joel gets back on line (and his commitments are such that I don't know when that will be), the cause will be a mystery. In the meantime, try using the latest build (6.1.0.2154), to see if that helps. If you then revert to 6.0.7, please follow the advice in the sticky at the head of this forum before you do so.

David
 
Thank you David. On 6.1.0.2154 it works very well. I was i little bit scared about my data because it is still beta version but this build done everytihing just fine.

Best regards,
Andrew
 
I'm glad it works. The main limitation I have found with build 2154 is that it cannot successfully wipe free space on a system drive with erasing of cluster tips enabled. Otherwise, it seems quite usable.

David
 
it cannot successfully wipe free space on a system drive with erasing of cluster tips enabled
Click to expand...
What exactly happens when you erasing with cluster tips enabled? I mean I know what this function is, I ask why you cannot successfully wipe free space on your drive.
 
c0m4r said:
What exactly happens when you erasing with cluster tips enabled?
Click to expand...
The free space wipe is exactly the same whether the cluster tips option is used or not; Eraser overwrites all the space marked as free by the file system. Erasing cluster tips is a different function (though one that it makes no sense to use unless you are also wiping the free space, which is why the two are done together). As a very simple explanation, the file system allocates blocks of space of a fixed size for each file. The file data rarely if ever exactly fills the allocated space, so some space is left over at the end of the last block. This is the cluster tip, and it can in theory contain user data left over from a previous use of the space. Erasing the cluster tip ensures that such data cannot be recovered. In practice, for ordinary users, the degree of risk associated with not erasing cluster tips is much less than the risks associated with not wiping free space; cluster tips are much less accessible than free space and, even in the worst case, any data recovered is likely to be fragmentary.

c0m4r said:
I ask why you cannot successfully wipe free space on your drive.
Click to expand...
If I try to wipe free space on a system (C:) drive with erasing of cluster tips enabled, the program crashes with an error message, typically about 30 minutes into the process, and (I believe) before the free space wipe actually begins. If I disable cluster tip erasing, the free space wipe completes normally and (as a check with Recuva shows) usually leaves few if any recoverable files behind. So I wipe free space on Drive C:, I just can't erase the cluster tips. Which I don't regard as a huge problem. Incidentally, this problem does not occur when I am wiping a non-system drive.

I hope that this explains things.

David
 
Thank you David. This is very good explanation. I really appreciate it.
Topic can be locked.

Best regards,
Andrew
 
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