What is the point of erasing first/last 2K? - v5.8
- Thread starter Abraxas
- Start date
Yes, that is it. Removing the header and footer areas of most files renders them unrecoverable and unrecognizable. This is not true of every kind of file though. Some repeat the header information throughout the file, so snippets may still be recoverable. Text also would be recoverable, so this option should only be used for certain kinds of files that you need to get rid of really fast.
I'd never use it myself. I'd prefer a total erase, since most modern computers will do so fairly fast even with a large number of files.
I'd never use it myself. I'd prefer a total erase, since most modern computers will do so fairly fast even with a large number of files.
Makes sense if someone was just trying to make sure the file names couldn't be plainly and easily read by anyone with administrative access on the computer (forgeddiboutit if you're computer gets seized and subjected to an in-depth forensic examination, though).
There're any number of free, easy-to-use programs that'll completely bypass lots of the "clean-up" programs out there and produce "deleted" or supposedly "erased" file names in a rather stunning fashion - and recover them, if need be (although that's usually only if you pay for the program). The one that made me sit up and pay attention was RecoverMyFiles: http://www.recovermyfiles.com/ ("Finds" stuff for free - if you want recovery, you have to purchase it).
I might as well mention SpaceMonger, too (freeware) : http://www.werkema.com/software/spacemonger.html . If you're really into collecting movies, videos, software or songs via P2P and are congratulating yourself on how well you've got all that stuff "hidden" on your computer - just think about what anyone with admin rights on your computer would see after installing and running this one. (Try it out and you'll see what I mean - caveat being that bleeding-edge multi-processor or hyper-threading computers are probably going to choke on it - turn off the hyper-threading, if you can, or leave this one alone.
http://www.werkema.com/software/spacemonger2/ ).
It's attention-getting enough that a program like Index.dat Suite _ when installed by anyone with an Admin account - can search for and actually let you read and print out the contents of every single index.dat found on any given computer, on any and all accounts (fortunately, it also has the capability of deleting those index.dat's - which Eraser can then securely over-write). I have had IdS find up to 13 different index.dats on this computer - depends on how many accounts have been active, how many browsers have been used, etc. Normally, there's only seven, I think.
I concur with the others, though - a complete free-space wipe with Eraser is always the best course, regardless of how long it takes. Pete
There're any number of free, easy-to-use programs that'll completely bypass lots of the "clean-up" programs out there and produce "deleted" or supposedly "erased" file names in a rather stunning fashion - and recover them, if need be (although that's usually only if you pay for the program). The one that made me sit up and pay attention was RecoverMyFiles: http://www.recovermyfiles.com/ ("Finds" stuff for free - if you want recovery, you have to purchase it).
I might as well mention SpaceMonger, too (freeware) : http://www.werkema.com/software/spacemonger.html . If you're really into collecting movies, videos, software or songs via P2P and are congratulating yourself on how well you've got all that stuff "hidden" on your computer - just think about what anyone with admin rights on your computer would see after installing and running this one. (Try it out and you'll see what I mean - caveat being that bleeding-edge multi-processor or hyper-threading computers are probably going to choke on it - turn off the hyper-threading, if you can, or leave this one alone.
http://www.werkema.com/software/spacemonger2/ ).
It's attention-getting enough that a program like Index.dat Suite _ when installed by anyone with an Admin account - can search for and actually let you read and print out the contents of every single index.dat found on any given computer, on any and all accounts (fortunately, it also has the capability of deleting those index.dat's - which Eraser can then securely over-write). I have had IdS find up to 13 different index.dats on this computer - depends on how many accounts have been active, how many browsers have been used, etc. Normally, there's only seven, I think.
I concur with the others, though - a complete free-space wipe with Eraser is always the best course, regardless of how long it takes. Pete
A question that does occur to me about the "Quick" wipe is this:
If you do use the "Quick" wipe feature - which is supposedly removing/over-writing permanently the first and last 2k on deleted files - if you afterwards run a "Full" erase of free-space - will Eraser still be able to find/over-write the remnants of the files that had their first and last 2k's previously over-written? Will it still "Know" to over-write what's left? Pete
If you do use the "Quick" wipe feature - which is supposedly removing/over-writing permanently the first and last 2k on deleted files - if you afterwards run a "Full" erase of free-space - will Eraser still be able to find/over-write the remnants of the files that had their first and last 2k's previously over-written? Will it still "Know" to over-write what's left? Pete
Stellar Wipe - Safe Data Eraser is data cleanup and file eraser utility can delete selected folders, groups of files, entire logical drives, System Traces & Internet traces (Internet cache, History, Cookies, Auto fill etc) eliminating all evidence.
This data eraser utility also wipes free space (unused space) on the hard drive ensuring complete Data Destruction.
For more detail go to http://www.stellarinfo.com/file-eraser.htm
This data eraser utility also wipes free space (unused space) on the hard drive ensuring complete Data Destruction.
For more detail go to http://www.stellarinfo.com/file-eraser.htm
Jarvis - I'll leave your post in for the time-being, but I would point out to everyone that the program you're touting has only a severely limited "free" version - the "free" version doesn't even wipe un-used disk space, and what it does wipe it will only wipe one time - ( http://www.stellarinfo.com/disk-wipe.htm ) - to get the same options that you get for free (or make a donation for) using Eraser, you'd have to pay $39
Every other feature of "Stellar Wipe" can be found in other freeware programs that are readily available elsewhere.
weetoots - Truthfully, from everything I've read at a lot of computer forensics forums, anything more than a 3X free-space wipe is severe overkill (and actually, a single pass is more-than-sufficient assuming you have a fairly-new HD). Pete
Every other feature of "Stellar Wipe" can be found in other freeware programs that are readily available elsewhere.
weetoots - Truthfully, from everything I've read at a lot of computer forensics forums, anything more than a 3X free-space wipe is severe overkill (and actually, a single pass is more-than-sufficient assuming you have a fairly-new HD). Pete