Secret files??

[BenVitale]

I've heard that the Windows and browsers maintain hidden files and registry settings to all your online ad offline activity. I thought like many people that you can eliminate my data by moving items to recycle bin, or deleting files, or deleting cookies, or erasing internet histories, or emptying cache.
I was told that any of these methods do not permanently erase what you've done or what you've looked at. I was also told that even formatting your hard drive will not get rid of these hidden files. And, if i were today trying to delete files on my PC, there would be an evidence of me trying to do that.

Your thoughts, please.

[Ixian]

As for deletion, remnants can remain until something else overwrites that part of the disk.

Properly formatting will get rid of everything. It would also leave behind evidence that you formatted your drive at such-and-such time.

I can't say I've heard of the hidden files you speak of, but for IE it would not surprise me to find out that it does track all that. All the other browsers should behave though.

[bathurst_guy]

What is it you are trying to achieve? Are you selling or giving away your computer and therefore want to remove everything off your harddrive for privacy sake? Or something completely different?

[BenVitale]

A friend of mine wants to sell his computer. The issue was over his files on his computer. He does lots of money transaction online. He buys lots of stuff on eBay. He maintains that he's safe enough, and feels confident to sell his computer. But, i am not convinced.

[WebJoel]

A hard-disk re-format and/or doing F-disk, is still NOT enough... fragements of data can still be lifted. For as inexpensive as HDDs are these days, -it you REALLY want to preserve your privacy, you remove the hard-drive and love on it with a clawhammer for a few minutes...
Real famous case a few years back: several old computers were left on a curbside for garbage recycling and someone salvaged them for parts... and upon checking the hard-drives, discovered yes, they HAD deleted the C-drives but the 'person' was able to re-construct the hard-drive and revealed that it contained over a decade's worth of private patient information, services rendered, payment records, social security numbers, etc etc (computers were used in a clinic obviously..) Okay... throwing the computers out? :eek: Gimme a clawhammer!!

Yes, 'deleting' a file only removes the 'write protect' off of it... it is STILL on your computer, viewable to anyone with a minute or two to 'uncover it'! :eek:

What you need to do it 'over-write' the file with non-sensical 0s and 1s, sometimes, multiple times, to obfuscate the data.
I use a program that installs cleanly, called "ERASER", which does exactly this. It installs to your 'trash bin' and you have several options of how 'deep' to clean a file. Some, over-write once or twice, some other options, over-write multiple time, randomly, etc.

Schneier
DoD
DoD E
first-last 2k
Random
Library

are some of the over-writing options (detailed in the FAQs of the software). It even has a 'secure move' so that MOVING a file from folder-to-folder leaves no 'shadow imprint' behind...
People really need to be more paranoid about losing control of their unwanted HDDs, -seriously.

The program is FREEware, btw.

[bathurst_guy]

Try this. http://dban.sourceforge.net/

What you need to do is a department of defense erase - takes some time.

It parses the HDD 7 times with 1 and 0, completely wiping the HDD beyond recovery. There is also a 13 time wipe too.