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Home » Categories » Privacy » Delete and erase computer traces in Windows Delete and erase computer traces in Windows This article was modified on 2011-12-15 19:43:38 Read about a good method to delete and erase data beyond recovery on a computer running Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7 and soon 8 using a shareware software called CyberScrub. Before we start I would like to mention that this is the latest update to the previous article called ``Delete computer traces in Windows XP or Vista`` written in 2008. Now that 2012 is almost here, everything was tested on a computer running Microsoft Windows 7. Before reading this article I would like to be honest and clear some things. No one here on this earth can guarantee you that there is a method that can actually delete data from modern hard drives with a click of a button. I am talking about a software that can delete your computer traces from Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8. However, after years of research and reading hundreds of articles related to data deletion from modern hard drives I can tell you that this method should stop all of the software recovery tools available on the Internet. I cannot guarantee you that it can stop law agencies or anything similar ( nobody can guarantee you ) from recovering deleted activity, so let`s get started. Step 1 - My recommendation of best shareware software for secure deleting of computer traces in Windows I was testing for the first time a program able to delete computer traces back in 2003. I remember how I spent days of installing, uninstalling, secure deletion and so on. I liked only one program and it`s still the application that I am using it nowadays. It`s called CyberScrub, back then in 2003 it was called CyberScrub Professional and now it`s called CyberScrub Privacy Suite probably because they added more features over time. So if you`re using Windows on your computer you need to download CyberScrub Privacy Suite Professional as we are going to use it, I will show you how immediately ( don`t worry, it is fully functional for 15 days ). If you downloaded CyberScrub, install it and when the installation process will finish, it will ask you to Launch CyberScrub Privacy Suite 5.1 ( this is the version of this program at the time this article was written ). Now you should see a pop-up window like in the image below, asking you to ``Buy Now``, ``Enter Key`` or ``Continue Trial``, please choose ``Continue Trial`` : Now you should see a new window, called ``Quick start privacy suite``, and you have 4 buttons - ``Protect your computer and Internet privacy``, `` Erase ``previously`` deleted files beyond recovery``, `` Erase specific files and folders beyond Categories Most Popular About Us Contact Terms of Agreement Privacy Policy search this site... Delete and erase computer traces in Windows http://www.howtoanswer.com/howto/privacy/Delete-and-erase-comput... 1 of 11 10/02/2012 22:24

Cyber Scrub Privacy Suite Tutorial

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Home » Categories » Privacy » Delete and erase computer traces in Windows

Delete and erase computer traces in Windows

This article was modified on 2011-12-15 19:43:38

Read about a good method to delete and erase data beyond recovery on a computer running Microsoft Windows XP, Vista,7 and soon 8 using a shareware software called CyberScrub. Before we start I would like to mention that this is the latestupdate to the previous article called ``Delete computer traces in Windows XP or Vista`` written in 2008. Now that 2012 isalmost here, everything was tested on a computer running Microsoft Windows 7.

Before reading this article I would like to be honest and clear some things. No one here on this earth can guarantee youthat there is a method that can actually delete data from modern hard drives with a click of a button. I am talking about asoftware that can delete your computer traces from Microsoft Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8. However, after years of researchand reading hundreds of articles related to data deletion from modern hard drives I can tell you that this method shouldstop all of the software recovery tools available on the Internet. I cannot guarantee you that it can stop law agencies oranything similar ( nobody can guarantee you ) from recovering deleted activity, so let`s get started.

Step 1 - My recommendation of best shareware software for secure deleting of computer traces in Windows

I was testing for the first time a program able to delete computer traces back in 2003. I remember how I spent days ofinstalling, uninstalling, secure deletion and so on. I liked only one program and it`s still the application that I am using itnowadays. It`s called CyberScrub, back then in 2003 it was called CyberScrub Professional and now it`s called CyberScrubPrivacy Suite probably because they added more features over time. So if you`re using Windows on your computer youneed to download CyberScrub Privacy Suite Professional as we are going to use it, I will show you how immediately ( don`tworry, it is fully functional for 15 days ). If you downloaded CyberScrub, install it and when the installation process willfinish, it will ask you to Launch CyberScrub Privacy Suite 5.1 ( this is the version of this program at the time this articlewas written ). Now you should see a pop-up window like in the image below, asking you to ``Buy Now``, ``Enter Key`` or``Continue Trial``, please choose ``Continue Trial`` :

Now you should see a new window, called ``Quick start privacy suite``, and you have 4 buttons - ``Protect your computerand Internet privacy``, `` Erase ``previously`` deleted files beyond recovery``, `` Erase specific files and folders beyond

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recovery`` and the final button called `` Start Privacy Suite with a full range of features``. Now, choose the last buttoncalled `` Start Privacy Suite with a full range of features`` click on it like in the picture below :

If everything went ok, until now you should see an images like this, basically from this step we are going to start theCyberScrub configuration, and we are going to configure it making the data recovery impossible for normal softwarerecovery tools available on the Internet. For example, look at his default security level, he is using ``U.S. Department ofDefense ( 3 passes )`` - you can view this at the bottom of CyberScrub window. What this means to us ? It means that ifyou are going to leave it that way, you are going to delete your activity faster but it will also stop only rudimentarysoftware tools to recover the information. So we are going to change it to the slowest and the most secure method fordeleting computer traces.

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As we said let`s change the security level so that we can properly overwrite data from our hard drive. So on the mainwindow, please click on the second tab called ``Erase`` and choose ``Erase Options...`` You can do the same thing if youpress the CTRL+O keyboard combination.

So, if you selected ``Erase Options``, you should see a new window with a lot of features like in this picture :

Now, let`s configure this software with the best security level available for erasing data. You need to leave all features asthey are and go to ``Erase Options`` and choose ``Security Level``. Make sure to select ``Use ISAAC Random generatingalgorithm`` ( make sure that is checked ) and also make sure that at the ``Other Security Options`` the overwrite bufferis set to 512 KB like in the picture below :

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If those options are being selected, now click on ``Change Method`` button and a new small window will appear, like inthis picture :

As we talked after the installation of CyberScrub, we said that we want to change the erase method that this program isusing by default. He was using the ``U.S. Department of Defense ( 3 passes ) method that is able to stop most of thesoftware recovery tools for Windows. But we want more than that so we are going to use the wipe method that will stopboth software recovery tools and hardware tools. So, please use the mouse scroll in the left side of this ``Security Level (Wipe Method ) window and do the same thing like I did, choose the last method called ``Stop Hardware Recovery (Gutmann )`` - this is the safest method for deleting ( overwriting ) your computer traces and it`s true it`s the slowestmethod but between slow and most secure I would choose more secure. Sure you can even specify your own wipe method,but you need to familiarize with this software. So, if you chosed the latest method from this window called ``StopHardware Recovery ( Gutmann )``, press the OK button and it will take you back to the ``Privacy Suite Erase Options``window, please press OK one more time in that window and you should see again the CyberScrub interface, it appears thatnothing happened but it did. Just look at the downside of the window and you should see this new title: ``Security level:Stop Hardware Recovery ( Gutmann )``. If you can see this message, congratulations, you have just finished setting upCyberScrub with the highest security level. That being said, it`s time to start erasing all kind of files.

Step 2 - What to erase from Windows

I guess, you`re now wondering, great I configured the program let`s start erasing everything. Hold on, you need to knowwhat to erase on your Windows. You cannot select entire folders to erase as you could erase or permanently deleteimportant information that would be impossible to be recovered and this is definitely something to avoid. Learn from mymistakes, for example I selected everything for all programs and all my programs installed in Program Files were wipedout. Don`t do the same mistake that I did, so let`s start. Click on the first button called ``Privacy Guard`` and select thesecond step called ``Advanced`` ( selecting this option will allow you to select the programs that you want to delete,perhaps you want to add a program or to remove a program, this option is always the best ). Take a look at the picturebelow :

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If you selected Advanced button, a new window will appear saying that : ``The Privacy Guard erases sensitive data fromyour Windows and Internet activity. This information, used to monitor and track your habitats, has been placed on yourcomputer without your knowledge or permission...`` and it will also show you six major components ( also known asSensitive Areas ) but we are going to discuss all of them to see what role they have and what settings or programs shouldwe select. In the next picture you can see what we explained here, click on next button :

We are going to explain more about the six major components, so we are going to start with the first one, the first tab iscalled Windows, here you can see what this program is going to wipe from your hard drive, for example if someonerecovers your information it will be able to tell what kind of files you transferred, at what time, hour, minutes, date and

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from what device. For example it will be able to tell you that you have transferred the ``X song`` from your iPod, USBflash drive on your computer at a given date. Also it can reveal all kind of info such as what recent documents you haveopened, what pictures you have viewed, what programs you`ve opened and the list can carry on. If you are going to leavethe default checked sensitive areas for the 99 % of us should be fine, anything else will be checked only if you know whatyou`re doing. For example I am checking the Thumbs.db section although it can be easily disabled from Windows. So, youmay leave it as it is and select the next tab named ``Browsers``.

The next tab called ``Browsers`` has the same importance as ``Windows`` because it`s deleting your browser tracesfrom Internet Explorer, Mozilla Firefox, AOL, Opera, Safari etc. and many popular browsers are being added as soon as newversions of CyberScrub are being released. As you probably noticed if you click for example on Internet Explorer you canchange or add other folders, files to be deleted. Just click on Properties and a new window will appear allowing you toClear the Favorites list, Clear the Managed Sites, Clear the home page and so on. By default the most important areas arealready checked so there is no need to check others if you don`t know what they are doing. You have here a picture withthe Browsers, I have on my computer Internet Explorer ( but you might see other browsers that you`ve installed such asMozilla Firefox or Google Chrome ) :

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The next tab is called ``Applications`` and you can see what programs I have installed ( in case that you didn`t noticedthe installed or better said the present programs are visible in a normal black color while the other ones that are notinstalled on your computer are being transparent ) so it`s up to me if I want to include a program in the wiping process.Here it is the picture with the ``Applications`` tab :

Now you`re expecting to see the next tabs with Peer2Peer, News and Email Readers and Custom but it`s actually the samething. You are not going to include a program if you`re not sure that it may harm your privacy. There is no need to includeprograms if you don`t have a reason to include them. That being said I am not going to include pictures with Peer2Peer,

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News and Email Readers and Custom. Now you can click the Next button and the final page will appear like in the picturebelow telling you that ``Privacy Guard is ready to start cleaning`` - just make sure to check the box that says to :``Automatically restart my computer and finish the process`` and click on START button. Make sure that you havefinished your work on your computer ( the computer will automatically restart ) and get a break for a couple of minutes oreven more, it depends on how many information must be deleted, for a couple of MB it could take minutes for hundreds orGB of information it could take from 1 hour up to more hours but that also depends on how fast is your computer :

If you clicked on the Start button you may see a message for the first time with a System Restore Point but it willdisappear in a couple of minutes or seconds and CyberScrub will start to erase. For the best level of erasing I hope youchosen to restart the computer now, so you should see a picture similar to this one when it will start to erase :

Step 3 - How to erase data that was already deleted from Windows

Until now we have learned how to use CyberScrub, you know the basic things that this program can do but you may alsowonder what happened with the data that you deleted from Recycle Bin. Well, you should know that everything youdeleted normally from Windows can be easily recovered and that those data are still there. Yes it can be recovered evenwith normal recovery programs. Definitely you want to know how can you prevent deleted information to be recoveredfrom your hard drive. Open CyberScrub and you will see on the left side 4 buttons : Privacy Guard - that you know how touse it, Add Files & Folders, Erase All and the Erase Beyond Recovery. Click on the button that says - Erase BeyondRecovery.

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Now let`s suppose that I want to delete deleted data from my hard drive. As you probably noticed, in this picture I have 3drives. C: and D: are partitions of my drive and F: it`s another external hard drive connected to my computer. So, Idecided that I want to delete deleted data only from my hard drive and I am choosing both partitions C: and D: in order todelete deleted data from C: and D: I am going to check : Erase files from Recycle Bin, check C: and D: and also I need tocheck all of these options : Wipe the free ( unused ) disk space, Wipe the slack of existing files ( slower but more secure ),Scramble deleted files and folders properties ( name, date, size...) and Scramble system transactions log file ( on NTFSdrives only ). If you don`t have something in your Recycle Bin it will not let you to select it, saying that it`s empty. Youcan see in this picture how you should select the proper box :

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I must say that the inconvenient would be the time that could take from more hours up to several days, but that dependson how large is your hard drive. If you click on the Next button and then on START button it will start erasing theinformation that was already deleted.

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We have learned how to delete and erase computer traces in Windows, how to delete and erase files that were alreadydeleted by us, using the standard ``Delete`` button from Windows. As I said there are no guarantees that someone will beable to recover your data if you are going to delete them with CyberScrub ( like in this article ) but I can tell you that thisis one of the most safest methods that can stop both software and hardware recovery for normal people. Perhaps agenciesor people willing to invest millions of dollars in high technology equipment and human resources ``could`` recover someparts of deleted informations or better said overwritten. However for normal people and even for others, deleted datathat use a security level such as Gutmann algorithm will remain deleted forever.

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