erase files

Hi, thanks for the reply. I put some info on my pc so I could then put it on a flash drive so then i could erase it off my pc and by doing that if something were to happen to my pc, like it got stolen, It wouldn't have the private stuff on it and I would still have it and load it back up on another pc. Now am I to believe in this day and age of technology that this can't be done? The files I made with my private stuff on it is there forever unless I beat the crap out of it? As you can see I'm more then a little frustrated with this situation and it shows my ignorance about this . I have spent way too much time looking into this. I have tried ccleaner and it gets to point where I add these files to be deleted , with the right box checked off, but it stops there and the files don't show up on the cleaner page to delete. So now you have my story. Thanks again and you can add anything to this please do .

There are several programs that can do what you want.

Personally, I use Powerdesk (an somewhat older alternative file manager) for it It calls it destroy. I still have the free version 6.0.
XYPlorer (a very nice alternative file manager) can do it also (it calls iit wipe). I have the version that was free for one day only.
But it seems Eraser (described in http://www.pcworld.com/article/209418/how_do_i_permanently_delete_files_from_my_hard_disk.html) works also.
http://www.howtogeek.com/72130/learn-how-to-securely-delete-files-in-windows/ mentions the same program, but gives 2 alternative programs also.
The program in http://download.cnet.com/Delete-Files-Permanently/3000-2248_4-10790111.html seems rather expensive.

And I'm sure I'm far from complete.

By the way, why did you post this in a forum about PC hardware. Wouldn't our PC utilities have been a better choice?

Kees

You could go out and purchase DRIVE SCRUBBER, it should do the job but use caution and follow instructional lest you inadvertently format the entire drive.

thanks for your help I'll look into it. I was able to use ccleaner but is it really erased or is it just deleted and could be seen if someone knows how and where to look? I'm still new at all this and find it very interesting but at the same time frustrating. Thanks again.

CC Cleaner will not do what you are trying to do. Again, Drive Scrubber, by IOLO, would do what you need to do but it isn't free. You could do a file search to see IF things are gone, it depends on what it is/was, from where and how incepted, it goes on.

the files he's pulled off the HDD, not wipe the HDD. Can Drive Scrubber permanently eliminate selected files only ?

VAPCMD

As other factors. I shared above how Windows can sock things away in odd places. For example if ShadowCopy (see google) is on you can't be sure it's truly gone.

But a normal setup when you delete a file, empty the trash then run the CCLEANER function could only be retrieved with a billion dollar lab.
Bob

That old saying that the more you know the more you don't know sure is true. I put some files on my pc, fortunately not much, that I thought I could erase with some effort. I can understand that if was too simple that a disgruntled employee could wipe out all the information from his old boss but I had no idea it would be this hard. What if I wanted to sell or give away my old PC and I just deleted all my info? It sounds like it's still lurking in the shadow. There must be a whole lot of old computers laying around with alot of data just waiting to be uncovered. Anyway thank you for your help I will certainly think twice before I enter in anything that I might want to erase later.

Let's go with give away. Why all the fuss? Just use DBAN or any other disk wipe and let them deal with installing an OS. Done.

-> Sell? Because there's money at stake and you don't want to leak information, you check you have your restore media then wipe the drive as above then use the restore media.
Bob

thanks for ll the help