Best program to clean my PC

[CountMike]

Nice, does more than Ccleaner and such, windows own tools, should be safer than 3rd party.

 

[kaylagarcia]

Use CCleaner tool to optimize your computer speed

 

[David Bailey]

Use CCleaner tool to optimize your computer speed

Plus defragment.
Plus remove crap files.

Plus wipe free space for security reasons

 

[visruth]

Thanks for the link David, will try it when I reach home.

What is the security reason for wiping free space? Sorry for unnecessary questions

 

[David Bailey]

Thanks for the link David, will try it when I reach home.

What is the security reason for wiping free space? Sorry for unnecessary questions

In case the FBI wants to investigate your illegal Porn searches or some such sensitive information.
You don't want it to be known you like underage sex with pigs or whales....

 

[richc46]

Thanks for the link David, will try it when I reach home.

What is the security reason for wiping free space? Sorry for unnecessary questions

When you delete something, it is still there, only hidden. It is not gone until that space is actually used again. That is the function of wiping the free space, it overwrites.

 

[visruth]

Thanks David, Richard

 

[CountMike]

Thanks David, Richard

FBI, India, seriously ???

 

[David Bailey]

Thanks David, Richard

FBI, India, seriously ???

Interpol !:shock:

They are active---

Internet / Home - INTERPOL

 

[visruth]

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

 

[David Bailey]

Central Bureau of Investigation (CBI)

https://www.cia.gov/index.html

NKVD - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[Itaregid]

Nice, does more than Ccleaner

Not hardly.

I too use Revo uninstaller

And what is Revo uninstaller? A 3rd party disk AND Registry cleaner.

What is the security reason for wiping free space?

Unless you are into illegal activities, you really never need to wipe free space until you will be retiring or getting rid of the drive. Because, as noted above, deleting files does not actually delete the data on the disk (the storage locations are just marked as free), a badguy (or anyone for that matter) can retrieve any data that is left behind. So when discarding, selling or giving away an old computer or drive, to ensure no personal information is left behind, you should wipe the free space (or whole drive).

 

[CountMike]

Serbia:
Security Information Agency

 

[visruth]

The official website of the National Investigation Agency, INDIA

NKVD - Russia

 

[visruth]

What is the security reason for wiping free space?

Unless you are into illegal activities, you really never need to wipe free space until you will be retiring or getting rid of the drive. Because, as noted above, deleting files does not actually delete the data on the disk (the storage locations are just marked as free), a badguy (or anyone for that matter) can retrieve any data that is left behind. So when discarding, selling or giving away an old computer or drive, to ensure no personal information is left behind, you should wipe the free space (or whole drive).

So the passes seen in the CCleaner determines what?
Only one complete wipe is enough isn't it?

 

[CountMike]

What is the security reason for wiping free space?

Unless you are into illegal activities, you really never need to wipe free space until you will be retiring or getting rid of the drive. Because, as noted above, deleting files does not actually delete the data on the disk (the storage locations are just marked as free), a badguy (or anyone for that matter) can retrieve any data that is left behind. So when discarding, selling or giving away an old computer or drive, to ensure no personal information is left behind, you should wipe the free space (or whole drive).

So the passes seen in the CCleaner determines what?
Only one complete wipe is enough isn't it?

More times it's overwritten, more difficult to retrieve latter. Once is enough for normal programs, most ? who knows. Military is not satisfied with anything but physical destruction of disks, shredding and melting to a puddle.

 

[visruth]

Oh...that is torture in the name of wiping poor hard drive. So running more passes means more work on it & more wear & tear of HDD, isn't it?

So these free space wiping are not recommended in normal scenario, am I right?

 

[CountMike]

Oh...that is torture in the name of wiping poor hard drive. So running more passes means more work on it & more wear & tear of HDD, isn't it?

So these free space wiping are not recommended in normal scenario, am I right?

All in moderation and no terminal problems.

 

[Itaregid]

Only one complete wipe is enough isn't it?

Technically, yes - though a real forensic analysis may be able to still retrieve some data, so multiple passes are recommended.

But note a "real forensic analysis" requires very expensive, sophisticated hardware and highly trained professionals, and can be very time consuming. This is why data recovery services can cost $1000s should you accidently delete important data you need, and why these labs are typically run by law enforcements and legitimate data recovery services.

Badguys are typically opportunists. They are not going to waste their time unless they are specifically targeting you because they know you have data they want. If they find an old drive, they may run Recuva or similar program, and if nothing is found right away, they are going to move on to easier pickings.

Note you don't have to "wipe" a drive either. You can simply fill the drive with music files, or videos and achieve the same thing. All a "wipe" does is write a bunch of random 1s and 0s to the disk sectors to overwrite any old data stored there. Saving a music file to the same locations does the same thing.

So these free space wiping are not recommended in normal scenario, am I right?

Right. You only need to wipe if you are getting rid of the drive.

 

[Itaregid]

Military is not satisfied with anything but physical destruction of disks, shredding and melting to a puddle.

Well that depends on the highest classification of the data that was ever stored on the particular drive. But when I was in the military working secure comm support, I have had to officially witness the physical destruction for non-working drives because they could not be wiped, and while not melted down they were thoroughly destroyed.

For some of my business clients who have customer information on non-working drives, we drill 3 holes through the drive and drive platters to ensure they are non-working.