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    Question: How to delete the stuff that has been detected by "undelete" software??

    Discussion in 'Windows OS and Software' started by Waveblade, Sep 16, 2007.

  1. Waveblade

    Waveblade Notebook Deity

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    Friend of my dad asked this question, since I'm apparently the tech guy to go to...and I have no clue. I think he had some financial stuff on the computer at one point. Guess he wants to make sure that there isn't any identity theft or whatever. He wanted to sell his laptop or whatever to someone but wanted to delete the stuff without reformatting since he doesn't have the disks apparently. Is there a way or will I just have to tell him to reformat the computer?
     
    Waveblade, Sep 16, 2007
    #1
  2. odin243

    odin243 Notebook Prophet

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    What operating system does he have?
     
    odin243, Sep 16, 2007
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  3. Waveblade

    Waveblade Notebook Deity

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    XP? Not quite sure. Not sure about this but what about defragmenting? I hear that overwrites the old files?
     
    Waveblade, Sep 16, 2007
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  4. frazell

    frazell Notebook Deity

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    frazell, Sep 16, 2007
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  5. Waveblade

    Waveblade Notebook Deity

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    Yeah but he can't reinstall the OS anymore. Doesn't have the disks. So yeah, if it's avoidable outside of a reformat...
     
    Waveblade, Sep 16, 2007
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  6. qhn

    qhn Notebook User

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    how about offering selling the system minus the hard drive? or swap it with an empty one?

    cheers ...
     
    qhn, Sep 16, 2007
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  7. odin243

    odin243 Notebook Prophet

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    odin243, Sep 16, 2007
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  8. jihoon

    jihoon Notebook Evangelist

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    From what I've seen, deleting a file, and even emptying the recycle bin doesn't actually physically remove the file from the hard disk. It just marks that part of the hard-disk as available, and until it gets over-written with new data, it won't actually be removed from the hard disk.
    There are several utilities that lets you securely delete files without leaving a trace.
     
    jihoon, Sep 16, 2007
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  9. LIVEFRMNYC

    LIVEFRMNYC Blah Blah Blah!!!

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    Windows Washer Program that has the "Free Space Wash" Option. I don't know if any other Programs have it

    [​IMG]
     
    LIVEFRMNYC, Sep 17, 2007
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  10. NinjaNoodles

    NinjaNoodles Notebook Evangelist

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    NinjaNoodles, Sep 17, 2007
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  11. Waveblade

    Waveblade Notebook Deity

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    Thanks LIVE, I'll try that out. And what's with people not reading the topic :O
     
    Waveblade, Sep 17, 2007
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  12. jb1007

    jb1007 Full Customization

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    I think people are going the way of making sure you're stuff is deleting for good the first time instead of fooling around with what appears in undelete software or what not.

    Something I like is Tune UP Utilities 2007:
    http://www.tune-up.com/products/tuneup-utilities/

    It adds a nice right click option to delete files for good off your PC
     

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    jb1007, Sep 17, 2007
    #12