I've deleted some files off my computer. What do I do to completely remove tem from my hard drive

Question

I've deleted some files off my computer. What do I do to completely remove tem from my hard drive

Answer 1

Instead of emptying your recycle bin, install CCleaner and configure it to *securely* delete the files using the Gutmann Method (35 passes). But I repeat, run CCleaner INSTEAD of emptying your recycle bin

CCleaner: http://www.ccleaner.com/

Answer 2

Hammer or reformat.

Answer 3

are you a pedophil trying to get rid of thoes pictures b4 the police come round? lol throw your pc out the window lol

Aha no i was joking, erm tbh it goes into your backing system and you cant =] but no erm, there as much off as they will ever be.  

Answer 4

The actual file data is not removed by emptying the recycle bin. All that does is remove the file directory entry and marks the file allocation table for the data as 'not in use'. The actual data remains until either overwritten or a utility is used to wipe unused disk space. For normal access methods the data is now gone BUT the data can still be accessed by very sophisticated and very very expensive hardware and software available to police. The only sure way to make sure the data is unrecoverable is to completely destroy the hard disk.

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For the thumb down and all you others who think cleaners can totally destroy your data, you are living in a dream world. You can erase your data again and again but the previous magnetic signature is still detectable below the new bit pattern but not by anything any of you can get your hands on.

Answer 5

click on the bin and delete the files in there......

Answer 6

you can use ccleaner

Answer 7

delete them from your recycle bin as well

Answer 8

i presume these are file you'd rather no one knew about or saw...

well then, take yor hard drive out and drop it into the bin...  everything is recoverable... and i do mean everything... just coz you cant see it, doesnt mean its not there...

even after several formats theres free stuff on download.com which retrieve almost everything...  

Answer 9

The only permanent way is to remove the hard drive and destroy it. But, if you mean besides emptying the trash can, you can use the ccleaner and it will remove all that from your computer. Hope this helps ya.

Answer 10

Paranoid?

There are a few methods for a proper delete. Currently, only windows thinks they are gone, but are in fact still retrievable until:

1. You overwrite the sectors containing the markers to the deleted data e.g. completely, totally fill up your hard drive with useless information to be sure.

2. You destroy the hard drive e.g throwing it under a car won't help much, you need to separate the platters, which involves completely removing all bits to destroy the magnetic "force" that keeps the data in tact.

3. format the hard drive 7+ times - I've never seen this proven to work, however have been told that it does.

Good luck.

Answer 11

Right mouse click on the Recycle Bin and select the Empty recycle bin item.  

Answer 12

Delete them with a file shredder, it delete file behond recovery