Computer Essential

[Professor S]

In CC Cleaner, it gives you options for deleting files, from simple overwrite to Gutmann. What is the difference?

[Bube]

Originally Posted by Professor S

In CC Cleaner, it gives you options for deleting files, from simple overwrite to Gutmann. What is the difference?

When you delete a file, it's almost always recoverable. When you use something other than simple, I'm guessing it deletes the file, overwrites the sector of the deleted file with a dummy, and deletes that again. So when tried to recover, you'll get the dummy file the program made, not the originally deleted file.

[manasecret]

Originally Posted by Professor S

In CC Cleaner, it gives you options for deleting files, from simple overwrite to Gutmann. What is the difference?

The difference is a non-secure deletion (the type that frees the space for future files, but doesn't actually remove any information of the file from your hard drive) and a secure method that makes sure to overwrite the contents of the data.

The Gutmann method, by Gutmann's own criticism of its usage now, is used "more as a kind of voodoo incantation to banish evil spirits" than it is to actually secure deleted files. My limited understanding of the method is that some types of storage media (mostly the old floppy types) can theoretically hold the data from past files even after you rewrite data over them. The Gutmann method is an algorithm that writes a series of 35 patterns that take into account the memory encoding methods to make sure that all traces of your data can not be recovered.

Nowadays, it's more voodoo than anything else. Simply making sure to rewrite over the actual data of your files is sufficient, which is probably one of the options below Gutmann.

[Professor S]

So i guess its only useful if you wanted to eliminate digital evidence then.

BTW, I downloaded cc cleaner, AVG anti-virus and ad-aware and my computer has never run better. My inernet connection used to crash constantly, and now its fine. Thanks so much!

[KillerGremlin]

Originally Posted by manasecret

Simply making sure to rewrite over the actual data of your files is sufficient, which is probably one of the options below Gutmann.

You'd be amazed at what you can recover from a "secure deletion." You can download government-level programs (like KillDisc) that will run a 'thorough' deletion process. But it takes a long time as the program literary writes and re-writes over every byte of space on the hard disk. The guys at MIT have recovered 'securely deleted data.' And, if optical scientists can recover data from charred hard drives in the 9/11 rubble.....

It's all kind of pointless for the casual user though.

[manasecret]

Originally Posted by KillerGremlin

You'd be amazed at what you can recover from a "secure deletion." You can download government-level programs (like KillDisc) that will run a 'thorough' deletion process. But it takes a long time as the program literary writes and re-writes over every byte of space on the hard disk. The guys at MIT have recovered 'securely deleted data.' And, if optical scientists can recover data from charred hard drives in the 9/11 rubble.....

It's all kind of pointless for the casual user though.

Yes, but the Gutmann method is an overkill method that isn't meant for the hard disks of today. So one of the options below Gutmann will be just as sufficient, and probably faster. Assuming you want to be secure about your deletions, that is. If not, then just do a simple delete and that will be the quickest.