Sidebar Sidebar
Become a MacRumors Supporter for $50/year with no ads, ability to filter front page stories, and private forums.

Truely Deleting Files From Mac

T

tsuke13

macrumors newbie
Original poster
Dec 3, 2010
4
0
Hello, did a quick search and didn't find the answer I was looking for.

I recently lost a picture ( accidental delete ) that I despretly wanted back so I downloaded the trial version of Data Rescue 3 to try to find it.

What I found was amazing. Practically every file I've ever deleted. Not only that, but caches of files I routinely delete. Ever look at a friends pic on facebook? I found them with Data Rescue 3... never even downloaded them. That kitten in the poptart box you wanted to show your girlfriend then deleted? Still there.

So my question is simple. Is there a way to actually DELETE something, so its truly gone? I know off the Finder > Secure Empty trash, but some of this info is being deleted off of third party programs like say Onyx when it cleans my cashes.


Thank you all for any response
Tsuke
 
Best thing to do is to do a Secure Empty Trash, followed by using Disk Utility to "Erase Free Space" with the 7-pass random write at a minimum, or the 35 for CIA protection.

TEG
 
You need to delete the files, clear the caches via onyx, THEN run a Erase Free Space command. The bahavior you describe is just the way modern file systems work. The file isn't actually deleted. The trash/recycling bin only deletes the reference to the file, and the OS sees the space as free, available for overwriting when necessary. Secure erasing will overwrite the space occupied by the previous file. "Erase Free Space" will overwrite all areas of the disk that should be empty.

Of course, I do the full encryption thing, so I don't bother with the above subtleties.
 
TEG said:
Best thing to do is to do a Secure Empty Trash, followed by using Disk Utility to "Erase Free Space" with the 7-pass random write at a minimum, or the 35 for CIA protection.
Click to expand...
If you are paranoid that is. To prevent software to be able to retrieve any old data 1 pass is sufficient. Everything else is for keeping professional (physical) data retrieval out, or the CIA.
 
Timur said:
If you are paranoid that is. To prevent software to be able to retrieve any old data 1 pass is sufficient. Everything else is for keeping professional (physical) data retrieval out, or the CIA.
Click to expand...

And what are you storing on the disk that you would really worry about someone finding? Old pictures are hardly anything to worry about unless you have something really illegal like kiddie p**n. Text files of old letters are not a big deal unless they are full of plans for a terrorist attack. Text files for making crystal meth - hardly worth worrying about since it's easy enough to find on the net I assume. Tax returns might be interesting, but a simple secure delete would be enough; the CIA wouldn't bother to go to your computer to find your old tax returns - they would just get them direct from the IRS.
 
old-wiz said:
And what are you storing on the disk that you would really worry about someone finding? Old pictures are hardly anything to worry about unless you have something really illegal like kiddie p**n. Text files of old letters are not a big deal unless they are full of plans for a terrorist attack. Text files for making crystal meth - hardly worth worrying about since it's easy enough to find on the net I assume. Tax returns might be interesting, but a simple secure delete would be enough; the CIA wouldn't bother to go to your computer to find your old tax returns - they would just get them direct from the IRS.
Click to expand...

My social security number, credit cards accounts, financial website login information, etc. I think most people just worry about what would happen if their laptops were stolen. But I do agree with you that a single pass secure erase is more than enough.
 
Just get a disk encryption scheme; if you lose the computer, it can't be accessed. Just be sure to shutdown all the time.
 
Thiol said:
My social security number, credit cards accounts, financial website login information, etc. I think most people just worry about what would happen if their laptops were stolen. But I do agree with you that a single pass secure erase is more than enough.
Click to expand...

Exactly; if someone can get ahold of physical possession of your computer, then stuff in the trash is almost certainly less interesting than what's actually "live" in your user directory. Login passwords can be broken or reset. I don't bother with the secure delete cause I don't keep anything that critical on the computer.
 
You must log in or register to reply here.
Register on MacRumors! This sidebar will go away, and you'll see fewer ads.
Top Bottom
Back