Secure empty trash... after empty trash

[ryans79]

Hi,
Here's my problem, i just deleted some files+emptied the trash... and just now read up about "secure empty trash", is there anyway to make sure the files i have already deleted are unrecoverable?

MBP uni 13" snow leopard.

Thanks!
R

 

[Thiol]

Hi,
Here's my problem, i just deleted some files+emptied the trash... and just now read up about "secure empty trash", is there anyway to make sure the files i have already deleted are unrecoverable?

MBP uni 13" snow leopard.

Thanks!
R

Not easily, I don't think. There is an option in Disk Utility that allows you to erase free space (your erased and emptied files are now in the free space). If you do that with a single pass, that performs a function similar to the secure empty trash. Single pass erase writes over the data with 0s once. I think secure empty is a 35-pass erase.

 

[angelwatt]

The 0 writing with Disk Utility will be good enough. Do a 7-pass if you're really paranoid, it's NSA approved. The 35-pass just takes too long and is overkill.

 

[ryans79]

Thanks!