IObit Unlocker is a program for forcibly deleting undeletable files and folders. A program for permanently deleting files and folders
Or documents with passwords.
Or even worse, when your information falls into the hands of not just an ordinary curious person, but professionals who know how to use the obtained data to rake money from you.
You may say, “That would never happen to me.” “I always delete all files” or “I always format the disk before it goes into the wrong hands.” Not so simple. The data still remains on the disk.
When you delete a file, it is not completely deleted. The file data remains on the disk until it is overwritten. Much the same thing happens when you format a hard drive. Most of the data remains the same. The disc is simply completely free for recording.
To protect yourself, you need to overwrite/delete/erase all important information. Also, in the Window OS, you need to clear the “swap file”, as it may contain your confidential data.
- For data security on large hard drives, one pass of data overwriting is more than enough.
The best practice, of course, is to regularly overwrite free disk space. I found virtually nothing on the overwritten space of the large disk. After just one overwrite with random data, PC Inspecot File Recovery found nothing useful, or found a bunch of files filled with random data.
However, on small disks the data can be recovered, it largely depends on the pattern in which the empty space is filled with random data.
- Since clearing all free space takes quite a long time, you can clean only specific files. For specific files and folders, it will be much easier and faster to overwrite information with random data. However, it should be taken into account that some media use a wear leveler at the hardware level, which may prevent normal disk cleaning.
- Data cleaning programs currently also assume that it is necessary to erase data from the download file that is used in the Windows family. This can be done using the Ultimate Windows Tweaker program or by following these instructions:
Clearing the swap file:
2. Go to the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management"
3. Create or change the ClearPageFileAtShutdown key of type (REG_DWORD) to the value 1
4. Restart your computer
Pagefile encryption (Vista or higher):
1. Launch Command Prompt.
2. Run the command "fsutil behavior set EncryptPagingFile 1".
3. Restart your computer.
- If you need to erase the entire disk before getting rid of it, then Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) is suitable for you. This utility is specially designed to clean the entire disk. But be prepared that you will have to spend time, since the disk already contains There will be nothing at all, including partitions.
Review of free data removal programs
Eraser is one of the most powerful tools for secure data removal
More programs for securely deleting data
- Revo Uninstaller (from the review of uninstallers): includes the "Unrecoverable Delete" utility for overwriting files, as well as the "Evidence Remover" utility for cleaning up free space.
- Recuva (from a review of file recovery programs): A program for file recovery. But it can also delete files found during recovery.
- EraserDrop: Has a good drag & drop interface. Allows you to quickly delete unnecessary files. Supports Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7.
- UltraShredder: A small program. Easy to use. And it can work from a flash drive. Supports Windows XP/2000/98/98SE.
An alternative with a slightly different plan is (DBAN). It is used to create a floppy disk (rare) or CD to automatically clean the hard drives of any computer that has been booted from them. A great tool if you need to clean many computers, as well as if you quickly need to delete important information. However, in the hands of a beginner, this utility can become a dangerous weapon.
Good to know about secure data deletion
Do I need to do 35 passes?
If it's quick, then no. The current sizes of hard drives are becoming quite huge. And the chances of just finding 10Kb of your data on a 500GB disk are quite small. Therefore, several passes to fill with random data will be quite enough.
Why is it necessary to wash? Just to know what you deleted? Or that I have good manners?
- Stealing information is not paranoia. This is reality. Your information can be accessed by a virus that can easily crawl through your hard drive in search of a certain type of information. Or the person who got your hard drive can easily see what was interesting on it before.
- When I delete a file, that means I delete it!!! I don’t store it somewhere in a basket, or wait for someone to restore it. True, sometimes this is for the better.
- There are some types of programs that restore themselves after deletion, due to the fact that the file itself is not physically deleted.
- To protect confidential information from unauthorized persons.
- Some organizations require it as per their security policy. However, some of them may require more extreme actions.
Quick Guide (download free secure data deletion utilities)
eraser
| Works with any devices, including IDE, SCSI, RAID, CD-RW. Good scheduler. Rich in functionality. Good support. Quite informative reports. | ||
| Consumes a lot of system resources. Starts slower than File Shredder. |
File Shredder
| Small. Easy to use. Has enough functionality to improve efficiency. | ||
| Not everything is provided. No scheduled launch. Very small help. |
CCleaner
| It works quite well and quickly. There is a portable version. | ||
| It takes a lot of steps to finally get to the uninstall functions. Installs Yahoo Toolbar by default. |
Storing confidential data on a hard drive and removable media is, as a rule, always considered in the context of general information security. This is a fairly voluminous topic, covering many different aspects, not the least of which is secure file deletion.
There may be several reasons for this - transferring a computer, disk or flash drive for temporary use to another person, handing over a computer or media for repair, as well as selling them. Simply deleting data using the operating system or even completely formatting the media does not ensure permanent deletion of information.
In most cases, deleted data can be recovered using data that can be easily found on the Internet. One hundred percent guaranteed destruction of data can only be achieved by demagnetizing the media or its complete physical destruction. These are the measures that are taken in relation to data stored under the heading “Top Secret”. To destroy data of a lesser degree of secrecy, utilities are used that use algorithms for repeated rewriting of the entire media or a specific area of it.
Currently, there are many programs for secure data deletion. There are just as many opinions regarding the effectiveness of this or that utility. In reality, claims that one shredder program deletes data better than another is nothing more than a myth. It is not the program itself that deletes information, but the rewriting algorithm built into it, and these algorithms are the same in all these utilities; it’s just that one program may have a wider range of algorithms than another. According to experts, Peter Gutman's algorithm, which uses 35 rewrite cycles, is considered the most effective. Here is a small list of utilities that will help you to ensure that your personal information is deleted.
CCleaner
This popular free cleaner can be used not only to remove file junk and correct errors in the system registry, but also to ensure guaranteed formatting of hard drives and removable media, as well as clearing free disk space. In this case, four deletion methods are available: simple overwriting in one pass, DOD 5220.22-M (three cycles), TSA (7 cycles) and the Peter Gutman method already known to us.
Eraser program
A simple and free program for securely deleting data. With its help, you can delete not only individual folders, but also entire partitions, as well as clear free disk space. Despite the lack of Russian language, using the program is very simple. Deleting files and folders is done by simply dragging them onto the Eraser workspace; in addition, objects can be deleted from the Explorer context menu, where the program is built in during installation. There are 14 deletion algorithms to choose from, including the most reliable - Peter Gutman's algorithm.
File Shredder
Another free utility, simple and convenient. Deleting data from and also from removable media is supported. Adding files to the list to be deleted is done through the main menu, or by directly dragging them onto the working window of the program. File Shredder can also be used to wipe free disk space. It is also possible to delete through the Explorer context menu. Unlike Eraser, File Shredder has only five built-in deletion methods.
Secure File Vault Program
Multifunctional program for protecting confidential information. This application is intended primarily for data encryption, but can also be used to permanently delete files and folders. Secure File Vault has a built-in File Shredder utility for this purpose. When deleting data, you can choose a security level from 10 to 110. Secure File Vault is a commercial program, and quite expensive at that - its cost is $49.95.
Download Secure File Vault: http://www.securefilevault.com/
Freeraser
A free, simple and convenient program for deleting any user files with support for the Russian language. There are three main removal modes available in Freeraser - fast, reliable and uncompromising. Fast corresponds to one rewrite cycle, reliable – to three, and uncompromising – to 35 consecutive passes. and folders is done by dragging them onto a special trash can from the standard “Browse” window. The utility supports customizing the appearance of the recycle bin, autostart, and working from the system tray. Russian language available.
Download Freeraser: http://www.freeraser.com/home/82-freeraser.html
Conclusion
All five of these programs, on the whole, do their job very well. If you want to be sure that your personal files cannot be recovered, then use any of these programs. Of course, this list is far from complete; many utilities for secure data deletion are included in other programs, as is the case with Secure File Vault. AusLogics BoostSpeed, Acronis True Image, TuneUp Utilities, Glary Utilities and many other applications for working with the file system have built-in cleaning tools.
Among the five programs described above, we decided to give Eraser first place. This program undoubtedly deserves to be called a professional tool for effectively destroying confidential data.
The rewriting methods used by the program are based on the most well-known standards for removing magnetic traces from hard drives and removable media.
A wide range of tools, flexible settings, the use of additional “deception” technologies, as well as a friendly user interface make this program one of the most convenient and popular tools for securely deleting files.
To be sure that no one will use your confidential data after you have erased it, advice from specialists and special programs selected by them will help.
User information is becoming increasingly valuable, which means reliable protection against theft is required. Important confidential documents, account and credit card information can all become easy prey for inquisitive attackers. By deleting documents and other important secret data from the Recycle Bin or immediately bypassing it, many users think that they have destroyed them irrevocably and nothing threatens their security.
However, in reality this is not always the case. Any person well versed in computers, if desired, can easily restore information deleted in this way. In addition, a lot of service data is stored in the operating system and on the hard drive in various forms, including about the user’s actions, such as visiting sites, copying and transferring files, what programs he worked with and even when and what flash drives he connected .
If special devices known as shredders can be used to destroy paper documents and optical discs, and fingerprints can be erased, then with traces left in a PC, everything is not so simple and obvious. For example, even when creating an encrypted file, a temporary, unprotected copy of it can be generated, which an attacker could theoretically later restore. In addition, many programs, such as Microsoft Office or Adobe Photoshop, leave service information in files, including information about previous versions, where confidential data that the user later erased can be stored.
We will tell you about the main ways to delete personal information from the system and when working in different programs and then clear free disk space to eliminate the chance of recovering deleted files. In addition, you will learn about the features of cleaning solid-state drives.
Destroying temporary files
Temporary files that are created by various applications, such as MS Office, and, of course, browsers can tell quite a lot about the user. To destroy temporary files, it is best to use special utilities that do their job automatically.
CCleaner.
Free Windows cleaning utility. Among other functions, it allows you to clear free space on the HDD from previously deleted files and safely erase information. To do this, go to the “Service | Erasing disks." Specify what exactly you want to remove, as well as the method (for example, “NSA (7 passes)”), and select the drive. To destroy data, CCleaner provides the user with a choice of algorithm: single overwrite, 3, 7, or 35 cycles. Mars WinCleaner
- this is no longer a new, but very reliable utility for deleting temporary files - the result of the work of many programs. Unfortunately, this program does not have a function for completely erasing information, but it can be configured to automatically clean the system of temporary files on a schedule, as well as when the computer is turned on or off. Kaspersky Internet Security
Thanks to its “Remove Activity Traces” function, it allows you to remove most of the temporary files that can tell about your work with your PC. You can find this option in the “Tools” section.
Clearing data in programs and documents
A document that you have edited many times often contains part of its history, and using standard or special tools, its previous versions can be partially restored.
In addition, when using older versions of Microsoft Office, it may be useful to install a plugin from the manufacturer - Remove Hidden Data, which allows you to remove various service information from Microsoft Office 2003/XP documents. In the 2007 version, to do this, click on the round button with the program logo and select “Prepare | Document Inspector”, then in the window that appears, mark the necessary menu items with checkboxes and click on the “Check” button. After scanning, the wizard will prompt you to delete the found data. In Office 2010, this feature can be found in the File | Details | Troubleshooting | Document Inspector."
Browser cleaning
To automatically or manually remove personal information from Internet browsers one-time, you must change their settings.
Mozilla Firefox. To remove traces in this application, you need to go to “Tools | Settings" and on the "Privacy" tab, check the "Clear history when closing Firefox" checkbox or configure the program in a way convenient for you, for example, so that the browser does not initially save information.
Internet Explorer. You can use the keyboard shortcut “Ctrl+Shift+Del” or the menu item “Tools | Delete browsing history."
Opera. Click on the "Opera" button and go to "Settings | Delete personal data." In this window, you can use the drop-down list to specify in detail what data should be deleted.
Apple Safari. Click on the gear button and select “Reset Safari” from the menu that opens.
Google Chrome. Go to settings by clicking the button with three bars in the upper right corner, or simply enter chrome://chrome/settings in the address bar and on the settings page that opens, click on “Show advanced settings”, and then click the “Clear history” button.
Automatic and manual system cleaning
If you do not want to install additional programs, you can use the Windows registry, browser settings and local OS security policies.
Swap file. Elements of processed confidential information may remain in this storage. To automatically clean it, you need to do the following: Press the key combination “Win+R” and in the line that appears, enter the command “secpol.msc” (without quotes). Click OK. In the window that opens, go to “Local Policies | Security Settings" and on the right side of the window select "Shut down: Clear virtual memory page file". Double click on it. In the settings window, set the mode to “Enable” and click the “Apply” button. Now, when you turn off your PC, the page file will be automatically cleared.
Information stored on the Internet
Not only can your computer contain user data - on social networks, even after you delete previously uploaded photos or your pages, they remain in storage and can be restored at the request of intelligence services. All records about the IP addresses you use when connecting, passwords, correspondence, etc. are also stored for a long time.
Therefore, try not to transfer important and unencrypted information to cloud storage: they can be hacked or be under constant surveillance by various intelligence services and security services of a competing company. Even when deleting data from the cloud, you have no guarantee that copies of it will not remain in storage and will not be transferred to outsiders or captured by attackers.
Clearing free disk space
With standard deletion, the file is not completely destroyed - the operating system only erases the address of its location. The data itself can be stored on the HDD for quite a long time until it is overwritten by other information. And even after rewriting, such information can be partially restored. To ensure the destruction of data, we recommend that you use publicly available programs that ensure irreversible deletion of information.
eraser. This is the most popular free utility that allows you to truly reliably destroy documents, including the Guttman method, in which the file is overwritten 35 times with random data. Eraser also offers the function of clearing free space on the HDD to completely destroy erased information.
Kremlin. This is a real data harvester, and file destruction is only part of its functionality. Also, with its help, you can encrypt information and delete traces of computer work. Among other things, Kremlin offers a useful function for cleaning RAM, where important information may be stored.
Acronis True Image Home 2013. In addition to the basic functions of backing up data, the application will help you irreversibly delete specific files and folders, as well as clean up already empty disk space. In this case, you can choose a data destruction algorithm.
Flash drive tracking
The operating system can even remember information about previously connected flash drives. Using the USBDview program, you can see when and which flash drive was connected, and also erase this information. You can also delete such information in the Registry Editor in the following branches:
"HKLM\SYSTEM\ControlSet001\Enum\USBST OR"
"HKLM\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Enum\U SBSTOR."
Wiping SSD
The technique of repeatedly rewriting data to delete it without a trace is destructive for solid-state drives due to their limited resource. In addition, studies have shown that not a single software method of deleting information guarantees its complete destruction - from 4 to 91% of “safely” erased files can be restored. Therefore, the only reliable way to permanently delete data from an SSD is to physically destroy the media.
Hardware erasers
If your HDD or flash drive contains important information that needs to be destroyed quickly and irreversibly, one way is to use hardware.
For internal hard drives
Now there are devices on the market that allow you to reliably and in a short time destroy all information stored on a “protected” hard drive. There is even a function for extreme cases - physical damage to the HDD. One of such devices is the domestic development 2S-994 “Priboy”. The cost of such a device is almost equal to the average PC performance and is about 16,000 rubles.
For portable disks and flash drives
In the age of mobility, transporting confidential information on portable drives can be safe if you take special care in advance. For example, there are special media with the ability to remotely monitor their position, block recorded and encrypted information upon command, and even physically destroy the drive. The Security Guardian flash drive, developed by ExactTrak Ltd., has similar functions. It can also automatically self-destruct, block or delete information if the drive is removed from the specified perimeter. Servicing such a flash drive will cost approximately 1,300 rubles per month, while the cost of the 32 GB drive itself is 20,000 rubles, including the first year of security service.
Uninstallers (programs for removing programs) are an integral part of the process of optimizing the operating system, as they can free up significant resources for the operating system.
Unlike the standard uninstallation system, uninstallers often have advanced functionality. In addition to simple removal, they can search for remnants of deleted programs, perform forced removal (in cases where the program cannot be removed using standard means), as well as a number of other options.
Below are the best removal programs that you can download to your computer and use instead of the standard removal tool.
Soft Organizer is a utility for removing (uninstalling) unnecessary programs and searching for their traces (residues) that remain after the normal removal process. To do this, you need to run program removal from Soft Organizer. In this case, the trace search process starts automatically after normal deletion.
08/15/2018, Anton Maksimov
Uninstallers have become the norm for Windows users. This is due to the fact that programs often leave a large number of files and folders on the disk that hang like dead weight. And the more applications the user installs and deletes on his PC, the more unnecessary traces remain on the system as dead weight.
06.26.2018, Anton Maksimov
The Uninstall Tool is perfect for conservative users who like the classic appearance of Windows XP-style programs. As for the functionality, it is very typical for programs of this type and includes a basic set of tools for searching for traces of uninstalled programs and a startup manager.
05/11/2018, Anton Maksimov
Total Uninstall is a utility for removing unnecessary programs with the function of tracking the installation of new programs, support for modern Windows applications (from the Microsoft Store), the function of cleaning the system from temporary and other unnecessary files, as well as a startup manager.
The program can display a list of all traces of the selected program using the “Details” button on the toolbar. These include traces on the disk, in the system registry, as well as services and devices. It can be very useful for analyzing applications, as it can show all the services associated with the selected program.
In our work, we focus on free and, even more often, open source software. In this post, we will talk about the free, but unfortunately not yet open source software Revo Uninstaller. This program will allow you to easily uninstall (remove) other software installed on your computer. The developer claims that Revo Uninstaller will be able to remove a program even if Windows cannot remove it through the Control Panel (Add/Remove Programs). Moreover, Revo Uninstaller is the most powerful and fastest alternative to the standard Windows uninstaller tool.
12/14/2017, Anton Maksimov
The standard program uninstallation tool does not always completely remove applications installed on the system. Some files and records remain there as dead weight. This does not cause serious damage to Windows until too much of this data accumulates. Residues from programs in the form of files can seriously reduce disk space, which can subsequently affect system performance. To prevent this from happening, there are various applications for completely removing programs.
One of these programs is called GeekUninstaller and it is designed to remove unnecessary programs and then search for and remove traces of these programs on the computer. The utility's interface is quite ascetic and simple. All you need to do is select the application and click the “Delete” button.
11/21/2017, Anton Maksimov
Wise Program Uninstaller is a utility for completely removing programs and traces of them that remain after regular uninstallation. The utility is very easy to use and does not require additional knowledge to operate. It works according to the classic scenario: first, a regular deletion is carried out, and then the remnants of the program are searched and deleted in the system.
Today, under my “software microscope” I had the temerity to come across a free program for permanently deleting files and folders called Alternate File Shredder.
Is it as good and reliable at dispersing various computer files into atoms, without the possibility of their recovery by any means, methods and special programs, as the manufacturers claim? Let's check.
How to completely and securely delete a file or folder
Several times on the pages of this site I have described to you special recovery programs accidentally deleted files. With their help it was possible to return data even after formatting the disk.
But what if the task is to completely delete a file or folder, without a single chance of recovery (by bad uncles and evil aunts)... so that no Recuva, Hetman Partition Recovery or PhotoDOCTOR can resurrect them? Are there really no such programs?
We launch the program and specify files or folders for secure deletion...
“Number of iterations” is the number of passes. On SSD drives, I do not recommend abusing this figure (one pass is enough).
Click on the “Destroy files” button and confirm complete deletion...
(Oops, screenshot with deleting another file)
...let's go submit documents to any spy organization in the world...
We check the reliability of data deletion...
...the Recuva program didn’t find anything even similar to my deleted file, but it did find a huge pile of files that were deleted a couple of years ago.
I didn’t check the data with other resuscitators - I’m sure the result will be the same.
Download Alternate File Shredder
Alternate File Shredder, a program for permanently deleting files and folders, lives at this address - http://www.alternate-tools.com/
Its size is 909 kb. There are no viruses or installation difficulties. Has a multilingual interface (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, German, Korean, Czech...). Works in absolutely any version of the Windows operating system.
And lastly, do not confuse Alternate File Shredder with uninstalling programs. These are different things. The hero of this article deletes individual files and folders, and does not uninstall programs previously installed on the computer.
P.S. I also ask you not to make a holivar in the comments about the fact that there are other programs with a similar function of reliable permanent deletion - of course there are, but this article was about Alternate File Shredder.
Until new useful computer programs and do not forget to delete files behind you.