so after years of seeing software that attempts to delete visited urls or history or temp files i came across a interesting program called

CleanUp!
http://www.stevengould.org/index.php?optio...id=29&Itemid=70


it was highly recommended by Russian hacker magazines as they mentioned this is one of the programs to use if you are caught and beaten to get password out of you so looking at software and finding one of the MOST important options
-FILE WIPING-

most software just deletes teh files so they are recoverable, this one overwrited deleted file multiple times to make recovery impossible.

oh yeah DONT forget to put "FULLY ERASE FILES" (WIPE CLEAN) otherwise thsi program wil be jsut like any other.

enjoy and ee how much information browsers store. so use it often.

so do people like this program? was it useful?

VERY GOOD - THE PROGRAM IS FREE BUT I RECOMMEND YOU MAKE A DONATION. THEY ALSO HAVE OTHER SOFTWARE WHICH MAY BE USEFUL. I NOW USE CLEANUP IN CONJUNCTION WITH WINDOW WASHER AND ERASER (ALSO FREE) AND IT SEEMS TO REMOVE ALL TRACES.

WELL DONE GOGA - THIS SORT INFORMATION IS ALWAYS WELCOME BY "SURFERS" LIKE ME WHO VISIT A WIDE VARIETY OF SITES.

Thanks for this i will use this aswell as other programs

Yes, this is a very useful program to use. One warning when using this program is it will remove all files in any directory that is called temp. So if you have a temp directory when you are holding files you want to keep, rename it to something else.

Another program I suggest is AEVITA Wipe and Delete.

http://www.aevita.com/img/wd_deletefile.png

You can select the wiping scheme for files and free space and reboot when complete. The free trial only prompts you to purchase after it completes the wiping so this is useful in the demo mode. Although it will not wipe the windows swap space unless you buy a real copy, which is something that is needed as the windows swap file can contain full intact files.

AEVITA Wipe and Delete looks like BCwipe but free? i like but the program above wipes a lot more than just files - it wipes history and urls/cookies etc

what's wrong with using internet explorer to delete or clear your cache, doesnt this function essentially do the same thing?

the program i suggested wipes (multiple random overwrites) instead of just deletes (just hide the files basically)

I'll be sure to check this out. Been a helluva long time since I cleaned out my browser and/or comp for that matter. Thanks for the program.

I've also heard Tuneup Utilities is a great program. Any input on that? I know for a fact that AbsoluteShield File Shredder is amazing for instant file deletion.

is CCleaner no good then? i downloaded that for free or dont that do the job that the others in this thread?

I used Window Washer, it claims to wipe files, cookies, urls and free space as well. Is this program reliable? Also, how can I check behind it to make sure it does a good job? How do I check for files in deleted sectors? I know far too well that deleting file is not the same as removing it from your computer.

Window Washer is very good especially if you use the Free Space Washing. I use Window Washer, Clean Up and Eraser (the last two are free d/l's) because my PC has confidential business data stored on it from time to time.

If you are concerned about deleted files on your PC and have a USB port then try saving to a memory stick - you can get 8-gig these days - so that the data is never written to you hard drive.

However the biggest problem is the Windows Swap files which can contain lots of information that is very difficult to remove. There are a number of web sites that tell you how to clean up the Swap files - try a search on Google.

The privacy of our own personal files is always an issue these days. If you can, then try encrypting your data. Remember what is an acceptable pic in one country may be morally unacceptable in another and imprisonable in your own.

Hope this helps

You can use CCleaner (Crap Cleaner) to overwrite 7 times, those hard-to-find files hiding on your hard drive.
...but, be careful.
You must really be sure you reallywant to delete everything it is capable of
deleting.
Logs and backups come in handy sometimes.
You may find that you need to rollback a Windows Update or Service Pack one day.
Be careful with CCleaner.
CleanUp has been around a good while, but again, be careful.
I still can't find out how many times it overwrites.
Probably three.
Try to find any hidden files left over by image programs, etc. and erase them, if possible.
They can be anywhere on your drive and hidden, as well.
If at all possible, try to find out where each program places its temporary files.
This may require a bit of research on the net or from each program's developers' Tech Support.
You can use the best program, Eraser 5.7 (not 5.8 - too many problems), from Heidi, to overwrite files, directory entries, and file slack (cluster tips).

***NOTE: You can also use Eraser to make a Nuke Disc on a floppy or CD, which will overwrite your entire drive up to 35 times (Gutman - named for Peter Gutman), which is very complicated in function, but very easy to do.
...that's ENTIRE HARD DRIVE (!!!), so only use it when you must COMPLETELY AND IRRETRIEVABLY OBLITERATE EVERYTHING on your hard drive.***

The Eraser helpfile is awesome reading.
Eraser can be set to wipe your swapfile at logoff, by the way.
After you've cleaned all you can, do a 3-pass or 7-pass freespace wipe with Eraser (35-pass Gutman takes a long time), making sure to check the Cluster Tips (file slack) and Alternate Data Streams boxes.
Then defragment your drive.
Follow with another 3-pass or 7-pass freespace wipe.
Another interesting program is Rest2514.
You might Google it and check it out.

While this is good information any legal process will also have the logs from your ISP.

Cleaning your system too thoroughly could be used as evidence of intent to conceal a criminal act - which will compound any criminal action against you :\

Does anyone believe that we are in danger of being prosecuted for being a member of this forum? Obviously there is some questionable material here. What is the potential for actions in this forum being tracked and subsequentially used to charge some one with a crime? I know some of us live where there are no restrictions on the internet, so if you are one of those people please do not respond. I need to here from people that know that some of the material on this forum is a best "questionable" and maybe illegal. How nervous are you using this site? Do you know of any laws that would allow for prosecution? How tracable are our actions through the forum, following links, downloading .rar files etc..? I would appreciate honest replies. I love this forum but I REALLY love staying out of prison!

This question cannot be answered accurately here. We are not lawyers.

You should act as though EVERYTHING you do on the internet is traceable, because it is. The relevant question to ask is, "Will I be prosecuted for my participation in this site?" See below for guidance.



This is a great question. While there is not cut-and-dried answer, consider these facts:

Individuals are responsible for what they post.

The site can also be held accountable for what we allow to be seen.

If there is something that is not allowed in your home country, YOU might get in trouble but we may not if it's allowed in our host country.

We might face legal action even if there is no basis for a prosecution. How could this affect us? See Eliot Spitzer's prosecutorial efforts before his recent indiscretions. Most of his cases were thrown out of court if they even got that far. His major successes were in getting companies and wealthy individuals to settle out of court. Those companies are still in business but it cost them, and their shareholders, a bundle of cash.

We operate on a shoestring, we have essentially no cash. If we were subjected to a Spitzer-style prosecution, you can say bye-bye to Gogatech. We too have a strong aversion to prison. So, we take great pains to keep this site clean. How can you help?

For starters, read our rules thoroughly, understand them and follow them to the letter. Don't post anything that is illegal in your home country. Don't try to push the boundaries of what is acceptable. Don't do anything that might get yourself in trouble. Remember: you'll go down before we will. That's just a cold hard fact of life.

If you are not sure of the legality of a post, the rule for staying out of trouble is incredibly simple: DON'T POST IT!

We have been around a very long time by Internet standards. How? By being careful. By having rules. By keeping the site clean. By not breaking any laws ourselves. That includes:

Absolutely no hardcore pics on our site.
Absolutely NO hardcore pics traded through PM. We apply the forum rules to Private Messages as well. No talk of underage sex as defined by law in PM or posts. Stories about people of same ages have different legal definitions, that's why you see them on the site. Acts between people of age differences defined by law as illegal aren't welcome here either.
No posts from or links to other boards that might allow this kind of post. It's called "enabling"

Are you seeing a common thread here? Staying legal yourself keeps the site legal. Violations will be felt by you first. Keep your actions clean and your life will be easier, and Gogatech will be here for your entertainment.

One more statement on your part:


You're not alone here! But, we can't guarantee this to anyone. If you are worried, you should leave our site. We make great efforts to avoid trouble for ourselves. All we can suggest to you is to be responsible for doing the same for yourself.

The problem with using Internet Explorer for wiping files etc is, its so full of holes (security wise) its ridiculous. Don't EVER use Internet Explorer for ANYTHING you wouldn't want other people to know about, and I do mean EVER. You shouldn't even browse sites and download content using IE, let alone use it as a security tool.

downloaded it and its done the trick great, so thanks for posting a link to it

Wiping urls could be used as evidence you knew you were looking at "wrong" things.

Remember, the police will have the logs from your ISP with them - you can't wipe them - depending on the country they can be kept for at least 2 years!

Unless this forum is being tracked it's extremely unlikely you'll ever have the law find you.

Many people get busted after taking their pc in for repair and the repair shop reporting dodgy content.

The other way is after a police sting... usually started after the above!

It's pretty remote in other words.

If though you do get busted, membership of this board will be evidence.

In Australia even stories without pictures will get you charged :[


So just reminding everyone - if you take your pc in for repair - take out the hard drive. Deleting things doesn't work - only makes people curious!

all reformatting a drive dose is remove the table/sector allocation's and headers on files
if you really want the drive clean use Darik's Boot and Nuke
http://dban.sourceforge.net/
burn the iso to disk then reboot with the disk in the drive
now you have a clean disk to reinstall windows or move to a secure os like one of the flavors linux
that use the SELinux kernel ( developed by the US N.S.A. then the nsa with red hat )

I don't think that the people repairing your PC would actually search for data that has been deleted. Taking out the hard drive would probably make them more suspicious. It's problematic, though, if you have unencrypted data on your hard drive that you don't want other people to see and you did not delete/erase it before your PC crashed. That's why I agree with the others who have already mentioned that you better not write any confidential data on your hard drive.

About security, I don't like the fact that this section of the forum is accessible by guests. Well, just my opinion.

The only way to protect yourself is to encrypt the whole system. www.truecrypt.org And also encrypt everything you burn on dvd's or any other devices.

That with a very good firewall (Comodo), correct system configuration, TOR and common sense should make you very safe. To catch you, they would probably have to break into your house and install cameras while you are away. Cause it would be really hard for them to pass the firewall and antivirus and sneak into your comp. Or to sniff you. Cause all the traffic is encrypted.

All those "clean up" programs are useless if you ask me. If the educated cops are comming to get you those programs won't prevent them from seeing what you were doing. Only Eraser gives some really good protection. It makes it impossible for any commercial recovery software to recover the data from the hard disks.

Commands like format c:/u or tune up utilities or anything similar will NOT make you safe.