RE: Technical Difficulty, tech savvy people please read this

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RE: Technical Difficulty, tech savvy people please read... - 7/7/2006 10:32:01 PM

SirKenin

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From: Barrie, ON Canada
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quote:

ORIGINAL: NeedToUseYou

quote:

ORIGINAL: IronBear

To wipe ALL traces off your PC you will need to replace your hard drive else it is possible to pick up the ghosting from it....

Replacing is a bit extreme, but absolutely safe. If you only write over a area once or twice it is possible to pick it up. But they sell programs that will write randomly over the hard disk several times (you can set the threshold), that makes it impossible to pick up any residual image. I used to use it when we bought surplus company computers. Don't remember the name but it's foolproof if you set it to like 10 random writes over an area, it will be garbled completely and permanently.

It is called "zeroing the drive".

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RE: Technical Difficulty, tech savvy people please read... - 7/7/2006 10:37:37 PM

timeoutgurlie

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Joined: 3/21/2006
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Thanks again everyone, even after restarting, it's still gone, I'm ecstatic

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RE: Technical Difficulty, tech savvy people please read... - 7/7/2006 10:40:39 PM

timeoutgurlie

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Joined: 3/21/2006
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quote:

ORIGINAL: NastyDaddy

Yunno... I was 99% certain it was you ****** and now I'm sold dead 100% sure! ... not to worry though, my moist lips are sealed!

I don't want to ignore this incase you were directing this comment toward me. If you are, I'm confused and if you're not, then I'm still confused I guess

lol

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RE: Technical Difficulty, tech savvy people please read... - 7/7/2006 10:42:37 PM

ADomDoc

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Joined: 11/8/2005
From: San Antonio
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I'm sure the above advice will accomplish what you need. But, in addition, if you want to scour the registry & HDD til it's shiny:
1st) back up your registry (regedit will do it)
CCleaner at (ccleaner dot com) will do a bang-up job of cleaning the registry.
Additionally, EZCleaner2 at (toniarts dot com) (in Finland) will do even more. Each of these prgs will clean lots ... but even when 1 is done, the other will find more. These can be dangerous in the hands of a novice ... but if you want clean ... these'll do it.

AND ... in case you haven't found it ... for the last 5 yrs or more, all Windows systems have had a prg built into them called TweakUI ... you might have to install it from your Windows disk ... or you can get it off the microshaft website. It makes it easy to tweak computer settings that are hard to set otherwise. Again ... dangerous if you overdo it or don't know what you are doing. If you make an changes in your settings, you might keep notes ... so you can go back & undo it.

I'd follow 'em all with a defragmentation. I just did all of the above on my own computer again tonight ... just routine computer housekeeping for me (noone else using my computer).

Between the 3 of 'em you can get the computer pretty clean. The only way to tighten it up more is with a military wipe & a reformat of the HDD. Probably beyond where you want to try to go.

Use all of the above at your own risk, these are powerful tools ... or ask a 12 yr old to do it for you :-)

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RE: Technical Difficulty, tech savvy people please read... - 7/7/2006 11:07:05 PM

timeoutgurlie

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lol for asking a 12 year old

Thanks for that, very thorough, I'm sure somebody will read it and appreciate the new tricks. I'm most definitely too nervous to do any of that and the previous suggestions solved my problem to my satisfaction so no need to risk wiping out the entire computer. Knowing me, I'd end up accidentally reducing it to a smoldering puddle

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RE: Technical Difficulty, tech savvy people please read... - 7/8/2006 4:03:47 AM

IronBear

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Joined: 6/19/2005
From: Beenleigh, Qld, Australia
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quote:

ORIGINAL: NeedToUseYou

quote:

ORIGINAL: IronBear

To wipe ALL traces off your PC you will need to replace your hard drive else it is possible to pick up the ghosting from it....

Replacing is a bit extreme, but absolutely safe. If you only write over a area once or twice it is possible to pick it up. But they sell programs that will write randomly over the hard disk several times (you can set the threshold), that makes it impossible to pick up any residual image. I used to use it when we bought surplus company computers. Don't remember the name but it's foolproof if you set it to like 10 random writes over an area, it will be garbled completely and permanently.

I'm not 100% sure of this though as most programs which do this are commercial bassed and not up to the same level as programs used by the Company and other Government agencies.. I prefer to use removable hard drives which for the most disallows date to be mirrored onto the main HD with the programs there. For very sensitive I keep a copy of Word on a remopvable HD so it automatically looks for the write program... A bitt like one time code pads, they can be circumnavigated.. It all really depends on the security you want and what type of material you dont want casual people to see...

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RE: Technical Difficulty, tech savvy people please read... - 7/8/2006 9:54:42 PM

timeoutgurlie

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If I ever do anything even remotely questionable and need to be rid of the evidence, can I have you sent to my house, IronBear?

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RE: Technical Difficulty, tech savvy people please read... - 7/8/2006 10:11:40 PM

Termyn8or

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Sorry I didn't read all this, but if you go>find>files or folders>*.pwl you might find it. BTW PWL mean PassWordList in Windows. It may be encrypted. but once gone, it is gone.

T

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RE: Technical Difficulty, tech savvy people please read... - 7/9/2006 2:01:46 PM

Bluebird

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Joined: 2/17/2006
From: Las Vegas
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<via quick reply - intended at the whole thread, not just the one directly above me)

But folks, you are still ALL missing the point that most corporate networks have a log of everywhere the users go. Actually, not just corporate networks - anyone using a router that keeps a log (which is pretty much any one that was produced in the last 2 years or so) has a record of which computer visited which sites on X date. This is the best way for parents to keep track of what the kids are up to, BTW - much less invasive than a keystroke logger, although less detailed.

So the moral of the story is ... if you really want privacy, go to the public library because thanks to the so-called Patriot Act, most libraries have gotten really good at daily trashing of any internet records.

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RE: Technical Difficulty, tech savvy people please read... - 7/9/2006 2:07:02 PM

Irishblu

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Bluebird is right. I work for the state and it is a HUGE no no to use the computer for personal use. We have a log sheet we keep and you have to put a case number to conincide with EVERY website you go to. People have been fired for going on the internet, thinking they don't know where they are if they erase the cookies etc. To be on the safe side, don't go online for personal use at work.

Be safe and be well,
irish