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For as long as I've been helping people, on the most common questions
is "How can I permanently erase xxxxxxxx file on my computer?"
Usually, the question pertains to Internet files; that is they
don't want others to see that they visit a certain web site.
Webroot Software
has the answer. They have a series of small Cache and Cookie Washer
utilities that will clean Netscape, IE, or Opera. The problem
is that you have to run a version of Cache and Cookie Washer for
each browser. That is solved in their Cache and Cookie Washer
Deluxe, or as it is now known, Window Washer (Version 2.6 Revision
2). This program gives you the option to erase many different
places including:
- Browser Cache
- Browser Cookies
- Browser History
- Mail Trash
- Recycle Bin
- Recent Files
- Temp Folder
- Document Histories (last file opened list)
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- Registry Streams
- Windows Run History
- Windows Find History
- MS Office 97 and 2000 Tracks
- Windows Temporary Files Directory
- ScanDisk .CHK files
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You can set up the program to run every time you start the computer,
shut down the computer, or you can just run it whenever you choose
to.
One of the nicest features of the program is that the program
erases the files, but also cleans out the index.dat files. This
file contains a list of the files that are in a specific folder.
Windows uses this file in only a few folders so that it can display
the contents in a special manner (Temporary Internet Files, History,
and Recycle Bin). If you erase the files, but don't clean the
index.dat file, people may still be able to see where you visited.
Let's face it though... things like cookies can be very helpful.
You might not want to delete them all. You can customize the way
a site works and you can save login information. Window Washer
comes with the option to specify which cookies NOT to erase.
There are a few programs on the market that do all of these things.
What really sets Window Washer apart from other programs is that
it doesn't just erase files, you also have the option to "shred"
the files. If you just erase a file, an experienced user can use
a simple utility to bring it back. Erasing a file just wipes the
file entry away from the FAT (kind of like a hard drive's table
of contents), but leaves the data on the hard drive. The National
Security Agency (NSA) in the US has set a standard that the location
of a file needs to be erased and rewritten and erased again 7
times until it is officially destroyed. When you run Windows Washer,
you have the option to "shred" the files that you erase.
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