How to delete files and pices from the computer completely?

Hi Hussam and welcome to the forums, I think what you’re asking about is how to format your hard drive! And probably need to perform a low level or zero fill format which will destroy all the stored information on the hard drive. Before I can go further, I need to know which operating system you are using and whether or not the drive you intend to format contains system files, for example the "C:\Windows".

If you plan to do this outside of Windows, then you can download disk management utilities from your hard drive manufacturer’s website.


Seagate (http://www.seagate.com)

Western Digital (http://www.westerndigital.com)

Maxtor (http://www.maxtor.com)

Let us know what happens and if you need more info.

Unknown, hussam is asking about deleting files.. So, why not he just delete them and empty the recycle bin instead of formatting the whole drive? :os

red_zone: I think hussam also is asking for permanent delete and thats why unknown is pointing at format...

cause logically almost everyone knows how to delete a file..

If you are going to delete a file totally from your HD, then you are actually not erasing the bytes off your HD sectors. You are simply telling your system that it can write on the same sectors again. That means at the first place your system when writing a file does lock the location you place that file in, so it will not be written over. So when you delete it to the Recycle Bin, you are simply shifting its location “Cut” and telling the system that the location of the original file is free (not occupied). When you restore a file from the Recycle Bin you are simply moving, “Paste” it back in the same partition (not necessary same location) and deleting it from the Recycle Bin.

But when you empty your Recycle Bin you are simply telling the system to delete the reserved copy from the Recycle Bin location and make it free (not occupied). The only way to delete a file completely is to write over it, only then you can (never) retrieve it back. The best way to do that is to fill the location of the deleted file with zero and then delete it again. This way if someone wants to retrieve the file (you deleted) he will get zeros.

Basically you can’t do this process manually because you must know the physical location of the bytes stored, and this requires a good knowledge of the low level of the system HD internals (locations), and if you know then it would be a tedious job. Somoe companies did invent programs which do that job in a nice and easy way for you simply by using that software to write the zeros and deleting them back. True it will talk a little more time (if the file is big you will notice that difference) but still it will delete your file forever.

To make the idea of writing to your HD more clear think of you HD as a room which contains a lots of boxes. Each box contains switches of the (On/Off) type. When you write a file you are opening a box taking out the switches and putting them to the proper on or off according to your which, and putting a mark on them “Occupied” (with a marker pen) that this box is changed by you and you don’t want someone to touch it. Then when you finish you have a set of boxes with marks on them of being “occupied”, and inside them the switches. When you want to forfeit your settings (delete a file), you are not touching the switches but instead you are just removing the “Ooccupied” mark and putting “Again Free” on these box, but still the switches are not touched, they are at the same state were you set them. Now if someone wanted to know your settings of the switches (files), he simply will look for the boxes with the mark “Again Free” on them and open these boxes and see the switches settings.


If you want to make sure no one do see your switches settings, you should open the box marked “Free Again” and put all the switches “off” then write on them “Occupied”, then after that just remove the “Occupied” mark and write ‘Free Again”. That way if someone wants to see your settings for the “Free Again” boxes he will find all the switches “off”.

Got it ;)

Haroundb ,,, You have elaoborated on the idea in a way that cannot be understood by a beginner end user, so basically is there any simple way to do that?
Thanks alot

I am using windows xp

Haroundb ,,, You have elaoborated on the idea in a way that cannot be understood by a beginner end user, so basically is there any simple way to do that?
Thanks alot

I am using windows xp

http://www.softpile.com/Utilities/Security/Review_15028_index.html

http://www.softpile.com/Utilities/Disk_Utilities/Review_34712_index.html

http://www.softpile.com/Utilities/System_Tools/Review_12638_index.html

Unknown, hussam is asking about deleting files.. So, why not he just delete them and empty the recycle bin instead of formatting the whole drive? :os


I hope your question is answered. :-)

guys, does anyone know how to recover pictures after deleting them from the recycle bin?

lol, dude if you want to format just put the xp cd in and do a format of the drive (you'll have to go through some of the setup procedure to do so).

If you want to delete files put em in recycle bin.

If you want to recover files just google "windows xp file recovery"

guys, if the guy is new just give him a simple explanation, no need for 3 pages of geek.

lol, dude if you want to format just put the xp cd in and do a format of the drive (you'll have to go through some of the setup procedure to do so).

If you want to delete files put em in recycle bin.

If you want to recover files just google "windows xp file recovery"

guys, if the guy is new just give him a simple explanation, no need for 3 pages of geek.
Genius Answer... YM