how do I cover my tracks?

hungry4life

Long story but a couple of months ago I broke up with my boyfriend. I am giving him back his computer (I have my own)but used his pretty often. My question is how do I clean it up so that he can not get to my email addresses, favorite sites, old email etc. He is pretty savvy with computers and is taking the breakup hard. First he did not want to talk to me at all (did not want to get his stuff, hoping we might get back together). Now he has brought my stuff over and I have agreed to take his stuff on Monday (while he is at school). Still I have a funny feeling that he will try to snoop (I don't think he knows this site just that it is a JW place)
So what do I do? I have gone to many files and favorites and deleted them as well as emptied the trash bin. Is that all I have to do? Can he still dredge stuff up?

Hungry4life of the paranoid class

Naeblis

Get somebody to format the hard drive (wipes everything) and reinstall windows on it. Unless he has some pretty nifty retrieval gear, you'll be safe

hungry4life

Thanks but is it expensive to have this done? Is it complicated could I do it myself ? I guess I would have to save his files to a disc and then add them afterwards right? I think another problem might be that he has software on his computer that he has borrowed, so I could not reinstall it (he would be really upset if I deleted his stuff). I mean I don't have anything real bad to hide. I haven't even dated anyone else yet but still I want my privacy. Is their another solution?

larc

Hungry,

I have a low tech solution for you. Take his computer outside, put gasoline all over it and set it ablaze.

Nah, probably shouldn't do that. He might take a dim view of your solution to the problem.

Beck_Melbourne

Hi Hungry

Have u deleted the temporary internet files yet?? You need to delete everything in the recycled bin afterwards as well. But at least he won't be able to see all the web pages you have been to...which is better then nothing. Also, I think most email websites are pretty secure...he may be able to access the homepage but I don't think he can view a window which shows your email text etc....others out there might know if this is true or not. With hotmail...if you do a search in the temporary internet files...you will only get the hotmail homepage...the security system won't let you view the previously read mail pages etc. I guess it all depends on what email program you are using.

You will find the temporary internet files in the windows folder (i think).

Good luck.

Beck

chezza

I use a program called window washer, it cleans out all the temporary internet files and the history and cleans the cache.

Elsewhere

It is easy to format the drive, just remember it will NOT boot after you do that.

You can also "Wipe" the drive. This does more than just format the drive, it over writes the entire drive so that he cannot use Norton utilities to un-format the drive or recover the deleted files. To do this use a program like Eraser 5.3 - http://www.tolvanen.com/

If you do either of these things, Windows and everything else will have to be reinstalled. Basically, the computer will be non-bootable and useless until Windows is reinstalled (that may piss him off and he would file criminal charges).

If you don't mind this, then do it. Otherwise, you can copy all of your files to disk or CDR and then delete them from the computer. Also, don't forget to delete the History and Cache files from your web browser (easy to do).

I would recommend copying your files and then deleting them off his computer, leaving his computer operational. Oh, and don't forget to empty the Recycle Bin when you are done.

"As every one knows, there are mistakes in the Bible" - The Watchtower, April 15, 1928, p. 126
Believe in yourself, not mythology.
<x ><

hungry4life

Thanks to everyone for your help. I have saved most of my files to discs (no cdr on his computer). I then deleted them all and emptied the recycle bin. I know how to clear my temp files but I am not sure what you mean by cache. I was thinking maybe I can just offer to buy it from him and not have to worry about all this stuff.

Elsewhere thank you for your suggestions but I like to try to avoid criminal charges whenever possible. Larc your idea sounds good too but it might involve more of the same.

Oh yeah just in case he does read this post "I am not dating anyone else yet, I am grieving" repeat "I am not dating anyone else"

Abaddon

Okay, how good is he? If he's averagely good, then deletion is fine.

If he is very good and obsessive, then you need to shred files, not just delete them.

A deleted file is still there, it's just been removed from the 'index' so that the space it occupies can be used again.

Shreding a file actually re-writes the space the file occupies. You actually have to do this about seven times to be 100% safe, as it is possible, using very advanced equipment, to see the ghosts of data previously deleted.

If you feel like a lot of work I could tell you how to do all this, but there is a simple way; after deletion of everything (contents of C:Windows/Temp, C:Windows/Temporary Internet Files, C:Windows/Offline Webpages, C:Windows/Favorites, C:Windows/History, C:Windows/Cookies, plus whatever files your EMails are kept in (depends on what EMail reader you use) which you want to get rid of, click on 'My Computer', RIGHT click on your C: drive, and select 'Properties', then select 'Tools' and defragment your drive. Make sure you don;t have a screen saver running or any other programs running, as they will make the defragmenter re-start all the time. It takes quite a few hours, but is the simplest thing to do.

This moves evertything around your drive so it's all neatly filed, and will obliterate enough to make almost everything unreadable to someone other than a data recovery expert, but keeps the programs already on the PC.

Alternately, format C: the thing and lie about it!

People living in glass paradigms shouldn't throw stones...

SYN

The only way to truly delete data is to throw the device in question into an active volcano Trust me, I know!

The earlier in the forenoon you take the sun bath, the greater will be the beneficial effect, because you get more of the ultra-violet rays, which are healing. - The Golden Age

how do I cover my tracks?

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