Wiping free space is just one of the options, it does much more.. Free space may not actually be free in the true sense of the word. If you uninstall something the space where it was located on the hd then becomes free, meaning new data can be written there, that original data is also classed as recoverable with the correct software.
Lets say you have some very sensitive material on on your HDD and you no longer need it. You would delete that data, in reality the HDD space is then released by windows, meaning new data can be written to it.
However, windows does not write in an orderly fashion, it may use other free space first. Anyone with the correct software and access could recover that sensitive data.
If you wipe free space CC will overwrite that space with zero`s, hence anything that was wiped is unrecoverable. Obviously the more passes you select the less chance of recovery. Does that help?
Regarding PM`s I dont mind at all, if you have a major problem it would be beneficial to open a thread in the relevent section of the forum....
If no more issues here are some tips to reduce the potential for malware infection in the future
Make proper use of your antivirus and firewallAntivirus and Firewall programs are integral to your computer security. However, just having them installed isn't enough. The definitions of these programs are frequently updated to detect the latest malware, if you don't keep up with these updates then you'll be vulnerable to infection. Many antivirus and firewall programs have automatic update features, make use of those if you can. If your program doesn't, then get in the habit of routinely performing manual updates, because it's important.
You should keep your antivirus and firewall guard enabled at all times,
NEVER turn them off unless there's a specific reason to do so. Also, regularly performing a full system scan with your antivirus program is a good idea to make sure you're system remains clean. Once a week should be adequate. You can set the scan to run during a time when you don't plan to use the computer and just leave it to complete on its own.
Install and use
WinPatrol This will inform you of any attempted unauthorized changes to your system.
WinPatrol features explained
HereYou will have several programs installed, these maybe outdated and vulnerable to exploits also. To be certain, please run the free online scan by
Secunia, available
Here Before clicking the
Start scan button, please check the box for the option
Enable thorough system inspection. Just below the "Scan Options:" section, you'll see the status of what's currently processing....
...when the scan completes, the message "Detection completed successfully" will appear in the
Programs/Result section. For each problem detected, Secunia will offer a "Solution" option. Please follow those instructions to download updated versions of the programs as recommended by Secunia.
Use a safer web browserInternet Explorer is not the most secure tool for browsing the web. It has been known to be very susceptible to infection, and there are a few good free alternatives:
Firefox,
Opera, and
Chrome.
All of these are excellent faster, safer, more powerful and functional free alternatives to Internet Explorer. It's definitely worth the short period of adjustment to start using one of these. If you wish to continue using Internet Explorer, it would be a good idea to follow the tutorial
HERE which will help you to make IE
MUCH safer.
These
browser add-ons will help to make your browser safer:
Web of Trust warns you about risky websites that try to scam visitors, deliver malware or send spam. WOT's color-coded icons show you ratings for 21 million websites, helping you avoid the dangerous ones:
Available for
Firefox and
Internet Explorer.
Green to go,
Yellow for caution, and
Red to stop.
Available for
Firefox only.
NoScript helps to block malicious scripts and in general gives you much better control over what types of things webpages can do to your computer while you're browsing.
These are just a couple of the most popular add-ons, if you're interested in more, take a look at
THIS article.
Here a couple of links by two security experts that will give some excellent tips and advice.
So how did I get infected in the first place by Tony KleinHow to prevent Malware by MiekiemoesFinally this link
HERE will give a comprehensive upto date list of free Security programs. To include - Antivirus, Antispyware, Firewall, Antimalware, Online scanners and rescue CD`s.
Don`t forget, the best form of defense is common sense. If you don`t recognize it, don`t open it. If something looks to good to be true, then it aint.
Let me know when I can close out your thread,
Take care,
Kevin
