SOLVED CCleaner Drive Wiper?

[DallasDad]

I've read that CCleaner has a drive wiper in the Tools section......
Can you actually wipe an entire drive, or just the free space, or ??

If I wanted to wipe the entire C Drive, I'd need to run CCleaner from a flash drive, right? I mean it can't wipe the drive it's running from. Or should I use some other type of erasing software?
Thanks in advance for the advice!

 

[clifford_cooley]

I've read that CCleaner has a drive wiper in the Tools section......
Can you actually wipe an entire drive, or just the free space, or ??

There is an option for both. However the entire drive wiper is not meant to be used on the OS partition. In fact when you select the entire drive option, C:\ will no longer be an option as a target drive.

 

[DallasDad]

There is an option for both. However the entire drive wiper is not meant to be used on the OS partition. In fact when you select the entire drive option, C:\ will no longer be an option as a target drive.

What if you run CCleaner from a flash drive, would that make a difference?

 

[clifford_cooley]

What if you run CCleaner from a flash drive, would that make a difference?

If you are not booted from the partition you can wipe the entire drive. Simply running the drive wiper program from a different drive will not change the boot partition. If you want to wipe C:\, you will need to boot from a different partition.

Please keep in mind that C:\ is a designation that is given to the boot partition. If you boot from a different partition, that partition will then be given the C:\ designation. When wiping partitions, please be certain you are wiping the correct partition.

 

[DallasDad]

Aha! Wiping a Drive just got more complicated than I thought! LOL
Let me try another thought......
If you deleted all your files like documents, etc, then using CCleaner, WIPED all free space, page file, RAM, browsing history, cookies, etc etc, for all practical purposes wouldn't that be virtually as safe as wiping the drive? That would eliminate all personal info wouldn't it?

 

[clifford_cooley]

That would wipe most of your personal data, however wiping the entire drive is the easiest way to know for sure. If you want to wipe the drive and re-install Windows, you can do that with Windows Install disk. If you want to wipe the drive and let someone else install Windows, you can use a third party partitioning application that has a boot disk. Partition Wizard Home has a boot disk available for download as an ISO.

 

[DallasDad]

Clifford thanks for your time and effort, I appreciate it.
I'm waiting for delivery of a new computer and I'm thinking about how to eliminate personal info from my old computer whether I give it away or whatever, but I need to do it safely.
Just thought maybe I could clean up the C Drive with CCleaner first, then reformat and reinstall the OS.
Think that would do it?

 

[clifford_cooley]

If you are going to format and reinstall Windows, using CCleaner would be a wasted step. Formating a drive will wipe everything, especially if you do a full format.

 

[DallasDad]

I was under the impression that formating would not actually render information unrecoverable?

 

[Toshax]

You can recover information after formating the drive several times if you have the correct software (not cheap, FBI use it) but could you not get a cheap hd and put windows on? I never give my old hd away even if I format, I'm way paranoid about data/id theft.

 

[DallasDad]

If you are not booted from the partition you can wipe the entire drive. Simply running the drive wiper program from a different drive will not change the boot partition. If you want to wipe C:\, you will need to boot from a different partition.

Please keep in mind that C:\ is a designation that is given to the boot partition. If you boot from a different partition, that partition will then be given the C:\ designation. When wiping partitions, please be certain you are wiping the correct partition.

Clifford as usual, your answer was exactly right! I downloaded the portable version of CCleaner to a flashdrive, and if I opt to wipe an entire drive, the C:\ Drive option still grays out so you can't select it. It'll wipe any other Drive, but not the C:\.
It will still wipe the C:\ drive free space and "Secure Delete" any files one wishes to dispose of, it just won't accept the order to wipe the entire
C:\ drive.

Thanks again for your help Clifford!