Uninstalling

[regdog]

If you uninstall something from your hard drive is it really gone? I uninstalled Turbo Tax and I'm just wondering if all that personal tax info is really gone. I didn't save it anywhere else on the hard drive, just on disc.

[Medievalist]

Yes and No.

1. Sometimes apps leave data behind in caches, or they leave behind pref files, or rege entries.

2. Unless the drive is zeroed out repeatedly, there's a chance someone with the right tools and knowledge can get back some data, maybe a lot. It depends on all sorts of variables.

What's your circumstance? You just want to make sure private stays private?

[maestrowork]

There are utility software that tracks your install, so when you uninstall, it backtracks and deletes everything. But like Medievalist said, unless you zero things out on the drive, someone could still mine your data (what are you paranoid about? the FBI is knocking at your door!) There are also utilities that zero "empty space" out and "shred" data.

[regdog]

My problem is my computer is only 8 months old and the hard drive died last month and had to be completely replaced. I still have the old hard drive after a long drawn out fight with Dell. I refused to return it because they were going to reformat it and resell it.

Well today the new hard drive did the exact same thing the other one did before it died. I've backed everything up to an external hard drive and am going to remove my novels etc and work on those through disc.

If this one craps out I'm just worried about what could still be found it IE: personal and financial info.


ETA: My old Macaffee had a shredder but my new subscription doesn't

[Williebee]

Drill a few holes in it. Or take it apart and shred the disk.


We take them apart and make baby geek mobiles out of them.

[regdog]

Thanks :)

[alleycat]

You can download freeware that does multiple erase runs on a hard drive. I hesitate to recommend the one I have because I've had it for a very long time and I don't even know if an updated version is available.

Or . . . take a big hammer to it. ;-)

[Medievalist]

Regdog are you sure the drive is bad? It's easier, less time consuming, and cheaper for Dell to pull it than to actually look at what caused the problem.

But yeah, you can easily disassemble it, find the actual platter, and physically damage it with a drill or just smash it.

[regdog]

I'm hoping the new driver was just having one bad start. The old one I have and isn't going anywhere.

My concern is if the new one craps out and they insist on getting it back, but I have no problem Whacking the snot out of it if need be:D

I could be just over reacting since the new hard drive did the same thing the old one started doing right before it died. Fortunately the new drive hasn't done it again.

[alleycat]

If you're not sending the old drive back, hang on to it for a while. You can usually get files off a drive by using a "black box" type of thing (if it were needed).

You can always bash it to pieces later.

[regdog]

Thanks :)