Chris Pirillo » recycle-bin

How to Permanently Delete Windows Files

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 20 Apr 2011 08:06:01 +0000

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Deleting a file on your Windows machine by sending it to the Recycle Bin does NOT permanently delete said file… not even when you empty the Recycle Bin. However, most of the time a normal delete is just fine. How can you delete your files and folders without sending them to the Recycle Bin, though? Matthew is here to help you out with this dilemmas.

First of all, you can bypass the Recycle Bin completely. Simply select the file you want to get rid of, hold down the Shift key and tap the Delete key. This will automagically delete the files, bypassing the Recycle Bin completely. You can make this a permanent change by modifying the properties of the Recycle Bin.

To modify the Bin properties, right-click the Recycle Bin, choose Properties and select the option to “Don’t Move Files to the Recycle Bin. Remove Files Immediately When Deleted.” Keep in mind that if you make a mistake, it’s too bad. It won’t be in the Bin for you to easily un-delete.

Now, if you are worried about more permanent solutions than that, what are you supposed to do? Perhaps you have financial information on a computer that you are thinking of selling. You definitely don’t want that falling into the wrong hands! Thankfully, there are software solutions that can help.

SecureDelete will permanently delete files and encrypt them in a way that makes it impossible to decipher if it ever were recovered. Installation of the software is simple and use is very intuitive.

Heidi Eraser allows you to delete and remove sensitive data from your hard disk by overwriting it several times. This method makes SURE that no one will ever be able to access that data. Eraser is able to wipe files and folders, encrypted files and drives, Internet cache and cookies and more. It will also destroy data on network files, floppy disks, CDs and DVDs and supports FAT32 and NTFS file systems.

DBAN happens to be my favorite utility of all. Darik’s Boot and Nuke is open source software which will erase and wipe hard disks and files from your computer – with no hope of recovery. It’s a fantastic tool to use for large quantities of data destruction. You can install it to boot from a floppy, CD or even a USB stick, depending on your boot options.

Thanks, Matthew, for an excellent screencast!

How to Permanently Delete Windows Files

How to Restore Deleted Recycle Bin Files

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 13 Jan 2010 00:20:22 +0000

How to Restore Deleted Recycle Bin Files

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We try to upload one screencast per day here on our channels, created by people just like you! If you’re interested in submitting a screencast for possible use on our channel, see the instructions in the link at the beginning of this description. Today’s screencast was submitted by Nina.

In checking out her YouTube channel, I have to give her props: Nina doesn’t claim to be an expert. She just enjoys sharing what she learns with others. That, my friends, is awesome in my opinion. It isn’t often these days that we see someone actually admit that they aren’t the “best” or the “smartest”. Nina’s screencast is factually correct… and entertaining. GREAT work, Nina! Now, without further ado… let’s learn how to restore files that we may have accidentally deleted from the Recycle Bin in Windows!

The first thing you need to do is to download the free Restoration program from SnapFiles. Unzip the file anywhere that you choose to do. Also, in Vista, right-click the application and choose “Run as Administrator” prior to use.

Once you open the application, you’ll see the different drives available. Choose the drive to search. In the next box below that (on the right of the screen), type in part or all of the file name you are looking for. There are check-box options to search files even if they have no size to them, and to include clusters used by other files. Once you have these things done, click on the big “Search Deleted Files” button.

Once it’s done searching, you’ll get a list of the files that were found. Choose the correct file, and highlight it with a single click. Finally, click on the “Restore by Copy” button, and you’re finished!

Thanks again Nina! Great work!

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How to Restore Deleted Recycle Bin Files

Windows Recycle Bin Tips

Chris Pirillo — Wed, 29 Aug 2007 22:36:52 +0000

Windows Recycle Bin Tips

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http://live.pirillo.com/ – A community member at large emailed today, asking if there is a way to create a second recycle bin in Windows. The user is hoping to have two entirely separate recycle bins, for two separate drives.

In short… the answer is no. You cannot create a separate recycle bin. You do realize, don’t you, that the recycle bin is essentially just a folder? When you delete something from your computer, it goes to the recycle bin folder instead of being permanently deleted. This has saved my tush more than once. I have deleted something only to find later that I still needed it.

What you can do is to right click your recycle bin icon and go to “properties.” From there, you can change each drive independently, as far as allocated space. This way, you can manage your recycle bin on a drive-by-drive basis. You can sort things in the recycle bin by file path or drive, or even group things in there by date deleted, file type, etc.

One other thing you can do is to simply create a second folder. You can name it “recycle bin2″ or whatever you choose, and even set a separate icon for it. You can then go in and change your settings to put certain things in that new folder, instead of the original recycle bin.

What tips and tricks do all of you have for handling file deletions from more than one drive? Drop me a comment, an email or a video reply and let me know what works for you!

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Windows Recycle Bin Tips