need a utility that wipes unused clusters

[Guest Emerald Saint]

Hello,

 

Does anybody know of a utility that will wipe unused sectors on the hard

drive? My old Norton utilities won't run on WinXP.

 

Is there something that comes with WinXP that can do it - like after defrag

possibly?

 

Or some inexpensive or free download that can do it ?

 

Or even a program that runs from a boot disk?

 

TIA Bill S.

[Guest John Wunderlich]

Re: need a utility that wipes unused clusters

 

"Emerald Saint" <xp.student@comcast.net> wrote in

news:efmdnTbhR8pl5eDVnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@comcast.com:

> Does anybody know of a utility that will wipe unused sectors on

> the hard drive? My old Norton utilities won't run on WinXP.

>

>

 

"Eraser" will do this and it is free.

 

<http://sourceforge.net/projects/eraser>

 

HTH,

John

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: need a utility that wipes unused clusters

 

I've used this on occasion, and my wife's used it for years for her business

systems. Seems decent enough. Trial version is good for 30 days.

http://www.webroot.com/En_US/consumer-products-windowwasher.html?WRSID=afbae35ce573abb38ed261f5e6366587

 

TinyURL = http://tinyurl.com/68uqqz

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://grystmill.com

 

"Emerald Saint" <xp.student@comcast.net> wrote in message

news:efmdnTbhR8pl5eDVnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@comcast.com...

> Hello,

>

> Does anybody know of a utility that will wipe unused sectors on the hard

> drive? My old Norton utilities won't run on WinXP.

>

> Is there something that comes with WinXP that can do it - like after

> defrag possibly?

>

> Or some inexpensive or free download that can do it ?

>

> Or even a program that runs from a boot disk?

>

> TIA Bill S.

>

>

>

>

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: need a utility that wipes unused clusters

 

Be sure to check in Options for "Bleach" settings and include "Slack space"

in the wipe. For more info, check its Help file.

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://grystmill.com

 

"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in message

news:ueOddcw5IHA.1176@TK2MSFTNGP02.phx.gbl...

> I've used this on occasion, and my wife's used it for years for her

> business systems. Seems decent enough. Trial version is good for 30 days.

> http://www.webroot.com/En_US/consumer-products-windowwasher.html?WRSID=afbae35ce573abb38ed261f5e6366587

>

> TinyURL = http://tinyurl.com/68uqqz

>

> --

> Gary S. Terhune

> MS-MVP Shell/User

> http://grystmill.com

>

> "Emerald Saint" <xp.student@comcast.net> wrote in message

> news:efmdnTbhR8pl5eDVnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@comcast.com...

>> Hello,

>>

>> Does anybody know of a utility that will wipe unused sectors on the hard

>> drive? My old Norton utilities won't run on WinXP.

>>

>> Is there something that comes with WinXP that can do it - like after

>> defrag possibly?

>>

>> Or some inexpensive or free download that can do it ?

>>

>> Or even a program that runs from a boot disk?

>>

>> TIA Bill S.

>>

>>

>>

>>

>

>

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: need a utility that wipes unused clusters

 

Curious if you know if Erase deals with slack space? Seems like wipe

utilities are easy to come by, but ones that also clean slack space aren't

as easily located.

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://grystmill.com

 

"John Wunderlich" <jwunderlich@lycos.com> wrote in message

news:Xns9ADCE39F098ADwunderpsdrscray@207.46.248.16...

> "Emerald Saint" <xp.student@comcast.net> wrote in

> news:efmdnTbhR8pl5eDVnZ2dnUVZ_jCdnZ2d@comcast.com:

>

>> Does anybody know of a utility that will wipe unused sectors on

>> the hard drive? My old Norton utilities won't run on WinXP.

>>

>>

>

> "Eraser" will do this and it is free.

>

> <http://sourceforge.net/projects/eraser>

>

> HTH,

> John

[Guest John Wunderlich]

Re: need a utility that wipes unused clusters

 

"Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in

news:uJ7C3gw5IHA.3784@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl:

> Curious if you know if Erase deals with slack space? Seems like

> wipe utilities are easy to come by, but ones that also clean slack

> space aren't as easily located.

>

 

Yes it does handle Slack space. It calls it "Cluster Tip Area" (same

thing). It also has the option to erase "Alternate Data Streams" on

NTFS file systems.

A very good program. Read the Help file that comes with it.

 

HTH,

John

[Guest Gary S. Terhune]

Re: need a utility that wipes unused clusters

 

I'll give it a try. I don't really feel like leaving Window Washer on this

machine, but I had to see what it looked like these days before passing it

on..

 

--

Gary S. Terhune

MS-MVP Shell/User

http://grystmill.com

 

"John Wunderlich" <jwunderlich@lycos.com> wrote in message

news:Xns9ADCF157D8DFBwunderpsdrscray@207.46.248.16...

> "Gary S. Terhune" <none> wrote in

> news:uJ7C3gw5IHA.3784@TK2MSFTNGP06.phx.gbl:

>

>> Curious if you know if Erase deals with slack space? Seems like

>> wipe utilities are easy to come by, but ones that also clean slack

>> space aren't as easily located.

>>

>

> Yes it does handle Slack space. It calls it "Cluster Tip Area" (same

> thing). It also has the option to erase "Alternate Data Streams" on

> NTFS file systems.

> A very good program. Read the Help file that comes with it.

>

> HTH,

> John