Browsing Histroy

[Mr. Mud]

Hi playground, someone is gonig to me handling my computer soon, and I want to know if when I 'delete my histroy' in internet explorer, if it deletes all traces of my history... if so, how can I make sure, and if it doesn't how can I delete ALL traces of my histroy?

Please tell me I can do it free. :smalleek:

[randman22222]

Well, as the aspiring forensic scientist here, you can never completely erase data from a drive, unless you 0 or 1 write your drive, which wipes it completely clean.

See, even if you do erase the browsing history, all that means is that the data on your drive can no longer be found by the computer. It's still there, and with the right software/firmware, you can get the data back.

Now I know that's not what you mean, so I'll just say that pressing ctrl+h will show your history, and you can delete what you want from there.

[Dr. Bath]

There is a program on macs that lets you write random binary code over what you've deleted, making it unreadable. But unless the police come knocking or something, I can't see the use of going to those lengths.

[Mr. Mud]

Well, as the aspiring forensic scientist here, you can never completely erase data from a drive, unless you 0 or 1 write your drive, which wipes it completely clean.

See, even if you do erase the browsing history, all that means is that the data on your drive can no longer be found by the computer. It's still there, and with the right software/firmware, you can get the data back.

Now I know that's not what you mean, so I'll just say that pressing ctrl+h will show your history, and you can delete what you want from there.

Hmm... Not this drastic, yet, but how would I go about wiping my drive?

[randman22222]

A few ways. Most of them involve...

What are you trying to hide? Evil incriminating evidence? :smallconfused:

[Mr. Mud]

Yes. WAIT No... heh... heh.... Why is nobody else laughing? :smalltongue:

But is there a program I can run that deletes everything on my hardrive so I can jsut reinstall windows? :smallconfused:

[randman22222]

Well... Okay. Yes, there are. Typically, you burn them onto a CD, and pop the CD in. You then reboot, and before it starts loading Windows/whatever, you press whatever button it is that changes boot order. Choose to boot from the CD, and it'll run the hard-drive-nuking program.

I had a program a while back called Darik's Boot-n-nuke. Google that...

[Mr. Mud]

Much Obliged 22222, I owe you... If I ever see you in my bike doctor I'll see what I can do about a free tune up :smallwink:.

Ah, yay! I got what I needed to do. One last question how do I open redegit? is it in temp.?

[randman22222]

AHHH!

regedit.exe is an evil program that can screw your comp over!

What, exactly do you want to do with your registry?

[Mr. Mud]

Make it go byebye... Or atleast, make all traces of what I've done go bye bye.

[randman22222]

Nuking your hard drive will do that, and the registry holds no history data.

It holds preferences, and serial codes. Like random settings, and whether or not your Microsoft Office is legal...

[Mr. Mud]

Okay 22222, Thanks for the help :smallbiggrin:.

[The Rose Dragon]

Man, I'm curious now. Unless it's illegal or against the forum rules, you have to tell us. What have you done?

[randman22222]

Yeah, I agree with Rose. :smalltongue:

I bet you have history of the funds you're embezzling, or something...

Also, my dictionary doesn't have an entry for 'histroy'. :smallconfused::smalltongue:

[Jack Squat]

I'll just pipe in to say that it's entirely possible to find Darik's Boot and Nuke online, it's also under the name dban.

I've got it on both a floppy and a cd that I labeled "Duke Nuke 'em." I'm waiting for someone to make the mistake that I have that game :smalltongue:

EDIT: Just figured I'd mention that if it's only the browsing history you're worried about, just download C Cleaner. It'll keep whatever your hiding from the average person that buys your computer. (ok, so the average person doesn't know that there's a history button...so the average competent person).

[KillianHawkeye]

But is there a program I can run that deletes everything on my hardrive so I can jsut reinstall windows? :smallconfused:

I think in this case a simple reformatting would be sufficient, no?

[Krrth]

Well, as the aspiring forensic scientist here, you can never completely erase data from a drive, unless you 0 or 1 write your drive, which wipes it completely clean.

See, even if you do erase the browsing history, all that means is that the data on your drive can no longer be found by the computer. It's still there, and with the right software/firmware, you can get the data back.

Now I know that's not what you mean, so I'll just say that pressing ctrl+h will show your history, and you can delete what you want from there.

....you do realize that even by 0 or 1ing your dirve, the data can still be gotten back?

[randman22222]

:smalleek: How the heck is that possible? You're redoing every bit of space on your drive with 1's or 0's.

[Krrth]

:smalleek: How the heck is that possible? You're redoing every bit of space on your drive with 1's or 0's.
It's not easy. Basically, it has to with the fact that even if the data has been zeroed, it still leaves a faint magnetic image. You need some fairly expensive tools to do it, but it can be done.

[randman22222]

Ah. So if you really wanted to wipe your hard drive, you'd need a couple rare earth metal magnets?

[Krrth]

Ah. So if you really wanted to wipe your hard drive, you'd need a couple rare earth metal magnets?

Or a hammer. Hammers work wonders.

[Tormsskull]

The one sure-fire way of making sure your files cannot be found for sure is with fire...

[Krrth]

The one sure-fire way of making sure your files cannot be found for sure is with fire...

Yep. The actual, physical destruction of the drive is just about the only way to make sure.

[Fri]

I forgot where I heard that, but I heard that the only way to make sure your data is really unreadable is to bash your harddrive with a hammer aka physically

[randman22222]

The only way to securely destroy data is to remove it from the time-space continuum. If it never existed, no one can read it.

So uhh... Anyone wanna take a guess at how that's achieved?

[Krrth]

The only way to securely destroy data is to remove it from the time-space continuum. If it never existed, no one can read it.

So uhh... Anyone wanna take a guess at how that's achieved?

Heh. It's not that bad. Whiel recovering a zeroed, smashed, or burned drive MAY be possible, it usually takes major resources to do so. So, unless you've got the government or a major corp looking for your data, you should be fine. Run a zeroing program a few times, and you should be good to go. Of course, if you really, really want to make sure no one gets the data, zero the drive a few times, open the drive, take out the actual disk platters, smash them up, burn 'em, and run the bits through a shredder.

[ghost_warlock]

The only way to securely destroy data is to remove it from the time-space continuum. If it never existed, no one can read it.

So uhh... Anyone wanna take a guess at how that's achieved?

You could also give it to Schrödinger's cat.

As for removing it from the time-space continuum, you could try bringing it to Barnes & Noble...time seems to work funny there for me at least, never seem to have as much of it as I thought I did when I went in. :smalleek:

[KillianHawkeye]

By using a superconducting particle accelerator to fire 3 lasers so the beams converge upon your flux capacitor, thus tearing a hole in reality as we know it??

By writing a computer virus that can use the combined power of the Internet to transmit itself back through time, locate your computer, and fry it before the data is ever created??

Or throw your HDD into a black hole??

[randman22222]

<snip>

Or throw your HDD into a black hole??

The data remains. It is just scattered in a different medium - brains.

[Ilena]

I accually want to know whats on there too ...

[Tragic_Comedian]

I accually want to know whats on there too ...

Dead bodies. Spooky dead bodies.

[randman22222]

We all want to know what you're trying to hide.

TELLLLL USS! :smalltongue:

[Tragic_Comedian]

I think I have some idea (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PornStash):smallamused:

[Jack Squat]

Ah. So if you really wanted to wipe your hard drive, you'd need a couple rare earth metal magnets?

There's actually a few rare earth metals in the drive, but not the point.

I know at my grandpa's work (they sell used machinery), when they want to wipe a drive (mostly for their clients...don't want to keep data of how to machine a part for a military jet or some such), they just stick the hard drives down on the table of some metal working machine and turn it on. The table is basically one big electromagnent, so you can keep control of the metal when you cut it. I have no idea if the drives work after that, but I assume so.


Then of course, there's the DOD way: Thermite; lots and lots of thermite.

[reorith]

There's actually a few rare earth metals in the drive, but not the point.

I know at my grandpa's work (they sell used machinery), when they want to wipe a drive (mostly for their clients...don't want to keep data of how to machine a part for a military jet or some such), they just stick the hard drives down on the table of some metal working machine and turn it on. The table is basically one big electromagnent, so you can keep control of the metal when you cut it. I have no idea if the drives work after that, but I assume so.


Then of course, there's the DOD way: Thermite; lots and lots of thermite.

you don't need all that much thermite to obliterate a hard drive.

[Jack Squat]

oh, I know, but how cool it looks is directly proportional to how much you use.

[Mr. Mud]

If I told anyone I'd have to kill them. Bike Doctor Is hardcore. :smallbiggrin:.

No I just don't want the guy (and now that I say guy, it'll be a girl to show how byast the term is) from Geek Squad to see important files and... other 'important' files.

:biggrin:

[Sneak]

So your solution is to wipe your whole computer? :smallconfused:

[RTGoodman]

I think I have some idea (http://tvtropes.org/pmwiki/pmwiki.php/Main/PornStash):smallamused:

My first roommate had that same thing. Like, 8 gigs.


Then he got that AIM virus that was going around several years ago and his FATHER was his tech guy that fixed it.

Needless to say, that was a bit awkward for him. :smallsigh:

[reorith]

oh, I know, but how cool it looks is directly proportional to how much you use.

i doubt the fbi will be impressed by how awesome a blatant attempt at evidence tampering is.

[Zanthur]

I just got a program called Wipe Drive Pro. It was rated as the best hard drive wiping program by the Department of Homeland Security or something like that. I got it because I work on computers, and if I ever have a computer I'm going to sell, or if someone I'm doing a computer for is selling one, its always best to wipe it.

I've never done anything bad enough to get the FBI or CIA interested in me, so I'm not concerned about doing my hard drive. I reformat about every 3-6 months (usually depending on how silly my computer is being), which is good enough for me.

Unless you are a hardcore hacker, or if you are looking up naughty pictures that you dont want a hardcore hacker (or even just your average computer geek) to see, you really dont have to worry about wiping your hard drive. A good reformat will do. If you are a hard core hacker or an average computer geek (like me), you probably wouldnt be asking. I cant say I wouldnt like to know what you're trying to hide, but I certainly understand if you dont want to tell us.

If its just your browsing history (and cookies as well) I would just get the programs CCleaner (http://www.ccleaner.com) which clears your history, cookies, passwords (if you want it to), and even cleans your registry. The cleanup process is seperate from the registry cleaning process, so you can do one without messing with the other. DO NOT mess with the registry unless you make a backup and you know what you are doing. You can seriously mess up your computer and might have to reinstall Windows. CCleaner does make a backup of your registry (not automatic, you have to tell it it), so as long as you do that, you should be ok. Just dont go on a deleting frenzy.

[Shadow]

I bet it's nothing more than those pictures he took of me last summer.

Man, those were good times...





>.>
<.<



... why are you all looking at me like that...?

[Silence]

Someone's been looking at inappropriate images and videos on the interwebz.....


Good for you.

Just go up to tools on the top right, and clear everything. As long as the FBI doesn't come and take apart your comp, you're cool.

Also, I suggest using FF.

[BizzaroStormy]

That are you talking about? Its the internet, nothing is inappropriate for the internet. Other than intelligent life.

[Mr. Mud]

So your solution is to wipe your whole computer? :smallconfused:

Kinda. Its like financial stuff and I've had bad experience with geek squad
before* which amost ended in a lawsuit. And I backed everything important up on a series of Memory Stix. (It took maybe 5 of the biggest I could find.)

*THAT GUY STOLE MY FREAKING VIDEO CARD. :smallannoyed.

[Jack Squat]

i doubt the fbi will be impressed by how awesome a blatant attempt at evidence tampering is.

The hell?

Who said anything about a criminal case? I just said if you're going to destroy a hard drive with Thermite, more is better, because I'm a pyro. I'm not saying to rig your computer up so if anyone trys to access your encrypted files about that embezzlement you did it'll erupt into 6 foot high flames, destroying everything in sight with molten iron.

As to the OP, you could always just Encrypt (http://www.truecrypt.org/) those files.

[Don Julio Anejo]

Meh. Do none of you read spy thrillers? If you want to do something illegal, you go into a pawn shop, buy a stolen laptop, go to a coffee shop (hopefully one that doesn't have cameras, has wi-fi and has lots of people working there on their laptops), do funds embezzlement from there and then smash the laptop and throw it off a bridge into a river.

[Jack Squat]

Meh. Do none of you read spy thrillers? If you want to do something illegal, you go into a pawn shop, buy a stolen laptop, go to a coffee shop (hopefully one that doesn't have cameras, has wi-fi and has lots of people working there on their laptops), do funds embezzlement from there and then smash the laptop and throw it off a bridge into a river.

Data's still recoverable...unless you smash the laptop in a machining press/be sure to destroy the HD.

Besides, why go to a pawn shop? I'd just head down to the Unclaimed Baggage Center (http://www.unclaimedbaggage.com/index.html) and pick up a handful for about $100. Granted, I'm planning on doing that anyways, and then selling the refurbished ones to college for cheap. Now, if I ever get around to going down to Alabama is another story...

[Don Julio Anejo]

Because if no-one know where the laptop is, or at least can't find it, they can't recover your data :P

Pawn shops because you're much less likely to be asked questions in there.

[Jack Squat]

yeah, I understand the point of tossing it in the river; but no one's really going to ask you why you're buying a laptop anyways. I mean, maybe 10 years ago when they were less common, but now people will be more likely to ask questions if you're buying a typewriter.