Skip to main content

Overwriting Deleted Files in Windows

 Once a file is deleted, most operating systems will still hold on to the file. The link between the operating system and the file is removed, but the data is still on the disk waiting to be overwritten or used for something else. A common utility seen in the wild is Eraser but it's a bloated utility that takes a long time. It's a good utility if you really need to overwrite a Windows machine more than 3 times - but the use case for this is minimal. 

pause: this article surrounds mostly HDD, as files are recoverable on these drives if not overwritten. For SSDs, this is just going to cause more wear to your drive!

An underutilized tool is cipher. In Windows, it displays or alters the encryption of directories and files on NTFS volumes. But, with the option w it overwrites deleted files and empty space of a drive. You can use it on the same drive the OS is located, external drives, and removable media. It's easy to use! If your OS is installed on C: and you want to remove all your deleted files and empty space try cipher /w:C or replace C with the drive letter.


The process doesn't take long, but it is a good idea to not only close applications it recommends, but to close background processes as well. My favorite shortcut for the Task Manager is Ctrl + Shift + Esc, make sure to close as many background processes as possible while this is running.  

The best use case for this is when getting rid of HDDs before reusing them elsewhere for other purposes. In lab setups, this can be quite useful. 

Do you overwrite space on your HDDs? Why or why not?

Fun fact! Did you know modern OSs already scatter data around when writing to a SSD to more evenly wear it and reduce malicious recovery? Cool!


Comments

Popular posts from this blog

How to program a NTAG215 NFC Tag

Hi! Did you just acquire a NTAG215 NFC tag? Very cool. Maybe you scanned it and it brought you here. Here's how to edit the content on the tag to make it do what you want.  Easy Steps Download an NFC writing app on a smartphone like this one for Android or this one for iPhone. I assume you might have this app already if you're reading this tag. Done Decide what type of data you want to save. If you picked up more than one of the NFC tags, you may have a variety of data saved to them like the ones below: Plain text URL/URI Link to a search Social networks Video File Application Mail Contact Phone number SMS Location Address Proximity search Street View Emergency info Bitcoin address Bluetooth connection WiFi network settings other custom fields Make sure if you select the correct format to make it easier to scan, save the write data, and re-scan the tag. Switch back to the read function and test your tag! Next Method The above method doesn't cover making everything, such a...

Phishing Kits

Let's make a phishing attack (just kidding). The easiest way to do so is obtaining a pre-made phishing kit. Phishing kits represent a significant and growing danger. These tools, readily available in the darker corners of the internet, empower even technically unsophisticated criminals to launch effective phishing campaigns. This post aims to demystify phishing kits, explore their dangers, and provide practical advice on safeguarding against these insidious threats.  Phishing kits are pre-packaged sets of tools and resources designed to facilitate phishing attacks. The parts of a phishing kit can be broken down into the following components: Email templates Webpage clones (usually scraped from the legit site) Scripts and code repositories  Hosting Platforms Delivery Systems Readme & docs Premium services Real-time data analysis tools Customer service* Social engineering tools These kits are designed for ease of use, allowing attackers to launch phishing campaigns with mini...

Anti-Phishing Working Group Report from Q2 2023

 The Anti-Phishing Working Group (APWG) is an international coalition focused on unifying the global response to cybercrime, particularly phishing and e-mail fraud. Established in 2003, APWG brings together businesses, government entities, law enforcement, and non-governmental organizations to combat phishing, crimeware, and e-mail spoofing.They create regular reports on the nature of phishing "in the wild" and share trends in this report. You can download the report here .  I wanted to report on a more recent trend report, but at the time of writing I haven't seen a newer one. It being in the middle of 2023, I believe the report is recent enough.  I found a few areas of interest, and questioned a few pieces. There was a reported downward trend in phishing. Despite the high numbers, there was a notable downward trend in phishing by the end of the quarter, indicating a possible shift in tactics or improved countermeasures. I have doubt that phishing is occurring less,...