remove and delete?

Question

How do you completely and fully reomove, totally, 100% get rid off something. Example, I down loaded a mirco-soft add-on and didn't think I liked it and removed it through add and remove. After researching similar google and yahoo programs decided it was good. When I reloaded it, the download box it already exsists and it was still there and still had the work that I did previously on it. I repeated the remove and it repeated the already exsists. Worried that some of my vital info was never removed, such as ss# or credit card #s or old passwords. Can I 100% remove this stuff somehow?

Answer 1

Yes, just go to start and run and type in: c://program files, click on browse, click on program files and look for the name of the file that you download and delete the file. If it is write protected you will have to email me for a software program that will delete a write protected file. Only do this after you reboot and try again to delete. (Usually this will delete the file). If not, the email me and I will give you the software an indepth instructions on how to delete a write protected file.

Next, go to start, search and type in the name of the software, and let your pc search for the name. If the name comes up detele from the top to the bottom each file on the screen related to the name of the file.

If you are not an expert in computer I would not recommend that you attempt to remove the file or files from your registry. If remove the wrong keys, you will mess up your system.

If you consider yourself an expert, go to start run, type in regedit, and click on ok. Open Hkey Current User, and open software and look down the list of registry keys for the name and delete.


Minddoctor, France

Answer 2

You have to perform a "secure delete" to remove information permanently. This is the only real way to erase information off of magnetic media. This works by encrypting the data and deleting it many times over until its nothing more than unreadable code. Shredding is another technique but not nearly as effective. Also. The US Dept of Defense endorse "secure delete" as the only way to permanently remove data. Check out this link. A third party deletion software will cost you about $25 but make sure its endorsed with the US DoD santization procedures.
http://www.delete-computer-history.com/secure-file-deletion.html