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#11
Number of programs doesn't reduce performance, only ones that run all the time (resident) programs and auto-start at BOOT time. They can take a considerable amount of resources but if run only on demand there's no effect. Portable APPs I like too but only because they can be moved around or run from a detachable storage.
To reduce the clutter most programs leave when uninstalled I use Revo Uninstaller to uninstall them and clean up after them. Enlarged registry is not a problem either after XP, newer windows don't read registry serially like before but only looks for relevant entries.
Most "Amazing optimizing tools" are just snake oil that can do more damage than they are worth. Some, like Ccleaner have limited use in that they make access to tools easier but most of things it does is available in windows anyway, just got to know where they are.
SSDs are great addition and asset to any system and don't even have to be very large. My BOOT and OS SSD is 250GB but holds only Windows and most important programs that benefit of it's speed, the rest of larger programs/games are installed on another SSD or HDDs. Once prices of SSDs get at same level as HDDs I'm going to change all HDDs to them but for now it's not financially feasible (unless I get lucky with lottery).
If I know I absolutely have no need for deleted files showing up again I just hold down the Shift key [normally the left one while mouse is in the right hand] while pressing the Del key or clicking Delete on the right-click context menu on the file name, bypasses the Recycle Bin.
When doing a deletion only the first letter of the file name is deleted, changed to a ? and they can be recovered by third-party programs and most times successful if that first letter can be remembered. The space occupied by the deleted file is then marked as available for use if the space is needed later. The traditional [think DOS] defragging moves all the parts of a file close to the other parts of that file which will overwrite deleted items during its moving things around. The reason for numerous parts of a file is the cluster size used in formatting a drive, any file larger than a cluster will have to "break it up". A cluster cannot contain 2 different files, will cause corruption. If a file is smaller than a cluster there is wasted space called slack, nothing can be done about that. And all that is the simple explanation.
If you like, the context menu added from the tutorial below doesn't secure erase, but it does permanently delete items and not send them to the Recycle Bin.
Permanently Delete - Add to Context Menu in Windows 10 | Tutorials
If you have SSD with Trim enabled deleted files are probably not recoverable unless they exist elsewhere (backup or cloud drive)
If you have an older magnetic hard drive then just because you moved a file to recycle bin then secure deleted it doesn't mean that it cannot be recovered from that drive unless the original file location was securely overwritten.
The best thing would be to avoid recycle bin:
Set Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Files Immediately in Windows 10 | Tutorials
Then remember to securely delete files when you want to delete them.
New tutorial to add a "Secure Delete" context menu to help.
Add Secure Delete to Context Menu in Windows 10 | Tutorials
Thank you very much Brink!
Very nice indeed.
In this specific case, I am afraid it won't work.
Absolutely -no- disrespect.meant! Don't get me wrong, okay?
Securely deleting files/folders outside the Recycle.bin, frankly, I already have a solution for that. I use secure delete within Directory Opus that also randomizes the filename and path before deleting, i.e. recovery tools will only show randomized names and it is difficult (or better impossible) to even figure out what the contents of a file or folder might have been before they were securely deleted.
In this case though: when files have already been deleted in a 'normal way', then there is no way to select them in the Recycle.bin and do a secure delete there.
Workaround: select them and move them to a temp folder and then securely delete them there, in the temp folder.
Maybe some specific wiping tools can do that, wiping deleted files.
Anyway, thanks again.
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