Deleting history and downloads

[vancouv]

I've used a number of programs over the years that automatically seek out and securely delete history entries (recent files, web sites accessed etc.) and any files that have been downloaded. When I say automatically, I don't mean things that run constantly in the background, but a process you kick off and it locates all the relevant entries.

I was wondering if anyone had recommendations for current programs that do this?

[green granite]

My browser is set to delete all history except cookies on exit, I then use CCleaner before shutting down at night, the reason I don't use the browser to delete cookies is it clears the auto-login ones as well, CCleaner you can set to not delete those cookies.

[Ancient Observer]

Much the same as GG.
I simply set the browsers to delete everything on exit. Including all cookies I lose the auto log-ins, but it makes me feel more secure (HO-ho).
Then ccleaner at least daily.

[Rossian]

for GG...

...I've just taken a look and cannot see where you can select which cookies you keep. In the "windows" tab it's just IE and "cookies".

In applications under "firefox" it is also just "cookies. What am I missing?

The Ancient Mariner

[green granite]

Rossian, the place to set the cookies not to be deleted is in CCleaner, under 'options>cookies' then select those you wish to keep and move them to the right hand side. but it only works for deleting them when using CCleaner not when deleting from the browser.
It's an option that could usefully be offered in the browsers themselves in my opinion.

[profexpat]

CCleaner (https://www.piriform.com/ccleaner) removes most trash and JetClean gets the rest. JetClean | Improve PC Performance and Protect Your Privacy, Free Download.

You might also consider Windows Cleanup at http://stevengould.org/downloads/cleanup/CleanUp452.exe but it has not been updated for a large number of moons.

I use all three of these several times weekly - they are all reasonably fast, butspeed depends on storage volume size.

LastPass is the best auto-login app. Find it at Lastpass.com. works on mobile devices as well.

[compressor stall]

Don't surf porn?

[lasernigel]

Got an email from our reps engineer in Morocco today. He attached a link to a video to show what was happening. It was a Russian site mail.ru despite deleting two programs that came with it(yes I know) and changing in Internet options back to google. When I open Google chrome the first tab is still mail.ru and it opens a second tab of Google. Just downloaded and run CC cleaner but still the same.

[HEATHROW DIRECTOR]

I understand that there is no software which can securely "clean" a hard drive and any deleted material can be accessed by hardware..

[green granite]

Nigel, change the opening page options in chrome it's under 'tools'>options'

[lasernigel]

GG don't have that option in Chrome...

[green granite]

Sorry it's under settings Nigel.

[lasernigel]

Been there as well GG, it isn't listed, but as soon as I open Google Chrome it cones up with mail.ru . If I go to the bar in the top right and go to Google task manager I can close it but then I get a balloon in the bottom right saying mail.ru has crashed, click to reload the extension. I don't touch it but it keeps reverting back,

[green granite]

Sorry we're at cross purposes, I call the bars tools, click on the bars, then click on settings, Ignore tools option, and you should get this:



second one down is the area you want

[Tarq57]

Ccleaner has an option to over-write files set to be deleted, several times if necessary.

Perhaps a possibility exists to recover files erased in this manner, using specialist forensic gear, but nobody seems to know for sure. I tend to think that recovery of such files might be in the "urban myth" basket. Still, who knows what's possible?

@lasernigel, it sounds like a malicious process running. Try MBAM. Download it, install it, update it, set it for a quick scan, remove anything found.

[lasernigel]

Thanks GG, did that and set page to Google but mail.ru still comes up as a first tab followed by Google as a second.

Tarq57, will try that thanks. Just been..already have that and it doesn't find anything.

[lomapaseo]

I don't mean to divert this thread, but perhaps some similarity here.

Yesterday the frau complained that her Firefox while displaying her opening page also set two unwanted tabs for other seemingly benign sites. This was a problem to her because sometimes she would mouse click a tab and a "cookies not set" warning would pop up on that site. I was called, you know the drill <honey would you come here a minute and look at this>.

The warning was unimportant but for the life of me I couldn't figure out why she had tabs set for some site she wasn't interested in. So I ran Malware, CC cleaner checked her options for strange add ons etc. No luck. I then went into the start menu and looked for strange programs starting up. Nothing there

about 15 mins later I found that her set Home Page had a string in it that added these tabs. I simply edited the string to remove these added characters and it fixed the problem. I have never heard or encountered this before and wonder how does such a string get set in the first place

All I could guess was that when she went into options and set her home page for the current page, she must have had those tabs open as well