Just How Good Are They: ? (hard drive cleaners)

ursula · #2 (**permalink**) April 13th, 2008

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Originally Posted by Basic.J

...I seem to keep reading about software but how good are the so-called hard drive cleaners and are they as good as they claim to be.

I have Window Washer 6.5. Build.

WW is the ONLY really good one.
But, 'really good' is relative, hmmm ?

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...claim to work wonders and miracles ...if I delete my documents and clean my hard drive with them. All documents , music and files can never be recovered , but how much of this is true.?

Easy answer: None of it.

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Do you use these.?
Have you in the past.?
Have you used something better.?

Yes... WW exclusively now (Except for testing newer apps).
5 years.
No.

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What are the best f r e e downloads.?

None.

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Links and thoughts on this topic.

This topic... the efficacy of so-called washers or wipers, has been a point of discussion

amongst the mods here for a few weeks now...

My experience is basic as in every day on many machines ...what I am about to describe is NOT some anomaly related to a single computer...

I have run WW, Registry Mechanic (btw, just because Reg Mech is good does not mean that Spyware Doctor should even be considered !), Diskeeper normal defragment followed by a FULL boot-time defragmentation and...
wait for it...
STILL been able to recover deleted files with a very simple recovery program.

WW is great for maintenance... Enhanced Security does not exist via software.

Enhanced Security that is = to, "My files are GONE. I can relax !", is easy to achieve...

Take your HDD, open the case using whatever method you like, and physically destroy the disks with a hatchet and acid and fire.

Anything short of that = BSing oneself !

p.s. re: WW... Be VERY careful doing the Options setups...
NEVER allow it to start and run on system start...
Wipe out updates and incomplete downloads and all sorts of other amusing things ! Adobe updates will run for ever that way !

If you have any problems with disabling the Start on system start function, let me know... There is a registry setting that needs to be deleted... This is a definite bug that I see many times.