Before I forget -- time to teach how to use CCleaner's Drive Wiper:
Things to remember -- Drive Wiping is more like defragging: it should not be interrupted! Any sudden power surges ( or loss of power i.e. blackouts ) will render your hard drive useless, and worse case is that you'll have to reformat your system -- yes, you will lose all your data, so make sure to turn off all other programs when you drive wipe ( so it'll be effective )
Another reason for drive wiping: every time you purge your Recycle Bin ( right-click on the trashcan on your Desktop ) the files are still in your HD, rendered to 'shadow files' -- bits of digital signatures that can still be retrived with the proper recovery programs ( i.e. Recuver ) -- to make sure nobody will ever be able to get these files ( from small TXT files to heavy ones like MPEG & MP4 files ) here's how:
Click Tools -- Drive Wiper
Under Wipe: set to "Free Space Only"
Reason: the other option is meant to totally erase your HD! -- use this if you want to sell your PC / Laptop!
Under Security: set to "Simple Overwite 1 pass"
Reason: drive wiping time will depend how large is your HD; plus if this is set to the "Very Complex Overwrite", it'll stress your HD badly in the long run, so a 1-pass usage is good enough
Under Drives: set only for the device you want, one at a time
Reason: Yes, flash drives can be drive wiped, but remember that flash drives are constantly used for moving data, so drive wiping one will lessen its lifespan ( an estimate of 10-yrs retention usage is set on most flashdrives
)
Once the settings are made, make sure you stop all other programs and closed all your browsers -- then click on "Wipe" and step away from your unit.
The average time you'll need depends on 1) how large is your HD, and 2) how long you had deleted files -- chances of 45mins-1hr go here ( worse cases, 2hrs ) -- so once you have this running, step back and watch tv, or go outside
Forgot again -- to make sure nobody messes the process, lock your PC / Laptop ( Admin level command ) -- and that Drive Wiping must be done at least once a month
ONLY