Where has my computer been????

[dscott]

I have been told that there are "Hard Drive Transaction Logs" that will show all the activity on a computer, is that true? I have done numerous searches and have come up empty. There are programs available that are supposed to access and erase all record of activities, files opened, websites visited and so forth on you hard drive but I don't know if that kind of information is really kept, does anyone else??? I know about erasing history records and Temp Internet files and address bar entries but is there really 'secret' files on my HD or in Windows that tracks all of the activity??

Thanks for all the help

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Scott
WPB, FL

[YODA74]

http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif YOUR busted!!! Yes every thing you have ever done on your computer.Bottom line when you delete something from your computer you don't really delete it it goes to rec.bin recoverable until you empty. even at the DOS level,it still hangs around. It's given a new name and made invisable,and the portion of the hard drive where it lives is marked up for grabes. you can use Norton Utilities to recover the files as long as nothing has been written over it.And if your really paranoid Norton makes a program called WipeInfo, it can scrammble those delited files beyond recognition.the only true way is destroy your hard drive? but that gets expensive I hope i have enlitened you and answered your question http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/wink.gif


You can take the time and right and re-right and re-right your hard drive with nothing but garble????

[This message has been edited by YODA74 (edited 09-06-2001).]

[mjc]

Most data recovery companies won't touch a drive that has had several "zero fill" (what most of the wiping programs do) becoase what can be recovered is usually of no use to anyone. Windows also has many MRU (most recently used) lists, which can be deleted (manually if know know where they are or with several utililties), log files are everywhwer and most of them have the extension of .log -- so they shouldn't be to hard to find. The list goes on, most of what you have listed is where the files can grow very large and consume alot of drive space, the rest don't usually get very big but can lead to embarrassing or worse situations....

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mjc
Links list:Computer Links (http://www.dreamwater.org/tech/mjc/index.htm)

Celts are the men that heaven made mad, For all their battles are merry and their songs are all sad.

[Dan Mitchell]

Whom exactly are we trying to hide this stuff from, mom & dad, your wife, The Boss, the cops???? http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif This pretty much describes the hierarchy of concern from bottom to top as well as the degree of sophistication required to be "safe" (depending, of course, on how computer savvy mom is http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif )

Now that I've sufficiently jerked your chain, Tweak UI http://www.pcforrest.freeserve.co.uk/tweakui.htm#obttui will delete a number of potentially incriminating files at logon, such as web browser history (IE only, sadly) document histories, etc. These useful features are found on the program under the suitably titled heading "Paranoia/Covering your tracks" (I know, I would have called it "Covering your a**" too, but hey, KIDS use this stuff... http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif ) You can also delete the aforementioned files on command with the program. Repeatedly, if you're the obsessive type.

For a step up in security, you'll need a disk wipe utility. Personally, I have been pleased with File Mutilate http://www.nstarsolutions.com/products/1952.htm, although I have not (yet) had my efforts in this regard tested by the FBI or some similar group. Basically it wipes all the free space on your HD, so you delete the threatening data in the usual manner, the run Mutilate (which can take awhile, depending on the amount of free space and level of security selected (back to that obsession thing)).

You should be aware that there are relatively simple programs available as shareware which will also more or less record everything you do/everywhere you go on the PC. Mom, The Boss, etc. may install such a program without your knowledge, the presence of which you'd have to be aware to really evade by either of the above approaches (the truly creative could even use their knowledge of the existance of such a program to plant some judicious "disinformation" http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif ). Checking out some of these programs at a shareware site like http://www.zdnet.com/downloads/ may give you an idea of what to look for if you suspect your particular Big Brother (of whichever gender) may have gone this route.

As Henry Kissinger once said "Even a paranoid can have enemies". The man knew whereof he spoke http://www.PCGuide.com/ubb/biggrin.gif

Dan