ParetoLogic Privacy Controls > Tutorials > What is the Difference Between Delete and Erase in Privacy Controls?

 

What is the Difference Between Delete and Erase in Privacy Controls?
 

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Delete and Erase

Many people assume the terms “delete” and “erase”, mean the exact same thing. Most computer users when speaking of removing files from a system use them interchangeably. When the words are used referring to ParetoLogic Privacy Controls there is a big difference in each of their meanings.

Delete Explained

In ParetoLogic Privacy Controls delete is used to mean securely deleting files so the file cannot be found or restored using Windows Explorer. Files that are deleted may be restored using a recovery tool as detailed below under Delete and Erase – the Continuum.

Erase Explained

The term “erase” in ParetoLogic Privacy Controls is used to mean permanently erasing data from the computer so even a recovery tool cannot restore it. This is permanent removal from you system.

Delete and Erase – the Continuum

The procedure you use to perform a delete in Windows Explorer or the delete procedure used in an email program is not the same as the one performed by ParetoLogic Privacy Controls standard delete. A good example of this is a file that has been deleted with Microsoft is put in the Recycle Bin and the file can be restored. It is not actually deleted from your system.

When you use ParetoLogic Privacy Controls to delete a file you will not be able to locate the file on your system using Windows Explorer and it is not placed in the Recycle Bin. It is possible to recover files that have been deleted in this way by using a file recovery program and with the required information such as the name of the file. If this information is available the deleted file could be recovered.

Shred Levels and Erasing

If you do an erase using a Shred level with overwrite technology (see below for explanation of overwrite technology), the item cannot be restored; the data is permanently deleted from your system.

You can see the Shred Level below in the screenshot is set to “Thorough”. You can get more information on using Advance Shred under:  How do I Select a Shred Level in ParetoLogic Privacy Controls?

 

 

Overwrite Technology Explained

Your computers data is created from “bytes” of information based on a binary numeric system. Each byte is made of a set of zeroes and ones, such as 010110110. The Shred tool in ParetoLogic Privacy Controls uses overwrite technology which is a way of taking the stored data (the ones and zeros) and replacing it with a different set of numbers. The new data is put overtop the existing data. This usually is done with a random combination of zeroes and ones, all ones, or all zeros. It will depend on what overwrite level is selected as to what procedure is used. The data that is overwritten using ParetoLogic Privacy Controls is non-retrievable.

There are some cases when there are a large amount of files that would take a long amount of time to overwrite, that this might not be the desired erasure alternative. Each situation must be considered separately.

The following table explains the ParetoLogic Privacy Controls options:

 

 

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