What's the Secure Empty Trash for?
By wmfhed
@wmfhed (121)
Canada
May 15, 2009 1:58am CST
I know that in Leopard, in addition to dragging my unwanted items to Trash, I can use Empty Trash to totally deleted those items in trash. But why Mac OS provide another option "Secure Empty Trash" in Finder menu? Is this some kind of advanced empty option? What can I do with it, then?
2 responses
@MisterR (171)
• Netherlands
19 Jan 10
When you delete a file on a Mac or Windows from the recycle bin the file is actually still there just the first 2 letters are changed so it appears they are deleted..
However Apple added the Secure Empty trash option that means the file is totally removed from the OS. No letters change jsut plain deleted like it should be.
@hyperzebre989 (1)
• Australia
12 Jul 10
You're right but it actually takes longer than a normal trash
@kaz_man (292)
• Australia
15 May 09
Not sure, might be the same thing with windows XP,
if you delete a file and empty the recycle bin, programmers can easily retrieve the deleted file (the deleted file isn't deleted, its saved on the unused part of the hard disk). But if its deleted securely it will be harder to get the file back, maybe wiping it out forever.
