Situation:
After using Wipe Info to wipe a file or the unused space on a volume, deleted files appear in UnErase as partially recoverable.

Solution:
Wipe Info overwrites the data in any file selected or any unallocated space on a volume when the unused space is wiped. It did not, until NUM 4, overwrite the listing for a deleted file in the directory file. Therefore, when you use UnErase 3.5, or below, after Wipe Info, it is possible that you will see the names of wiped files. The appearance of these names does not mean that the data within those files is recoverable, for that data is gone. However, if you ask UnErase to recover the file, the disk space allocated to that file will be recovered, and a file filled with gibberish, or perhaps data from a new file that now resides in that data space, will result.

FileSaver's job is to track deleted filenames to aid recovery. In order for FileSaver to interact with Wipe Info, make sure FileSaver is on and loaded at startup when you wipe the unused space on a volume. That way, Wipe Info can signal FileSaver to purge those names from the FileSaver Data file. This minimizes the number of filenames that appear during an UnErase scan.

NOTE: If you are booted from the NUM CD, FileSaver will not purge the wiped file names from the FileSaver Data file.

The only way to completely eradicate a directory of old filenames, when using Wipe Info 3.5 or below, is to Wipe an entire disk, or perform a low-level format using the software that came with the volume.

If, with NUM 4, NUM 5, and NUM 6 you are still finding file names listed in UnErase, it may be that the FileSaver files are not being purged when Wipe Info finishes its job. Instructions for deleting the invisible FileSaver files can be found in the document, How to remove FileSaver disk protection data files.

Document ID: 199662814456
Last Modified: 10/04/2001
Date Created: 06/28/1996
Operating System(s): All Supported
Product(s): Norton Utilities 5.0 - Mac, Norton Utilities 6.0 - Mac