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Information for a Better Life

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• Click, search, e-mail, chat, walk, run, ride, work and shop for charity.
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How to Securely Erase Private Data

Disclaimer: These instructions are in no way a guide for thorough erasing of all your private data stored on digital media. For that, please consult an expert.

And they're only intended for honest, law-abiding people who want to keep their very sensitive data on their nonjob-related home computers and handhelds safe and private. If you were to attempt to use these instructions on a job-related home or office computer or handheld, you could be breaking the law.

If you intend to do so, I would much rather you go elsewhere, but if you must continue reading this page and applying these instructions, be aware that you do so at your own risk.

WARNING: Using a secure eraser / wiper / shredder makes your data virtually unrecoverable, in other words, very difficult or prohibitively expensive to recover, so be sure to back up your data before using it, and be careful to erase only the files you no longer want or need.

Erasing Guide With Show/Hide Links (all on one page - busy Javascript message may pop up once or twice on a dialup connection - click headings to show or hide steps)

Contents:

• Privacy skip
  • Threats You Can Prevent or End
  • Threats You Need to Write Your Government Officials About
  • Resources
• Online History Viewing and Monitoring Software
• Help for Sex and Pornography Addiction
• Erasing Private Data on a Cell Phone
• How to Erase Private Data on a PDA Before Selling, Donating, Recycling or Throwing It Away
• How to Erase All Songs and Photos on an iPod Before Selling It
• How to Erase Private Data on a CD or DVD
• Erasing Private Data on a Flash Memory Card or USB Drive
• How to Completely and Securely Erase a Hard Drive
• How to Securely Erase Private Data Without Erasing Your Whole Hard Drive
  • Removing Data Securely | skip
    • Deleting Data
    • Formatting or Reinstalling Windows
    • Caution: Erasing Your Data Isn't the Key to Ultimate Security
  • Easier and More Secure Alternatives to Using Windows and Eraser | skip
    • Key Logger Warning
    • The Safest Option
    • The Next Safest Option
    • Another Option
    • Security Guides for Mac OS X, GNU/Linux and BSD
    • How to Move, Erase and Protect Private Data in Camino and Safari
    • Data Erasers in Mac OS X
    • Data Erasers for Mac OS and BSD
    • Data Erasers for GNU/Linux
    • Free Data Erasers for Windows
    • Commercial Data Erasers for Windows
  • Crucial Steps You Need To Take Before Typical After-Work Erasing With Eraser | skip
    1. Secure Windows and Your Data
    2. Encrypt Windows or Move Private Data to Read-Only or Encrypted Removable Media
    3. Switch to Safer Hardware and Sofware
    4. Encrypt Restore Points or Erase Them, Then Disable System Restore
    5. Encrypt WIN386.swp or pagefile.sys or Erase It, Then Disable Virtual Memory
    6. Encrypt hiberfil.sys or Erase It, Then Disable Hibernation Mode
    7. Encrypt Registry or Erase, Then Disable AutoComplete in Internet Explorer and / or Alternative Browser (includes usernames, passwords, form entries, searches and visited web site addresses in drop down lists)
    8. Encrypt Registry or Erase, Then Disable MRUs (includes Run and Open/Save entries, links to recently opened files and URLs or addresses of web sites and pages typed in Internet Explorer's address bar)
    9. Encrypt Browser Sessions / Tabs or Erase Them, Then Disable or Uninstall Session Saver
    10. Encrypt or Erase Private RSS Feeds and/or Podcasts
    11. Encrypt PIEs or Erase Them, Then Disable Local Shared Objects
    12. Encrypt Chat Archives or Erase Them, Then Disable Archiving
    13. Encrypt Find Fast and Private Hidden Information in Microsoft Word Documents or Remove Them
    14. Encrypt Adobe Form Entries and Toolbar History or Erase Them, Disable Auto-Complete and Uninstall Toolbar
    15. Encrypt or Erase Backups, Disable Autosave Backups and RAID and Uninstall Unerase Software
    16. Encrypt Search Index or Search Toolbar's Data or Erase Them, Then Disable or Uninstall Search Software or Service
    17. Encrypt Web Accelerator's Cache or Erase It, Then Uninstall Web Accelerator
    18. Learn Safe Computing Habits
  • How to Set Up and Use Eraser | skip
    • 19.  Find Folders Containing Sensitive Data with Spider
    • 20.  Set Up Eraser skip
      • Document and Browser History
      • E-Mail
      • Index.dat Files | skip
        • Other Ways to Erase Index.dat Files
        • Other Index.dat Files
        • At the Command Prompt
      • Sandboxie Cache
    • 21.  Back Up Settings
    • 22.  Run chkdsk or scandisk
    • 23.  Run Eraser
    • 24.  Erase Swap or Page File and Free or Empty Space
• Easy [and Secure] Ways to Recycle Old PCs and Cell Phones
• How to Remove Search Engines' ''Cached'' Link for Your Web Page or Site
• How to Remove Your Web Page or Site from the Wayback Machine

CAUTION: Even though you can remove - but not securely erase - your web page or site from Google's or any other search engine's cache, or the Wayback Machine, to avoid predators and the theft of your identity, I strongly recommend being careful anyway not to post or publish any private data online that can identify you.

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• Put online May 4, 2000 by Brent.
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Support & Community

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• Want to do more than just live? Get more out of life? Need help with life's everyday issues?
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• LifeMag.info
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• Because there's more to life than one's self, status or material things.
• (for those dealing with real-life issues and who enjoy participating in stimulating discussions on issues and ideas, crave the thrill of geographic, mental and spiritual exploration and discovery and value local and global community, belonging and old and new friendships)
• Watch or listen to Lifestyle Magazine online for free.
• Watch, listen or read as host Dwight Nelson focuses on life issues such as stress, forgiveness, and hope.
• Sign up for free to access his forums, chat with experts and receive his newsletters. (offers more in-depth information not included in the life issues episodes)
• Free Support for Life's Questions and Issues at AnswersForMe.com
• Words of Encouragement and Hope
• Suicide Hotlines and Answers to Frequently Asked Questions
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• Help for Sex and Pornography Addiction
• Recovery Options

• About Kiva (not rated) and Grameen-Style Microcredit
• Make an Investment in the Working Poor at eBay's MicroPlace.com (not rated)
• Rated Microloan Charities
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• Moved by inspirational stories? Ready to go from caring to doing? Help the New Heroes change the world.
• Discover Ways to Make the World a Better Place
• Don't let your computer's idle time go to waste! Help find the cures for cancer and other diseases with your computer or SP3.
• Have you helped the victims of Hurricane Katrina, the South Asia Earthquake or other relief efforts this month? How you can help.
• How to Avoid Fraudulent E-Mails and Web Sites Asking for Donations

Important Health Topics

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• The Right Way To Save A Life, Including Your Own, According to Dr. Heimlich and the Red Cross
• 10 Questions That Could Save Your Life: Make the Most of Your Time
• Ten Questions a Woman Should Ask Her Healthcare Provider
• Can't find a cure for an illness or want to get healthy? Give a Lifestyle Center a chance.
• Unresolved emotional issues are dangerous to our health. The best way to bind your emotional wounds so the healing can begin.
• Poor oral health is also dangerous to our health. The risk factors of tooth decay and gum disease and how to treat or prevent them.
• Ingredients in our personal care products, cosmetics, foods, water and air are also dangerous to our health. How to be a safe shopper.
• How to Live a Long, Happy, Healthy, Low-Stress Life
• What You Need to Know About Asbestos - Contaminated Vermiculite
• Have chronic, searing, debilitating muscle pain? If caused by trigger points, you can relieve it yourself and avoid unnecessary surgery. Learn more.

Important Digital Topics

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• What you need to do to keep your child safe at MySpace.com and other Web hangouts.
• Too smart for the dangers at MySpace? Think again!
• Beware the CyberLover [Bot] That Steals Personal Data in Chat Rooms and Social Networks Through Social Engineering
• Security and Privacy Threats and the Solutions Most Are Unaware of or Still Ignoring
• Virtually Worry-Free Computing - Sufficiently Secure and Private Web Surfing
• Sold, recycled, donated and discarded computers, PDAs and cell phones can contain recoverable private data even after a delete, format or reset. How to securely erase your data.
• How to avoid becoming a victim of or recover from America's credit card debt crisis and recent fee deregulation.
• Parent! Seriously consider moving your preteen or earliteen from MySpace or another Web hangout to imbee or YoKidsYo. Here's why.
• Thinking of buying Windows Vista or a Windows Vista PC? Before you do, seriously consider this first.
• Putting up with a noisy computer? Give your ears and nerves a break. Buy or build a quiet or silent computer.
• Webmaster: Stop Spam with These Free, Spam-Proof, Customizable PHP Scripts

Important Spiritual Topics

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• Does the Bible say God will torture bad people in hell for eternity?
• Was Jesus just a man who married Mary Magdalene? Has the church been hiding information from us for years about Jesus? Don't decide too quickly. Examine the evidence first.
• Think conclusive cases can't be made for the Bible and Jesus as the God/Man Messiah? You'd be surprised. The overwhelming mountain of factual, historical evidence is too compelling, too convincing to be ignored.
• Investigate the Reliability of the Bible
• Investigate Jesus as the God/Man Messiah
• Investigate the Case for a Creator
• Investigate Christianity
• If you're angry at God or see Him in a negative way, discover the good news about God's character and gifts of peace, joy, meaning and eternal life.
• Examine false assumptions about God and Christianity, and why they make us so miserable and unhappy.
• Videos of What God Has Done for Others
• Audios of What God Has Done for Others
• Free Life-Changing Books to Read or Listen To
• ''We are living in very interesting times. Too many people are confused about what the Bible says about the future, and a lot of that has to do with confusion about Israel.'' Learn more.
• If an angel or a loved one who has died appears or speaks to you, don't automatically assume it's a good angel or your loved one. Here's why.
• Don't automatically assume the entertainment industry is harmless. Listen to ''Escape From the Black Hole'' or get the DVD.
• Don't automatically assume the growing fascination with Harry Potter, witches, wicca and the occult is harmless either. Explore these controversial topics.
• Don't automatically assume that New Age / New Spirituality concepts and the alternative / holistic therapies and media influenced by them are harmless. Learn more.

Bible Study Guides

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