Just browsing here at work between tasks as usual and thought it would be nice to be able to eradicate my browsing history just in case. I don't go anywhere bad or anything, but it would just be good piece of mind to clean things up. I already clear cookies and delete history in the "Internet Options" window everyday before leaving, but from what I understand, that doesn't totally cut it. Can anybody help?
I mentioned in my post that I already do that. But you didn't bother to read that, did you? From what I understand, that doesn't get to the root of the problem because there are files elsewhere on the computer that remain.
I think technically, deleted files stay on your PC even after deleted. I believe the portion of the hard disk where the files are located must be written over before the file is deleted forever.
This is correct. When you delete a file you don't actually delete it at all. You're just telling the computer that this space in memory can be overwritten if need be. It stays on your PC until you load, install, download, etc. something that overwrites the material.
So, ClutchCityReturns, when you get fired, would you like this thread merged with your upcoming "I need a job" thread?
So there's no practical way to clean it out then? Are the files at least hard enough to get to that an employer wouldn't bother fishing them out?
Well geez, then unless your surfing kiddie p*rn, you don't have that much to worry about...well, unless you plan on ratting out your coworkers.
Theres plenty of wiping software that will overwrite what you delete. Keep in mind, if you load that software at work (which is not standard for your work most likley), that is the reason they will use to fire you since you hid your Internet history.
You need to worry about the server auditing your internet use more so than the browsing history and cookies. They know what you are looking at regardless of what you do to the machine.
What are these programs. I'm....er, uh... a friend of mine is looking for a good way to hide p*rn from my... uh, his girlfriend on his home computer.
Well I'm not worried about the content of the places I go, but more about when I'm going there. Seeing that I've visited clutchfans isn't going to be a red flag because I could have gone here on my lunch break or something, but I pretty much click around clutchfans all day long to keep myself sane. Do the files allow someone to see when the site was visited? I assume they do.
I bet 99% of the people with access to the computers surf the net at some point. If they are really serious about that stuff they can fire just about anyone. Good thing in the univeristy environment they are not that strict.
I think the "server gods" at your work probably know what websites you've visited regardless of the steps you take the delete your history. At least, that is always what my old work led us to believe.
