Stupid Mac Deletion Question

[Pete Incaviglia]

It slays me that Macs can be this simple. So are they?

Like, once I drag a file or program into the trash and empty trash, they're gone, right?

For example, I'm converting lots of MP3s to AAC format and then deleting the MP3s by sending them to the trash and emptying trash. They're gone, right? Not taking up room on my computer, right?

It amazes me it's this simple.

 

[Cadet]

Make sure you "empty the trash" ... until you do that, the trash is basically like another file folder.

Yes, Macs are wonderful. I had to touch a PC running Vista for about five minutes tonight and almost barfed.

 

[Diabeetus]

Simple it is, and correct you are, Pete. Welcome to the Mac neighborhood

 

[Tom Petty]

It slays me that Macs can be this simple. So are they?

Like, once I drag a file or program into the trash and empty trash, they're gone, right?

For example, I'm converting lots of MP3s to AAC format and then deleting the MP3s by sending them to the trash and emptying trash. They're gone, right? Not taking up room on my computer, right?

It amazes me it's this simple.

not sure about the OSX, but with past versions, no.

the info still clung to your hard drive and could be recovered. when i had a mac, i used norton every month to "wipe" my HD clean.

 

[zebracoy]

Call me a moron all you want - quite a few have already - but why isn't this the same on a PC?

I mean, if I want to delete something, it should be gone, right? All this talk about "it can be found somewhere" should still apply to a Mac, right?

Why must computers be so unnecessarily difficult.

 

[Cadet]

But Pete, how are you backing up your files, including all that music?

 

[StormSurge]

I'll have my first Mac in exactly 12 days, 14 hours, 7 minutes and 18 seconds.

 

[Pete Incaviglia]

But Pete, how are you backing up your files, including all that music?

Music and Photos will be saved to disc.

If you have a better suggestion, I'm all ears.

 

[forever_town]

I'll have my first Mac in exactly 12 days, 14 hours, 7 minutes and 18 seconds.

Not that you're keeping track or anything.

 

[MacDaddy]

It slays me that Macs can be this simple. So are they?

Like, once I drag a file or program into the trash and empty trash, they're gone, right?

For example, I'm converting lots of MP3s to AAC format and then deleting the MP3s by sending them to the trash and emptying trash. They're gone, right? Not taking up room on my computer, right?

It amazes me it's this simple.

not sure about the OSX, but with past versions, no.

the info still clung to your hard drive and could be recovered. when i had a mac, i used norton every month to "wipe" my HD clean.

I believe it still works the same way -- when emptying the trash, the data is still on the hard drive somewhere and stuff can be recovered until it's written over. But to ease Pete's mind, no, the stuff you deleted isn't hiding somewhere taking up space.

 

[The Big Ragu]

It slays me that Macs can be this simple. So are they?

Like, once I drag a file or program into the trash and empty trash, they're gone, right?

For example, I'm converting lots of MP3s to AAC format and then deleting the MP3s by sending them to the trash and emptying trash. They're gone, right? Not taking up room on my computer, right?

It amazes me it's this simple.

not sure about the OSX, but with past versions, no.

the info still clung to your hard drive and could be recovered. when i had a mac, i used norton every month to "wipe" my HD clean.

I believe it still works the same way -- when emptying the trash, the data is still on the hard drive somewhere and stuff can be recovered until it's written over. But to ease Pete's mind, no, the stuff you deleted isn't hiding somewhere taking up space.

The data is still on the drive, but the OS isn't recognizing it in its file system (on OS X it is usually HSF Journaled...) and the sectors on the drive can be overwritten with new data. Unless you know how to wipe a hard drive completely clean -- and this is really difficult, even for someone who knows what they are doing, the data is still on the drive. It's why lots of people doing illegal things with their computers get busted... They may have erased the kiddie porn, but the forensics guys can still find the traces on the hard drive...

FYI, Leopard (OS X 10.5x) added a great feature called "Time Machine" that creates automatic backups for you. If you set yourself up with an external drive, it will automatically do the backups, and it makes it much less likely that you delete important files by accident.

 

[StormSurge]

I'll have my first Mac in exactly 12 days, 14 hours, 7 minutes and 18 seconds.

Not that you're keeping track or anything.

Nope, not at all.

 

[Tom Petty]

It slays me that Macs can be this simple. So are they?

Like, once I drag a file or program into the trash and empty trash, they're gone, right?

For example, I'm converting lots of MP3s to AAC format and then deleting the MP3s by sending them to the trash and emptying trash. They're gone, right? Not taking up room on my computer, right?

It amazes me it's this simple.

not sure about the OSX, but with past versions, no.

the info still clung to your hard drive and could be recovered. when i had a mac, i used norton every month to "wipe" my HD clean.

I believe it still works the same way -- when emptying the trash, the data is still on the hard drive somewhere and stuff can be recovered until it's written over. But to ease Pete's mind, no, the stuff you deleted isn't hiding somewhere taking up space.

The data is still on the drive, but the OS isn't recognizing it in its file system (on OS X it is usually HSF Journaled...) and the sectors on the drive can be overwritten with new data. Unless you know how to wipe a hard drive completely clean -- and this is really difficult, even for someone who knows what they are doing, the data is still on the drive. It's why lots of people doing illegal things with their computers get busted... They may have erased the kiddie porn, but the forensics guys can still find the traces on the hard drive...

FYI, Leopard (OS X 10.5x) added a great feature called "Time Machine" that creates automatic backups for you. If you set yourself up with an external drive, it will automatically do the backups, and it makes it much less likely that you delete important files by accident.

norton wipe took care of "hidden trash" back in the day. with OSX, i don't know.

 

[RedCanuck]

I'm not a Mac geek, but I believe the Mac has two different options, "Empty trash" which means the files are somewhere, and "secure empty trash" which totally kills them. Am I right on this?

 

[Pete Incaviglia]

I'm not a Mac geek, but I believe the Mac has two different options, "Empty trash" which means the files are somewhere, and "secure empty trash" which totally kills them. Am I right on this?

Yes. Although, I've never used the Secure Empty Trash because even in the tech world I'm pack rat.

 

[jmm1412]

I think the Secure Empty Trash not only deletes the file names, but it writes over the information. It be gone.

 

[HejiraHenry]

I think the Secure Empty Trash not only deletes the file names, but it writes over the information. It be gone.

Correct.

 

[Jones]

I was excited to see this thread, because I thought it might answer a question I have, but it does not, so I will ask it:

With AppleWorks, how do you delete files that in your documents folder? If it's on my desktop, I can just drag it to the trash. But I seriously have stories that are four years old in my documents, because I can't figure out how to get rid of them.

Suggestions will be accepted with the requisite shame.

 

[MacDaddy]

I was excited to see this thread, because I thought it might answer a question I have, but it does not, so I will ask it:

With AppleWorks, how do you delete files that in your documents folder? If it's on my desktop, I can just drag it to the trash. But I seriously have stories that are four years old in my documents, because I can't figure out how to get rid of them.

Suggestions will be accepted with the requisite shame.

You mean in a documents folder? Drag 'em to the trash.

 

[Tom Petty]

I was excited to see this thread, because I thought it might answer a question I have, but it does not, so I will ask it:

With AppleWorks, how do you delete files that in your documents folder? If it's on my desktop, I can just drag it to the trash. But I seriously have stories that are four years old in my documents, because I can't figure out how to get rid of them.

Suggestions will be accepted with the requisite shame.

You mean in a documents folder? Drag 'em to the trash.

i thought he could have been talking about documents in recent items in the apple menu.