SDelete

## SDelete

Securely overwrite your sensitive files and cleanse your free space of previously deleted files using this DoD-compliant secure delete program.

One feature of Windows NT/2000's (Win2K) C2-compliance is that it implements object reuse protection. This means that

when an application allocates file space or virtual memory it is unable to view data that was previously stored in the

resources Windows NT/2K allocates for it. Windows NT zero-fills memory and zeroes the sectors on disk where a file is

placed before it presents either type of resource to an application. However, object reuse does not dictate that the space

that a file occupies before it is deleted be zeroed. This is because Windows NT/2K is designed with the assumption that

the operating system controls access to system resources. However, when the operating system is not active it is possible to

use raw disk editors and recovery tools to view and recover data that the operating system has deallocated. Even when you

encrypt files with Win2K's Encrypting File System (EFS), a file's original unencrypted file data is left on the disk after a

new encrypted version of the file is created.

#### Command line usage

_SDelete_ is a command line utility that takes a number of options. In any given use, it allows you to delete one or more

files and/or directories, or to cleanse the free space on a logical disk. _SDelete_ accepts wild card characters as part of

the directory or file specifier.

__sdelete__ [__-p__ passes] [__-s__] [__-q__] <_file_ | _directory_>

__sdelete__ [__-p__ passes] [__-z__|__-c__] [drive letter]

__-a__ Remove Read-Only attribute.

__-c__ Clean free space.

__-p passes__ Specifies number of overwrite passes (default is 1).