

The 1s and 0s are still there, but the operating system thinks of it as free space since it doesn't know that anything is there. When you delete normally, it is simply the pointer to your data that gets erased. and the way the computer knows how to retrieve it is by a database that tracks where on the hard drive your data is. While the Secure Empty Trash feature makes recovering data significantly more difficult even by professional data recovery services, if you want true data removal without any traces, performing a secure format of a hard drive is the safest bet and is always recommended when transferring ownership of a Mac or it’s hard drive.To understand how deleting files works, you need to know a bit about how file systems work.Īll of your documents are simply 1 and 0s scattered across your hard drive. If you regularly work with private data this is a good feature to turn on. Enable Secure Empty as Default Method of Trashingįor nearly every version of Mac OS X, there is also an option to always securely empty the Trash, enabled within the Advanced Finder preferences. Things like financial statements, credit card information, personal files and diaries, or deleting the source files and finished documents from openssl file encryption. Get in the habit of using Secure Empty Trash anytime you are removing something that is truly sensitive and that you don’t want others to regain access to. The more files you are secure deleting, the longer this process will take. Using secure empty will take a bit longer than emptying the Trash as normal, this is because the aforementioned overwriting process is taking place.

With anything in the Trash, pull down “Finder” menu and choose “Secure Empty Trash”.The “Secure Empty” option is also accessible from the Finder menu, and the resulting behavior is identical in that it overwrites the removed data: 2: How to Secure Empty Trash from the Finder Menu You must hold the “Command” key while right-clicking the Trash icon in the Dock, or else the Secure option will not be visible. Mac OS X makes it easier than ever to access secure file removal: In order for either option to be visible to you, you must have some file or folder within the Trash can, otherwise the option will not be visible since there is nothing to trash.ġ: How to Secure Empty Trash Quickly in Mac OS X with a Right-Click There are two easy ways to secure empty the Trash on the Mac.
