Removing all proof of a cancelled download...

[TotalNewbie]

BACKSTORY:
I'll be honest - I was downloading what I thought was a stand-up video on my company pc. At about the half-way point, I previewed it, and sure enough it was porn. I cancelled the download, but I don't see the file in the Incomplete folder or the Recycle Bin. I am turning in the pc on friday for maintenance, and I need to be sure they won't find any trace of the download.

THE POINT:
I canceled a download, and I can't find the original incomplete file. Is it gone? Does limewire auto-delete cancelled files? What else do I need to do to completely remove all proof that the file was ever on my pc?

[Lord of the Rings]

If using LW 5.1 or later yes the incomplete file will be deleted if you cancelled it.

LW 4 did not delete the incomplete file if you cancelled a download.

Using bitzi helps with downloading videos. Movie download issues (click on blue link) (2nd last post has information on best video formats.)

[Blackhorse 70V]

Deleted files can be recovered if one looks hard enough. Even reformatting doesn't make things disappear completely. It is doubtful that your maintenance dept will run recovery software to look for old, deleted files, so you are probably safe this time.

The problem that you describe, along with other potential problems, (such as your ISP sending a warning to your company about possible copyright infringement), makes it a good idea to not use LW or any p-p software on a company computer.

[TotalNewbie]

Thanks for your responses. Point taken about the company computer.

Blackhorse 70V - A little off topic, and just because I've been known to delete files I've later needed, could you go into further detail about hot deleted files can be recovered, even after reformatting?

Also, can you turn off the ISP warning thing? How does that work?

[ukbobboy01]

TotalNewbie

If I may, I'd just like to answer some of the questions that you asked Blackhorse 70V, such as:

How deleted files can be recovered?

When windows deletes a file the file is not actually deleted, what happens is that the file's name is changed, e.g. MyFile to ?yFile (but the ? is upside down). This tells windows that the space, that the file occupies, is ready to be reused.

At this stage, before the space is reused by another file, a recovery application can find the "deleted" file and recover it.

You also asked:

Files can be recovered, even after reformatting?

Imagine those old school exercise books (or note pads) with lines on every page, well formatting is like redrawing lines on a page without deleting the data underneath but telling windows that the space is free for use.

Again, there are recovery apps that can read under those newly drawn line and recovery the data underneath.

Hope this helps.


UK Bob

PS. As Blackhorse 70V said, you should never use LW on a work computer.

PPS. You cannot turn off the logs an ISP gathers about your Internet usage.