We continue to see in more detail a very useful program: Glary Utilities. I write about the free version 2.28 that you can download from here (yes, there is a commercial version but this free one is more than ok). The program is very complex, bringing together a large variety of operations. The most important thing is to know what you’re doing. So, having in mind the beginners, we talk today about the third section from the “Modules” tab, namely “Privacy & Security”. Here are four actions. Let’s study them next and understand how much they can help us when it comes to security.
- Tracks eraser
In our computer there are enough “traces” that someone might be able to reconstruct what we did in the last days. How so? For example when we delete files, they are just moved to Recycle Bin, so you may think you get rid of them, but the “evidence” is still there (use Shift + Delete to delete – it’s safer). When we navigate on Internet, any browser keeps a history. When you open files with MS Word or Photoshop, the list of last operations is remembered. And so, someone can look and find out where you’ve been on the net, what files you downloaded, what files you edited or deleted. Here comes in handy the “Tracks eraser”, which allows you to choose exactly which traces you want to cover (or simply check everything). Is there something lost? No. At most when you return in MS Word and want to open the file you recently worked on, instead of appearing in MRU (Most Recent Used), you will have to search the hard disk for it.
- File Shredder
Let’s have a basic understanding of how the process of deletion works. The hard-disk is usually divided into several drives. Each drive has a lot of directories and files. For this each drive has a table in which the directories and files are marked. When a file is deleted, it is not physically deleted from the hard-disk, but is simply eliminated from the driver’s table (Of course, I’m simplifying for the ease of understanding). It’s like the mayor would remove John Smith from the people’s table and says: ok, he no longer exists! The fact that he deleted him from the table doesn’t mean that John Smith doesn’t exist no more. The same here: where a file is deleted, it physically remains, just the reference to it disappears. That is why the recovery programs of data from a HDD can succeed. But then how do you completely delete a file? The easiest way is to rewrite something over the physical location of the old file. Only then the file is completely gone. There are many ways to assure that a file is really deleted, and Glary Utilities gives at your disposal this “File Shredder” if you have a file that is vital not to be recovered. Browse it (you can add as many files and folders as you like) and the click on “Erase”.
- File undelete
Well, if you read what is written before, you get the point. A file can look as deleted and not be deleted. If it hasn’t been “erased” (really deleted), there is a chance that you will recover it. Let’s say that you deleted something, and even you emptied the Recycle Bin. There are chances that with this utility you might recover it. Search the drive where the file was and then hope the file will appear in the list. If it does, simply check it and press “Restore”. Depending on its state (notice the second column in the list), it will be 100% as before, or not.
- File Encrypter and Decrypter
Do you have files that should be protected from curious eyes? Glary Utilities helps you in this regard. With the File Encrypter and Decrypter you browse it, choose a password, a hint (if you forget the password) and click “Encrypt now”. By default the choose file (if you have more than one archive them previously into a single file) will be encrypted in a file with the same name bat with an added GFE extension (file.doc becomes file.doc.gfe). In order for someone to decrypt this file, that person must have Glary Utilities, and obviously the password too. You can check on “Create a auto-decrypting EXE file” and then the secret file becomes an executable file that launched, it demands only the password.
but you get a free dvd 30$ value!!!