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3.2
System Components
In the System Clean-up section you can clean-up components (folders,
files, registry sections, etc.), related to general system tasks. These Windows
components keep evidence of user PC activity, so they too should be
thoroughly wiped to maintain confidentiality.
3.2.1
Paging/Swap File
Swap file clean-up enables you to obliterate any and all traces of your PC or
Internet activity.
Windows swap file is a file on a hard disk (for example, C:\win386.swp under
Windows 95/98/Me or C:\pagefile.sys under Windows NT/2000/XP), used by
Windows as the additional memory should an application lack RAM.
A swap file may keep delicate data on a PC hard disk, leaving you completely
unaware of its content! For example, a user opened too many Internet
Explorer windows and entered his personal information in the one of them.
Then when the user tried to switch to the next Internet Explorer window, the
operating system found the memory insufficient for opening all the windows
and thus stored the contents of previous window in the swap file. If the user
closed the browser, his/her personal information has been very possibly
stored in the swap file.
After swap file clean-up under Windows 95/98/Me, Acronis PrivacyExpert offers to
re-boot your PC. The swap file clean-up is performed before the system starts. This
file will be wiped after any re-boot under Windows NT/2000/XP.
3.2.2
Recycle Bin
Windows Recycle Bin clean-up destroys trace files according to the provided
«Files» value.
The Windows Recycle Bin is meant to keep accidentally deleted files so you
may recover them anytime. So files in the Recycle Bin containing your data
become a potential security threat.
Windows Recycle Bin, represented by an icon on the desktop and as a folder in
Explorer, is actually a number of system folders located on your logical PC disk. Acronis
PrivacyExpert completely cleans every system folder.
3.2.3
Temporary Files
Temporary files clean-up enables you to thoroughly destroy temporary files
from the special system folders, which type (or name) corresponds to the
provided «Files» setting value.
Chapter 3 : Separate PC Components Clean-up
32
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