PrivaZer is a popular junk file cleaner that includes additional privacy measures, such as secure deletion of files and securely wiping free space on drives. PrivaZer is my junk file cleaner of choice.
However, if you’re running an SSD, there are a couple of PrivaZer settings you should be aware of.
PrivaZer Settings For SSDs
By way of explanation, I reckon you’d be aware by now that excessive writes to SSDs shorten the drive’s lifespan and should be avoided. So, you need to use PrivaZer for SSDs in a slightly different way than HDDs.
Wiping Free Space: Not only does wiping free space on SSDs involve writing to the drive, but it is also unnecessary. Free space on SSDs is handled by a combination of TRIM and ‘Garbage Collection’. So make sure the option to wipe traces in free space is disabled in the list of cleaning options:
Secure Deletion: There are three main reasons why secure deletion is not a good idea for SSDs:
- Secure deletion is achieved by overwriting data multiple times with random patterns; the more overwrites, the lower the chance of the data being recoverable. So, again, it involves lots of writing to the SSD
- Unlike HDDs, SSDs cannot overwrite data directly
- Because of the way in which TRIM and Garbage Collection handle free space on SSDs, recovering data is virtually impossible anyway. So, there is no need to securely delete data with PrivaZer
After PrivaZer has completed scanning, you are presented with three cleaning options. The top two options – Normal cleanup and Quick cleanup – involve levels of secure deletion, but the bottom option – Turbo cleanup – does not. So, you should always select the Turbo cleanup option:
- You also might like: Does Junk Slow Down A Windows PC?
BOTTOM LINE:
The end result remains the same: the data will still be deleted and is virtually unrecoverable, but with the added benefit that you’ll be helping to extend the life of your SSD.
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