History question

Question

Level 1

12 points

History question

In Snow Leopard, for peace of mind about personal info when you need to have machine looked at and left, what files do you delete, The reset Safari does not remove all the files and they still have alot of the files with old site info in the folders. So wondered what reset actually does, because it doesn't delete them

I see the cache.db folder, but wondered what the 'webpage previews' one is in the same folder, and also all the files in Library/Safari. Can you delete any of them, or should you open the folder and empty rather than delete whole file, There are quite a few in the Safari folder in library as well as the Cache folder in Library, all for Safari, so what does it store and how do you play safe?

Posted on Jan 18, 2012 5:00 PM

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Answer 1

Linc Davis

Level 10

209,547 points

Jan 18, 2012 6:23 PM in response to the tall

In Snow Leopard, for peace of mind about personal info when you need to have machine looked at and left, what files do you delete...

All of them. Back up all your data at least twice, then erase the internal drive, preferably with the option to write zeros. Restore when you get the machine back.

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Answer 2

WZZZ

Level 6

13,226 points

Jan 19, 2012 4:41 AM in response to Linc Davis

EDIT: sorry Linc. Meant for the OP

Didn't understand you were leaving your machine somewhere or I would have suggested this. To add, no need to do more than a zero out one pass. That is highly secure.

Message was edited by: WZZZ

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Answer 3

the tall Author

Level 1

12 points

Jan 19, 2012 5:40 AM in response to WZZZ

ooh, sorry Is there an idiot's guide to do this as I've no idea how.

And if it was Safari I wanted, can you let me know about first question please, relevant files? So used to Windows, no idea what's what on there

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Answer 4

WZZZ

Level 6

13,226 points

Jan 19, 2012 6:17 AM in response to the tall

First, do you have at least one backup on an external drive? Redundant backups even better. You can't proceed without this. This would be in the form of Time Machine, a bootable clone (made with cloning programs like Carbon Copy Cloner (my preferred), Super Duper or from Disk UItility>Restore.) If you have a backup, do you know that the backup is fully reliable and tested, and if a clone, able to be booted from?

Even if you weren't bring the machine in, you shouldn't be running without a backup.

Good instructions for erasing and zeroing are here

http://pondini.org/OSX/DU2.html

Carbon Copy Cloner

http://www.bombich.com/

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Answer 5

the tall Author

Level 1

12 points

Jan 19, 2012 7:20 AM in response to WZZZ

Thanks again Wzzz, I have a time machine back up, from nothing more than plugging in an external and then letting it do it's thing, but I have to tell you, I wouldn't have a clue how to use it if needed! 😊 And last one I did was couple of days ago. Does it really catch everything, even down to the emails and settings for the MacMail etc?

Thanks

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Answer 6

WZZZ

Level 6

13,226 points

Jan 19, 2012 9:18 AM in response to the tall

It should, but I don't use TM. Find the directions for restoring from a TM backup in pondini's site, linked above, so you know if you are prepared or not.

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Answer 7

the tall Author

Level 1

12 points

Jan 20, 2012 5:30 AM in response to WZZZ

Thanks again for your help.

Do you know when just putting in or lending if the Safari folder/folders in Library are Ok to delete as well as the ones in the Library cache folders?

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