Permanently Erase Personal Data On A Public Computer

Quick Navigation:

• Methods to Remove Personal Data on Public Computer
• Erase Private Data on Public Computer using Software.
• Best Practices for Using a Public Computer
• Conclusion

When you're moving or don't have a laptop or desktop, using a public computer can be helpful, but it also comes with many risks. People could get back the deleted data they leave behind when they check their email, log into social media, or work on private documents. It could lead to privacy breaches and identity theft. Even though closing your accounts is a good start, it's not enough to ensure all your data is deleted.

Your data, like old files and computer history, could be at risk if you don't delete it properly. This article will show you the steps to delete your personal information from a public computer permanently. That will keep your information safe and out of reach for the next person using the computer.

Methods to Remove Personal Data on Public Computer

It's important to ensure that no traces of your personal information are left behind after using a public computer. To get rid of your info permanently, you can do any of the following:

Clear Browsing Data

First, if you use the browser some pages, you can check and ensure to remove the traces information, then no one knows which pages you reviewed.

• Clear your browser's history, cookies, cache, and other site data. Afterward, you should finish this task.
• To clear your browsing history in Chrome, go to Settings > Privacy and Security > Clear Browsing Data. Select "All time" as the time range and all the choices, such as browsing history, cookies, cached images, and saved passwords.

• Similar choices are found in other browsers, usually under "Privacy."

Delete Downloaded Files

People often download files in public places. When you're done using a public computer, make sure you delete any files you downloaded.

Go to the Downloads area and delete all the files there. After deleting something, empty the Recycle Bin to ensure it's deleted permanently.

Use Built-in Disk Cleanup Tools

Some public computers may have tools built into them, like Windows' Disk Cleanup, that can remove temporary files and system caches. You can do as follows to remove data with the Windows Disk Cleanup tool:

First, Click on Start menu and search for "Disk Cleanup." And then click "Run as administrator" to start the tool.

Then, you will be asked to choose the drive you want to clean (usually the C: drive).

In the popup window, choose the types of deleted files, such as temporary internet files, downloads, and more. Click the "OK" button to start removing all the selected data.

Manually Delete Temporary Files

Many operating systems store temporary files and downloaded files in system folders. Getting rid of these files can help ensure that nothing is left behind.

On Windows, these are located in %TEMP%. To access them, go to this folder and delete everything inside it.

Log Out and Shut Down

Once you've deleted your files, log out of all your accounts and restart or shut down your computer. When you restart your computer, temporary session data and memory files with private information can be cleared.

Erase Private Data on Public Computer using Software.

After removing the files with the above methods, do you think it's enough? The answer is "no." After deleting the files, the data is not gone forever from the computer drive. With professional data recovery software, it's easy to recover the deleted data.

To protect your private information safe and ensure the removed data will not be recovered in any way, you should wipe the removed data permanently with professional data erasure software, such as DoYourData Super Eraser.

With the software, you can shred files or permanently wipe data to ensure the data will not be recovered in any way. It can protect your privacy information from being accessed or recovered without your authorization.

If you have removed the private data from public computer as the above methods, you can then wipe the deleted data by erasing the free space of the public computer drive. Here are the steps:

Step 1. Run the software and select data erasure mode.

In your case, you can just choose the mode "Wipe Free Space" to wipe data. In this mode, it will only erase the data that has already been deleted. Select the public computer drive you want to erase and click "Wipe Now."

Step 2. Choose the data erasure algorithm.

You will be asked to select a data erasure standard from the drop-down list. You can select one to wipe data, like NIST SP-800-88, DoD 5220.22-M, Peter Gutmann's Algorithm, etc.

Step 3. Start the data wiping process.

After the data sanitation algorithm is selected, click the "Continue" button to start and the software will proceed the data wiping process. The data you removed or lost will be deleted permanently, but the data you already have is safe.

Step 4. Verify the result of the data sanitation.

It will take some time to wipe the data depending on the size of the free space on the public computer's drive. Once it's completed, you can verify if the data wiping processed successfully by scanning the drive with a data recovery software.

You can also delete files and folders by hand in the first mode. In other words, this mode lets you permanently delete the chosen files. It means that even after you delete things, they might not be deleted permanently. On the other hand, you can click "select all" if you no longer need the files. Click "Erase Now" to finish.

In the second mode, you can delete all files from a public computer without being able to pick which ones to delete. It's the same as deleting a partition; all your still and removed files will be permanently deleted. And then click "Wipe Now" after picking out the partition. You should not choose this mode if you think some important things are still on the hard drive.

What to Do If You Can't Erase Data Properly?

Sometimes, you might be unable to do all these things on a public computer, especially if locked down. If you find yourself in this situation, think about these things:

👨‍🔧 Remove Personal Information Manually: If you can't use a data-erasing tool, you should delete as much data as you can by hand. This includes your browsing information, downloads, and documents. After deleting the files, you can then add a large amount of useless files to ensure the deleted files are overwritten. Then remove the newly added files. You can repeat the process a few times if necessary.

☁️ Use Cloud Storage: You can work directly from cloud storage instead of getting files. That means you won't have to leave things on the computer for long.

⛔ Check for Software Limitations: If you can't get to some settings or tools on the computer, it may be run by an administrator who can help you delete files if you ask.

Best Practices for Using a Public Computer

Before you start using a public computer, think about these best techniques to reduce the risks:

• Use Private Browsing Mode: Most web browsers have a mode called "private" or "incognito" that doesn't save your browsing information, cookies, or form data. As a first step, this will help you avoid leaving signs of what you did.
• Disable Password Saving: Turn off this option in the browser's settings to prevent the browser from saving your passwords. This way, you won't accidentally save your login information.
• Avoid Accessing Sensitive Information: If you can help, don't use a public computer to log in to your bank accounts, email accounts, or other private sites. For extra safety, if you have to, consider using two-factor authentication (2FA).
• Use a Private Network (VPN): A VPN encrypts your internet information, making it harder for others on the same network to read it.
• Log Out Completely: Before you leave the computer, you should always log out of any accounts you've used. This step alone can stop future users from getting in without permission.

Conclusion

You must keep your personal information safe when using a public computer to protect your privacy. Some risks come with using shared devices, but deleting your data can greatly reduce those risks.

You can ensure that no one can discover what you did by deleting your browsing information and any downloaded files, using portable data erasure tools, and following other best practices. When you use public computers, always put your safety first by being careful and thorough. When you do this, you can be sure that your private data won't get into the wrong hands.