Request: Erase names of all deleted files and directories

[netbee99]

Request:   Erase names of all deleted files and directories

I'm hoping that someone can offer some help to write a small cleanup application.


Firstly, a bit of background:

I use a few small no-install apps for general cleanup and secure delete - one of the
apps I use regularly is Clean Disk Security for general delete (along with Nir Sofer's
Clean After Me, CCleaner and Regedit).

I know CDS has been around since Noah came out of the ark,  and the interface is
pretty clunky but it has 3 things I like:

* I can write my own plugins to cleanup folders not on the usual list of most cleanup apps

* CDS is the only app I've seen that actually sets deleted file and directory names to blank,
   and file length to zero

* CDS has an option to also set the file names of all previously deleted files in a directory path
   to blank when another file in that directory is deleted using CDS.


There are lots of apps around that will secure delete and set the file name to random and / or the
file length to zero, but I've yet to find another that sets the name to blank and the file length to
zero for all in a directory.

The problem I have is that CDS runs on demand and therefore only cleans out a specified directory
associated with the file being deleted (and I don't really want to create plugins to clear every possible
directory on a drive).


So, I want a small no-install app that will do the following:

    (I've attached a mock up of the 2 forms I think are needed for the app)


* On app startup, display a 'select directory' dialog (clicking Cancel quits the app).

* The dialog will allow either 1 drive or 1 directory in a drive to be selected.

* When a drive or directory is selected and OK is clicked, the app searches for all deleted files
   in the drive or directory and displays this deleted file list on the second form - note this is a
   list of all deleted files (and directories if they exist), irrespective of whether the deleted name
   is blank or not yet blank.

* You can decide whether to allow the result to have sort options on the path, name, size, etc..

* When 'Erase Details ...' is clicked, the app re-sets the names of all deleted files and directories
   to blank, and the file size to 0, and when finished this task refreshes the display in the form to
   show the (new) list of files and directories.

* Cancel on the second form returns to the first form, help displays something re the app, and
   Quit terminates the app.


To get a better idea of what CDS is and does, as it's shareware you can download a play around
with it (although some of the features will be disabled in a non-licensed version) and have a look
at the erase deleted file/directory name feature.

   CDS link is:
         http://www.theabsolu...t/sware/clndisk.html


Please note I only need the app to process FAT32 and FAT16 directory structures, as CDS
does - I never use NTFS as I'm not really sold on alternate data streams.

In a pinch I can live with only FAT32, although I really prefer to have FAT16 as well, as I
have some thumb drives that are booting from FAT16 (with PEbuilder).

Explorer shell integration isn't needed either.


And the point of all this being .... I know it may seem like overkill, but to me it seems that if
you're going to clean up, then a thorough cleanup needs to include re-setting names to blank
as CDS does.

I just want an app that makes this process easier.

I'll be interested to see if anyone wants to give this a go.

If this seems to fall outside of the category of coding snacks, I'd appreciate if you could offer
suggestions as to which category it may fall into.

Regards,
Ben