A: If you are getting an "Access Denied" message when trying to shred unused disk space on Windows Vista or Windows 7, here's how you can fix it...

On Windows 7 and Windows Vista operating systems, Microsoft has introduced a new technology and security infrastructure called User Account Control (UAC). It aims to improve the security of Microsoft Windows by limiting application software to standard user privileges until an administrator authorizes an increase or elevation. In essence, even though you may be logged on as an administrator user, you are actually running with lower privileges than a full fledged administrator.

If you are seeing an "Access Denied" error when trying to shred the unused free disk space on your hard drive, the solution is to tell Windows directly to run AceErase 'As an administrator'. The way to do that is simple, just right-click on the AceErase shortcut on your desktop and select "Run As Administrator". You will then see a User Account Control dialog asking "Do you want to allow the following program to make changes to this computer?" with AceErase File Shredder and History Eraser listed as the Program Name. Click Yes. This will give AceErase the full privileges needed to perform the shred unused free space operation.

If you use AceErase on a regular basis to Shred Your Tracks, you can now use AceErase's new Command Line Options together with the Windows Task Scheduler Wizard to create a task that runs AceErase for you automatically according to a schedule you choose.

For example, if you use AceErase every week to shred your temporary internet files, cookies, internet history, and address bar history, here are step-by-step instructions how you can schedule these tasks to run automatically.

AceErase now provides Command Line Options for the "Shred Your Tracks" feature. You can use these command line options in combination with the Windows® Task Scheduler to schedule automatic shredding of your computer and internet history.

AceErase® Pro additionally provides a convenient "Shred Your Tracks" feature that permanently erases your PC and Internet activity allowing you to keep your working and Internet browsing habits private.

Everyone uses a paper shredder these days to securely destroy sensitive documents before throwing them away. Think of AceErase as a digital paper shredder for your computer!

• Fast (Zero Pattern) - Overwrites all addressable locations of the file with zeros before deleting. The number of passes is chosen by the user (up to 99 passes).
• Pseudo Random Data – Overwrites all addressable locations of the file with random characters before deleting. The number of passes is chosen by the user (up to 99 passes).
• US DOD 5220.22-M (8-306. C) - Overwrites all addressable locations of the file with a single character before deleting. The character is chosen by the user. The number of passes is chosen by user (up to 99 passes).
• US DOD 5220.22-M (8-306. E) – Overwrites all addressable locations with a character, its complement, then a random character before deleting. The initial character is chosen by the user. This is a 3 pass wipe.
• Gutmann Method (Most Secure) – Goes far beyond government requirements! The file is overwritten with a special sequence of characters, as designed by Peter Gutmann, before deleting. This is a 35 pass wipe.

What makes a directory junction so dangerous? An attacker can set a directory junction to trap an unsuspecting user into potentially deleting his entire operating system, or other equally important directory or folder. How? If a user (or program ran by the user) issues a destructive recursive command, such as rd /s (to remove directory recursively including sub folders) and that directory contains a directory junction to another directory, for example your c:/windows/system32 directory, you will unknowingly destroy your entire system folder!

If you use a file shredder, internet history eraser, or any other type of program that makes destructive recursive calls then you should make sure you know if that program can detect and avoid directory junctions.

AceErase automatically detects and avoids traversing through directory junctions. Shred safely with AceErase!

We use secure coding techniques and believe that it is the responsibility of every application that makes destructive changes recursively through a directory structure to recognize directory junctions and avoid traversing through them.

Please read our other FAQ article (Q: What are directory junctions and how can they be so dangerous?) to learn why directory junctions can potentially harm your system.