How to Secure Empty Trash on Mac High Sierra? How to Delete Files Permanently?

Protecting your digital data from prying eyes is crucial. While older Macs featured "Secure Empty Trash," this function was removed in macOS High Sierra and later. However, robust alternatives ensure the secure deletion of files.

Understanding Secure Empty Trash

Secure Empty Trash was a macOS utility that securely erased files by overwriting them multiple times, hindering recovery attempts. This feature, absent from macOS High Sierra onwards, differed from standard "Empty Trash":

• Empty Trash: Removes file system references, but the data remains on the drive until overwritten. Recovery is possible.
• Secure Empty Trash: Overwrote deleted data with random data, making recovery significantly harder.

Modern storage technologies and new macOS features rendered Secure Empty Trash redundant.

Secure Empty Trash and macOS High Sierra

The Secure Empty Trash option is unavailable in macOS High Sierra and later versions. Its removal was partly due to security vulnerabilities; improper deletion could expose sensitive information. Additionally, the overwriting method proved less effective and necessary with modern solid-state drives (SSDs).

Secure File Deletion on macOS High Sierra and Later

While the dedicated "Secure Empty Trash" is gone, several methods provide secure file deletion:

1. FileVault Disk Encryption

FileVault, a built-in macOS feature, fully encrypts your storage drive. This protects data even if your Mac is physically accessed, requiring an encryption key for access. Deleting files after FileVault encryption minimizes recovery risks. Here's how to enable it:

1. Access Apple menu > System Preferences.
2. Select Security & Privacy.
3. Choose the FileVault tab.
4. Click the Lock icon, enter your admin credentials.
5. Click Turn on FileVault.
6. Select an unlock method (iCloud or a new encryption key).
7. Restart your Mac after encryption completes.

2. Terminal Command (rm)

The Terminal's rm command permanently deletes files, making recovery extremely difficult.

1. Open Finder > Applications > Utilities > Terminal.
2. Navigate to the file's directory using cd (e.g., cd ~/Desktop).
3. Use rm followed by the filename (e.g., rm example.txt).
4. Press Enter.

3. Third-Party Cleaner Apps

Applications like MacKeeper's Safe Cleanup offer a user-friendly way to securely remove unnecessary files without risking essential data. The app scans for junk files, allowing selective deletion and automatic trash emptying.

Conclusion

While Secure Empty Trash is no longer available, modern macOS provides superior methods for secure file deletion. Combined with tools like MacKeeper's Safe Cleanup, maintaining a clean and secure Mac is straightforward. FileVault encryption provides an extra layer of protection for all your data.

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