"Recycle Bin"

I am using Windows ME. I frequently delete all allowable files from C:\WINDOWS\Temporary Internet Files\... I then empty the Recycle Bin. Is my computer truely free of these files?

 

Welcome to WindowsBBS kennyb

Once a file is deleted and removed from the recycle bin, the space it occupied on the hard drive is considered free space, to be written over with new information as it is created/saved on the drive. It is not truly 'gone' until it is overwritten. This is what makes it possible to recover data that has been accidentally deleted, using a third party application of course. As far as the operating system is concerned, the files are gone once they are considered free space, and cannot be seen or accessed by Windows itself.