wiping clean

[WrigleyF]

I've deleted my personal files and emptied my recycling bin. Are those files gone forever, or do I have to do more to wipe them from my desktop?

[rich]

No, I don't believe any more action is necessary to remove files any further after emptying the recycling bin.

However, if you want to retrieve files after doing so, there are recovery programs that may help.

[nickh]

As Rich said, it might be possible to recover those files using specialized software. However, that can only occur if new or updated files haven't overwritten the sectors on the HD that the deleted files were located on.