[Xanadu]

Hello All, first of all, sorry for posting this in both Applications Board and OS X Board, but I'm not really sure where it belongs!
My problem is this, I am buying a new computer soon and my old computer is therefore going to a collegue. However, there are a number of sensitive documents which I wish to permenantly delete so that there is no chance of anyone ever reading them. However, these documents have already been deleted in the past and therefore I am not just able to do 'secure empty trash', and also reformatting and rezeroing the hard drive is not a realistic option. Are there any utilities/methods anyone knows of, for searching for files which have previously been deleted, and then deleting them forever?
Many thanks,
Joe

[jmiddel]

If your computer is going to someone else, they presumably don't need any of your stuff. So what is unrealistic about reformating and zeroing out your drive? There is also a more secure option in Disk Utility that over-writes the disk with random 1s and 0s a few time, takes hours but it's unreadable unless you have DOD type highly expensive equipment and even then it's darn hard!

[CharlesS]

Seconded. I would always zero the hard drive of any Mac I was selling.

[nforcer]

I think the NSA recommends 6 rewrites, and I think Disk Utility in OS X has options for 8 or 35.

[TheIceMan]

Try AutoScrubber.

[d.fine]

7-Pass Erase or 35-Pass Erase

[Randman]

Disk Utility has everything you need.