The Right Method Depends on the Drive
Secure deletion depends on the storage path. A file on magnetic media may support direct overwrite. A modern Mac SSD can remap writes, and another copy may still exist in a snapshot or backup. PhantomWipe will tell you which method it used and what that result cannot prove.
- ✓ Overwrite Where It Works: PhantomWipe will verify an overwrite when the file system and storage medium expose a dependable write path.
- ✓ Choose for the Storage: It will offer methods suited to the detected storage context instead of treating a pass count as a guarantee.
- ✓ Point Out Other Copies: It will warn about snapshots, synchronized copies, and backups that a targeted file operation does not remove.
- ✓ Outcome Reports: Planned reports will record the requested method, observed result, and any limitations. A report is not proof that every physical copy was destroyed.
What Changes on a Modern Mac
PhantomWipe is planned to consider the file system, storage medium, encryption state, and available macOS interfaces before offering a deletion workflow. It will not claim to bypass an SSD controller or directly verify inaccessible physical flash cells.
- ✓ Understand TRIM: PhantomWipe will explain how TRIM can tell an SSD that blocks are unused without claiming when the controller physically erases them.
- ✓ Know What Cleanup Can Reach: Planned options will state which logical free space they can reach and what remains outside application control.
- ✓ Check for APFS Snapshots: Planned checks will identify relevant snapshots where supported and direct the user to manage copies a targeted wipe cannot remove.
- ✓ Clear Results: The report will distinguish a completed logical deletion from a stronger, independently verified sanitization result.
