Reply #8: in Windows systems

[gulogulo]

the program (an .exe file) is locked when it is running. That means that the program cannot delete its own .exe file. It would have to call another program, then terminate, then that other program would have to delete the original program and/or substitute another file in its place.

Then you're faced with the necessity of deleting that copying program. Of course the .exe that you replaced the original with can take care of that, but then you're left with that code that deletes the copying program still in the file.

Note: the above applies to any .exe, no matter in what language it was written.

Of course, if the OS is not Windows, that is another matter.

Another thing: it is hard to erase something in a way that a computer forensic expert would not be able to recover later. You would be amazed how information can be retrieved even after it has been written over a few dozen times.

(edit: spelling)