Securing Your PC By Permanently Deleting Files So They Can't Be Recovered

Most Windows users think that emptying the Recycle Bin will totally rid them of their deleted files. What they do not know is that the files emptied from the Recycle Bin can still be recoverable through the use of a recovery software. The reason behind this is that the delete operation in Windows only removes bits of information from the files, making them appear to be deleted from your operating system. Deleting files merely marks the space the file occupied on your drive as reusable. So, until that space is overwritten, the file can still be recovered. This is bad news especially if you want to get rid of important financial documents, sensitive company files or manifesto. It's a good thing there is a software you can use to ultimately shred sensitive files you want to get rid of.

Eraser is an advanced security tool that allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. This software can be used in Windows XP (with Service Pack 3), Windows Server 2003 (with Service Pack 2), Windows Vista, Windows Server 2008, Windows 7, and Windows Server 2008 R2.

To learn how to permanently delete files using Eraser, follow the steps below:

Permanently Shred Files So They’re Unrecoverable

The first thing you need is to download and install Eraser on your Windows computer. You can download Eraser free of charge here.

Once Eraser is installed, it will automatically add itself in the Context menu.

To permanently shred a file, all you have to do is right-click the file you want to shred, then go to Eraser, and then click Erase.

When the Eraser window appears, go to Default file erasure method and select your method of choice. Most users select either a 3-pass or 7-pass method. However, if you are really paranoid, select the Gutmann method, which overwrites the file with random data 35 times.

To permanently shred the deleted files in your Recycle Bin, all you need to do is right-click Recycle Bin, then go to Eraser, and then click Erase.

Like in the previous step, go to Default file erasure method and select your method of choice.

You can also use Eraser to wipe your free space too. Just right-click your hard drive, go to Eraser, and then click Erase unused space.