In Windows, if you delete an important file, even from the Recycle bin, it's still entirely possible to recover that file as long as it doesn't get overwritten between its deletion and your attempt at recovery. That's because the file is never truly deleted and Windows is just told that the space the file occupies is available to write over when needed. In this case, a free tool that you can use to recover data is all that's required.
But this is obviously not good if you want to permanently delete a personal or private file because anyone could just try to recover it. Once a deleted file has been overwritten, it's very difficult to recover and more professional methods would be needed to get any readable data back.
There are various ways to overwrite deleted files. If you sell or give your drive to somebody else, it needs to be completely wiped so nothing is left that can be recovered by the new owner. You can also erase the deleted data off a current drive by wiping all its free space. Then there's the method we're talking about here which is to completely overwrite and wipe the file or folder as you go.
About IObit Uninstaller. Thanks for choosing IObit Uninstaller! IObit Uninstaller is a perfect uninstallation tool. It provides an easy and secure way to thoroughly remove unwanted programs, Windows Apps, Universal Windows Platform (UWP) apps, and malicious/ad plugins, giving you a clean PC and a secure & smooth online surfing experience. McAfee Agent (MA) - all supported 5.x versions For details about the MA supported environments, see KB-51573. NOTE: McAfee Agent 4.8 reached End of Life (EOL) for Windows, Mac, and Linux computers on March 31, 2018. To delete an app and its configuration profile, follow these steps. Touch and hold the app until it jiggles. Then tap the delete button in the upper-left corner of the app to delete it. If you see a message that says, 'Deleting this app will also delete its data,' tap Delete. If the app has a configuration profile, delete it.
This method is the quickest and most secure as the files are erased immediately and not left in a recoverable state until the next time you decide to wipe the drive's free space. Here are 10 free tools that can securely erase or 'shred' your files making them unrecoverable. All tools were tested in Windows 10 and 7 64-bit.
Important Note: Permanently deleting files is something that should be used with care as once the file is deleted and overwritten, you won't be able to get it back, even with recovery software.
1. WipeFileWipeFile is a portable only program so is also useful for your USB toolkit. It supports 14 different erasing methods ranging from a quick single pass zero fill up to a full 35 pass Gutmann erase. A single random pass should suffice in most cases. Individual files or whole folders can be added to the program. Something that is very useful is an editable file mask for folders so you can filter what gets erased by file name or extension. How to update pixelmator.
The default mask of * will delete all files in the folder whereas a mask of *.doc will shred the Word documents and ignore all other files. Double click the folder entry to change the mask. In the settings, you can create a context menu or 'Send to' menu entry and send files to the program via right click, create a user defined erase string (used with WipeFile erase methods), and enable logging. The .NET Framework 4 is required for Windows 7 users.
Download WipeFile
2. HardWipe
HardWipe has several different types of data erasing, such as wiping Recycle bin contents on selected drives, wiping a drive's free space, wiping a drive or volume completely, or shredding files and folders. Unfortunately, the portable version is no longer free so the software needs to be installed. An annoyance is the inclusion of advertisements inside the main window although it's not overly intrusive.
Click File Data on the left and browse for the files and folders to securely delete. Shift or Ctrl is supported for multiple selections. There are 6 wiping algorithms ranging from a single random or zero pass up to 35 passes and an option to rename the files up to 9 times to lessen the chance of recovering the filename (default is 3). A speed mode can help system responsiveness on long operations and the system can be auto powered off after a long wiping operation has completed.
Download HardWipe
3. Permadelete
Permadelete has a pretty user interface and is quite basic but most users don't need loads of options anyway. Files and folders can be deleted by either dropping them onto the window or using the two browse buttons provided. After selecting files for deletion, a box pops up asking how many passes the shred process will run. The default of one pass of random data can be changed in the options.
It's worth noting that Permadelete does not shred files on SSDs and relies on TRIM and garbage collection. This has the effect of wiping the data after a period of time anyway while decreasing the wear and tear on your drive. If you must shred a file on an SSD immediately, use something else in this article. Permadelete has portable and installer versions, is open source, and requires .NET Framework 4.5+ for Windows 7 users.
Download Permadelete
4. Alternate File Shredder
Alternate File Shredder is another program that can permanently delete files and also wipe free drive space if you need it. The number of times you can overwrite a file can go up to a massive 100 passes, although only the most paranoid users will find it useful. Overwriting can be with random data (recommended), with zeros, or with a predefined pattern of your choice. Changing the pattern is done from the Options window.
You can add files and folders (including the Recycle Bin) by either drag and drop or by using the buttons in the toolbar. Extra security options are available such as shredding file names and original file sizes. An interesting feature is a binary viewer where you can look at and directly edit files with the ability to add, remove, insert, or even replace specific bytes in the file.
Download Alternate File Shredder
5. File Shredder
File Shredder is more of a permanent erasing solution because it needs installing and there's no portable version, but it does have some useful functions which could make it worthwhile. Erasing algorithms include simple 1 or 2 pass, DoD 3 pass, secure 7 pass or the Gutmann 35 pass method. There's also Explorer integration which can directly erase the file/folder immediately or add it to a queue to be shredded later on.
Files and folders are added to the list using drag and drop or the add buttons on the left. The default shred method is DOD 5220.22-M, which is three passes consisting of zeros, ones, then random data. Go to Shredder Settings > Algorithms to change it to something else. A shred free space option is also available if you want to remove previously deleted files from the drive entirely.
Download File Shredder
12Next › View AllYou might also like:
10 Free Tools to Securely Wipe Free Disk Space Preventing RecoveryTop 10 Free Data Recovery Software8 Tools to Wipe a Hard Drive Before Selling or Lending It5 Tools To Encrypt and Protect your Data on USB Flash Drives7 Tools to Unlock Those Hard to Delete FilesI've tried a few different downloads but none are working for me. Is it because I've already deleted the files from the recyle bin? I'm trying to find a just a few photos and done the Recuva recovery but it brings up tens of thousands of files and folders so it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. I would like to just get rid of a lot that I know are irrelevant and have not yet been written over but nothing seems to work. Is it possible?
ReplySatellite & Terrestrial TV PVR Files – often won't delete if put on Windows or Apple OS PC, it doesn't matter if they are scrambled or not.
Repix 1 3 1 – resize multiple images at once. Some files not created on a Windows OS, or Apple OS when put onto an ordinary Windows OS, or Apple OS PC won't drag, rename or delete – best to just leave them on a USB stick if you want to edit them.
These files are often from TV PVR's, usually made by a Linux OS, but sometimes because TV Stations put a (.ts) file in a (.mpg) container, or there are transmission received errors, the file received is not perfect so most OS's say WTF. These Files can be edited to a more correct and friendly format but some OS's just refuse to delete the original file, it may slow or even lockup your OS.
So if you wish to edit out the ads from PVR recordings, its best to keep the files on a USB stick while you edit. The resulted edited files can be saved on the PC not the USB stick.
Replyhow can i prevent already deleted files from being recovered, because i deleted my files without using any software and though it will be erased for good and now after doing research i think it can be recovered,please help!
ReplyThis article is what you are looking for: Movavi screen capture studio 5 2 for mac free download.
'10 Free Tools to Securely Wipe Free Disk Space Preventing Recovery', it's in the blue ‘you might also like' links box above or the url for it is:
raymond.cc/blog/make-your-recoverable-datas-unrecoverable/
Those tools wipe the free space on your drive while leaving the existing files alone.
ReplyThe distinction between your files being deleted and non-recoverable is a value that makes them visible. When they are 'deleted' the value that makes them visible is erased, but they still reside on your hard drive until they are overwritten. An easy way to prevent recovery is to download a utility called Bleach Bit and select the option to 'Wipe Free Space'. May take awhile depending on your hard drive size, but this should fix your problem.
ReplyThat's all in our article I mentioned above….
ReplyHow to delete deleted data that is still on the disk. (Formating is one option but is there any alternative?)
ReplyThe links in paragraph #2 of this article will help you.
ReplyHOW TO RECOVER FILES THAT WAS SHREDDED
ReplyYou can't, that's the whole point of shredding a file in the first place.
ReplyIf a file is securly shreaded… you cannot likely recover it even with professional grade software. Because it has been over written many times over. That is what it means to shread a file.
ReplyGreat article Raymond.Helpful for those in search of erasing tools.Keep up the good work.
ReplyThanks you for the article. It's very useful to me………. Dsdt editor mac download.
Tagr 5 1 0 2. Nice Article.!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyThank you for the article, I'm using Gutmann method, it seems more efficient.
Great Job!
PartitionGuru is able to delete files permanently as well as wipe deleted files for good.
this tool is for free
Nice console ….
ReplyI would like to see a simple utility that securely deletes my Recycle Bin (or replaces it). I still like sending files to the Recycle Bin, and like to right-click to empty. There's a few utilities that do this, but they are bloated beyond my liking.
ReplyHello,
I'm looking for a eraser program that can automatically delete a log file that is in use at every restart. I had eraser but there are a few problems with it. The pc shutdown is very slow because eraser.exe hangs to long in memory and the pc has difficulty for shutting it down and it misses the function of erasing a ‘file that is in use' on ‘every' logon. I'm looking and I have tested a lot of programs but so far no one can delete a ‘file that is in use' and that on ‘every time' the pc logs on. Is there someone here that can help me with finding the right program for this job?
Regards
ReplyI have used many of the listed apps. The one I am mostly using now is from Moo0 File Shredder. A free tool, with multiple levels of shredding, from one-pass pseudo-random data (including cluster tip and ADS, and changes file name and attributes as part of delete process), up to the over-kill level.
The only strange thing about it is the way it identifies amount of overwriting:
Shred Once = 1 pass (pseudo-random data)
Extra Carefully = 3 pass (DoD 5220.22M)
Into Ashes = 7 pass (DoD 5220.22M)
Vaporize = 35 (Gutmann).
It would be useful, IMO, to explain to folks that the so-called Gutmann 35 pass is truly overkill, as it (a) technically would run less, as some of the 35 passes are methodologically designed for HDs no longer being sold, (b) takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R (it seems) for all the passes to complete, (c) will really exercise your HD, so may not be best if it is in marginal condition and planned for re-use.
Thanks for great info site.
ReplyWe went into a bit of an explanation in the '8 Tools to Wipe a Hard Drive Before Selling or Lending It' article about the fact the Gutman pass method is pretty much irrelevant today.
35 passes on a whole hard drive is obviously madness whereas 35 passes on a few small documents or files won't take too long. I've heard Zer0 uses up to 100 passes and that tool is pretty fast. :)
ReplyWipeFile seems nice. Thank you Raymond :-)
Replythnks for the information.
ReplyNice article Bro. I use Secure Wipe that's not included in the list. :)
Won't you consider to try and review secure wipe?
Thanks
Thanks mate for the nice article ;).
ReplyThanks for share. Very useful
ReplyWelcome back Mr Raymond and superb , Useful Article Thank you very much
ReplyThanks for the info. Very useful :)
Reply
HardWipe has several different types of data erasing, such as wiping Recycle bin contents on selected drives, wiping a drive's free space, wiping a drive or volume completely, or shredding files and folders. Unfortunately, the portable version is no longer free so the software needs to be installed. An annoyance is the inclusion of advertisements inside the main window although it's not overly intrusive.
Click File Data on the left and browse for the files and folders to securely delete. Shift or Ctrl is supported for multiple selections. There are 6 wiping algorithms ranging from a single random or zero pass up to 35 passes and an option to rename the files up to 9 times to lessen the chance of recovering the filename (default is 3). A speed mode can help system responsiveness on long operations and the system can be auto powered off after a long wiping operation has completed.
Download HardWipe
3. Permadelete
Permadelete has a pretty user interface and is quite basic but most users don't need loads of options anyway. Files and folders can be deleted by either dropping them onto the window or using the two browse buttons provided. After selecting files for deletion, a box pops up asking how many passes the shred process will run. The default of one pass of random data can be changed in the options.
It's worth noting that Permadelete does not shred files on SSDs and relies on TRIM and garbage collection. This has the effect of wiping the data after a period of time anyway while decreasing the wear and tear on your drive. If you must shred a file on an SSD immediately, use something else in this article. Permadelete has portable and installer versions, is open source, and requires .NET Framework 4.5+ for Windows 7 users.
Download Permadelete
4. Alternate File Shredder
Alternate File Shredder is another program that can permanently delete files and also wipe free drive space if you need it. The number of times you can overwrite a file can go up to a massive 100 passes, although only the most paranoid users will find it useful. Overwriting can be with random data (recommended), with zeros, or with a predefined pattern of your choice. Changing the pattern is done from the Options window.
You can add files and folders (including the Recycle Bin) by either drag and drop or by using the buttons in the toolbar. Extra security options are available such as shredding file names and original file sizes. An interesting feature is a binary viewer where you can look at and directly edit files with the ability to add, remove, insert, or even replace specific bytes in the file.
Download Alternate File Shredder
5. File Shredder
File Shredder is more of a permanent erasing solution because it needs installing and there's no portable version, but it does have some useful functions which could make it worthwhile. Erasing algorithms include simple 1 or 2 pass, DoD 3 pass, secure 7 pass or the Gutmann 35 pass method. There's also Explorer integration which can directly erase the file/folder immediately or add it to a queue to be shredded later on.
Files and folders are added to the list using drag and drop or the add buttons on the left. The default shred method is DOD 5220.22-M, which is three passes consisting of zeros, ones, then random data. Go to Shredder Settings > Algorithms to change it to something else. A shred free space option is also available if you want to remove previously deleted files from the drive entirely.
Download File Shredder
12Next › View AllYou might also like:
10 Free Tools to Securely Wipe Free Disk Space Preventing RecoveryTop 10 Free Data Recovery Software8 Tools to Wipe a Hard Drive Before Selling or Lending It5 Tools To Encrypt and Protect your Data on USB Flash Drives7 Tools to Unlock Those Hard to Delete FilesI've tried a few different downloads but none are working for me. Is it because I've already deleted the files from the recyle bin? I'm trying to find a just a few photos and done the Recuva recovery but it brings up tens of thousands of files and folders so it's like looking for a needle in a haystack. I would like to just get rid of a lot that I know are irrelevant and have not yet been written over but nothing seems to work. Is it possible?
ReplySatellite & Terrestrial TV PVR Files – often won't delete if put on Windows or Apple OS PC, it doesn't matter if they are scrambled or not.
Repix 1 3 1 – resize multiple images at once. Some files not created on a Windows OS, or Apple OS when put onto an ordinary Windows OS, or Apple OS PC won't drag, rename or delete – best to just leave them on a USB stick if you want to edit them.
These files are often from TV PVR's, usually made by a Linux OS, but sometimes because TV Stations put a (.ts) file in a (.mpg) container, or there are transmission received errors, the file received is not perfect so most OS's say WTF. These Files can be edited to a more correct and friendly format but some OS's just refuse to delete the original file, it may slow or even lockup your OS.
So if you wish to edit out the ads from PVR recordings, its best to keep the files on a USB stick while you edit. The resulted edited files can be saved on the PC not the USB stick.
Replyhow can i prevent already deleted files from being recovered, because i deleted my files without using any software and though it will be erased for good and now after doing research i think it can be recovered,please help!
ReplyThis article is what you are looking for: Movavi screen capture studio 5 2 for mac free download.
'10 Free Tools to Securely Wipe Free Disk Space Preventing Recovery', it's in the blue ‘you might also like' links box above or the url for it is:
raymond.cc/blog/make-your-recoverable-datas-unrecoverable/
Those tools wipe the free space on your drive while leaving the existing files alone.
ReplyThe distinction between your files being deleted and non-recoverable is a value that makes them visible. When they are 'deleted' the value that makes them visible is erased, but they still reside on your hard drive until they are overwritten. An easy way to prevent recovery is to download a utility called Bleach Bit and select the option to 'Wipe Free Space'. May take awhile depending on your hard drive size, but this should fix your problem.
ReplyThat's all in our article I mentioned above….
ReplyHow to delete deleted data that is still on the disk. (Formating is one option but is there any alternative?)
ReplyThe links in paragraph #2 of this article will help you.
ReplyHOW TO RECOVER FILES THAT WAS SHREDDED
ReplyYou can't, that's the whole point of shredding a file in the first place.
ReplyIf a file is securly shreaded… you cannot likely recover it even with professional grade software. Because it has been over written many times over. That is what it means to shread a file.
ReplyGreat article Raymond.Helpful for those in search of erasing tools.Keep up the good work.
ReplyThanks you for the article. It's very useful to me………. Dsdt editor mac download.
Tagr 5 1 0 2. Nice Article.!!!!!!!!!!!
ReplyThank you for the article, I'm using Gutmann method, it seems more efficient.
Great Job!
PartitionGuru is able to delete files permanently as well as wipe deleted files for good.
this tool is for free
Nice console ….
ReplyI would like to see a simple utility that securely deletes my Recycle Bin (or replaces it). I still like sending files to the Recycle Bin, and like to right-click to empty. There's a few utilities that do this, but they are bloated beyond my liking.
ReplyHello,
I'm looking for a eraser program that can automatically delete a log file that is in use at every restart. I had eraser but there are a few problems with it. The pc shutdown is very slow because eraser.exe hangs to long in memory and the pc has difficulty for shutting it down and it misses the function of erasing a ‘file that is in use' on ‘every' logon. I'm looking and I have tested a lot of programs but so far no one can delete a ‘file that is in use' and that on ‘every time' the pc logs on. Is there someone here that can help me with finding the right program for this job?
Regards
ReplyI have used many of the listed apps. The one I am mostly using now is from Moo0 File Shredder. A free tool, with multiple levels of shredding, from one-pass pseudo-random data (including cluster tip and ADS, and changes file name and attributes as part of delete process), up to the over-kill level.
The only strange thing about it is the way it identifies amount of overwriting:
Shred Once = 1 pass (pseudo-random data)
Extra Carefully = 3 pass (DoD 5220.22M)
Into Ashes = 7 pass (DoD 5220.22M)
Vaporize = 35 (Gutmann).
It would be useful, IMO, to explain to folks that the so-called Gutmann 35 pass is truly overkill, as it (a) technically would run less, as some of the 35 passes are methodologically designed for HDs no longer being sold, (b) takes F-O-R-E-V-E-R (it seems) for all the passes to complete, (c) will really exercise your HD, so may not be best if it is in marginal condition and planned for re-use.
Thanks for great info site.
ReplyWe went into a bit of an explanation in the '8 Tools to Wipe a Hard Drive Before Selling or Lending It' article about the fact the Gutman pass method is pretty much irrelevant today.
35 passes on a whole hard drive is obviously madness whereas 35 passes on a few small documents or files won't take too long. I've heard Zer0 uses up to 100 passes and that tool is pretty fast. :)
ReplyWipeFile seems nice. Thank you Raymond :-)
Replythnks for the information.
ReplyNice article Bro. I use Secure Wipe that's not included in the list. :)
Won't you consider to try and review secure wipe?
Thanks
Thanks mate for the nice article ;).
ReplyThanks for share. Very useful
ReplyWelcome back Mr Raymond and superb , Useful Article Thank you very much
ReplyThanks for the info. Very useful :)
ReplyHey Hal, I found the best way for wiping an entire drive and it's pretty fast. Most drives come with a secure delete built into the hard drive itself. The computer manufacturers disable it in the bios but there is a way. A university, It is at University of California, San Diego, the place where they created it is called [Center for Magnetic Recording Research ] They made a program that you can boot from and it will securely wipe a drive where it's unrecoverable. It's it's called Secure Erase and it's free. And it is pretty much created by a bunch of genius scientists. I actually used it recently on a 6 year old computer and it worked like a charm. This is what the government really uses, not that DOD 7 pass crap.
Here is the link to the site cmrr.ucsd.edu/people/Hughes/secure-erase.html
ReplyThank you, Dear friend Raymond…
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ReplyThank you very much Raymond for sharing !
ReplyThis is a nice read Hal :-)
ReplyThanks Saturn, an important subject that can sometime get overlooked…
ReplySuperb article – congrats!
Appbolish 1 5 2 – Thoroughly Uninstall Apps Free
I work with HardWipe and i just can say that never failed.
Regards
ReplyLeave a Reply
