What the best utility (Windows XP) for wiping files on your hard drive so they can never be retrieved?

Question

I'm looking for something that will make a file impossible to recover by any file recovery software. It would be nice if it were freeware.

Answer 1

SureClean Professional. Not free but effective.

Answer 2

Eraser 5.7 is freeware available at download.com and quit highly rated. This and other similar progams work quite well for the average user and should stop any commercially available recovery software and probably even the most sophisticated recovery methods.

Of course, if you really, really want to make a file gone beyond all possible hope of recovery by anyone, ever, you need to use one of these programs and then physically destroy the disk. I'd recomend an incinerator.

Answer 3

Windows XP Professional and 2000 include a tool called Cipher to wipe out deleted files. Cipher is really an encryption tool—but one option allows you to use it to overwrite deleted files. Before using Cipher, make a backup of your files and folders.

To use Cipher: click Start, All Programs, Accessories, Command Prompt. In the Command Prompt, you will notice the flashing insertion point. Type “cipher /w:” (without the quotes) at the Command Prompt window. Then add the name of either your hard drive or an individual folder.
To overwrite your entire hard drive, type “cipher /w:C:\” (without the quotes).
To overwrite an individual folder, type in the path (address) to that folder. The path should be in this format:
C:\folder name\folder name\folder name

In the Command Prompt, if any of the folder names contains a space, put the path in quotes; for example:
“C:\folder name\folder name\folder name”

Cipher is a lengthy process and may take several hours.

Answer 4

There is a utility called 'eraser' that is VERY easy to use and integrates well into Windows XP. Once installed, when you right click on a file, you have the option to delete, but also to erase, which truly permantly removes the file. It also overwrites the image that was the file, so no recovery is possible.

And its FREE. We use this where I work when we have security concerns, never had a problem with it.

Download here:

http://sourceforge.net/projects/eraser

Answer 5

I don't really use that much freeware, but I have made use of a software called StompSoft's Drive Washer which complies with the U.S. Department of Defense 5220.22-M standard for disk-sanitation. So that should make everything nice and squeaky clean. :)

Answer 6

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Answer 7

none of the programs above will permanently delete your files. anything that can be deleted can be undeleted.

if your files are that sensitive you should think about destroying the entire drive. use a cutting torch to cut it up in many pieces and scatter them in several places.

you could use a hard drive with removeable disks and grind the disks into dust :)

Answer 8

I like Windows Washer (set it to full strength), or another good one is Tenbril Tracks Cleaner. They are not however freeware. You might be able to download a trial version from http://www.download.com

Answer 9

Sure Delete

Answer 10

look over the net