How do you delete files permanently from your computer?

[DemonSlayer]

Some of us may have sensitive information stored on our HD's that we would like to have permanently deleted... HINT *DEALERS*

It might be banking info, personal info, business info or anything else private which we wouldn't like to be recovered using a simple undelete program.

I wanted to ask people here, do any of you know good software or other methods that can delete files from the computer making them totally unrecoverable?

[jkerouac]

The process of making data unrecoverable involves rewriting data (not simply reformatting) over the areas where the previous data was written. As you noted, there are programs on the market that do just that.

Another solution would be to simply put in a new virgin hard drive, and give the old one the "Nanuq" treatment by dropping it from a tall building, driving over it, or "dissassembling" it with a sledge hammer until you are reasonably convinced that all the king's soldiers and all the king's men could never put it back together again.

[cornerstone]

"Burn it!!"

PS - nobody likes to see good porn die, make sure to back it up before deleting it :animal_rooster:

More seriously, it is a problem if you're ever selling a PC, and so on.

A simple google for "permanently delete files" should see you up and running I'd imagine.

[Pugwash]

Store it encrypted. That way deleting it properly doesn't matter as much.

[DemonSlayer]

I just researched a couple of programs, there are a few free ones available, I'll look into those.

Pugwash, how do I go about storing files encrypted? Would you recommend third party software or is there a built-in Windows utility that does this?

[jkerouac]

Is there a built-in Windows utility that does this?

It's called Encrypting File System. Using Encrypting File System

By the way, no encryption system is absolutely uncrackable, but they do make it much, much, much harder to get at the data -- hardly worth the effort unless the data is really, really worth the effort and the person trying to get at it is extremely knowledgeable.

[Pugwash]

Here's where it gets difficult. Ideally you want to run your entire system encrypted as no matter how clever you think you are, you'll miss stuff like MS Word's temporary files meaning no matter what you delete properly, an investigator on a low-level scan will catch stuff you didn't even know was there.

[warbody]

Just download a simple and free program called Erarser. its the best thing you can have for permanently deleting files.

Its have many methods. including the basics used by the USA Department of Defense

[PAMman]

Does anyone use 'Window Washer'? This program will make it mighty hard / ?impossible? to retrieve anything that had been deleted using its 'Wash with bleach' option.