Even if you are not a secret agent, you may have some very good reasons to delete some files beyond recovery. Because when you hit the Delete key to delete your old tax return or your old PDF credit card statement, the actual file doesn’t get erased. So, if you don’t want important stuff to linger on your hard drive after you’ve supposedly deleted it, use some file wiping software.
File Wiper – software to permanently delete files
Everybody knows that when you hit Delete on your keyboard, the file you are erasing is moved to the Recycle Bin. And when you press Shift+Delete, the file bypasses the Bin is supposedly gone for good. But it can still be recovered – you can check it out yourself by simply downloading free file recovery software. You will be amazed how many of your deleted files can be restored in the blink of an eye. Sometimes this is very useful. But if you think of it, it’s actually scary. Just imagine what can happen if you sell your computer and all your deleted financial documents are recovered by someone? Or if your laptop gets stolen – even if you use encryption software to protect important files, deleted files can be restored by anyone.
Using a file wiper is a great way to permanently delete files that contain your personal details and protect your privacy.
File shredder or disk wiper – which one to use?
There are two types of data deletion software programs – file shredders and disk wipers. Essentially, they serve the same purpose and securely delete data. But there is one crucial difference. A file shredder is used to shred individual files, e.g. you should use it when you need to delete an old tax return or bank statement. It works pretty much as a regular paper shredder. The only difference is that the file you are shredding actually gets overwritten by random data and thus is deleted beyond recovery.
A disk wiper works in a different way. While it also overwrites data with random characters, it doesn’t touch any of your existing files. What it does is simple – a disk wiper overwrites data that has the potential of being recovered from your hard drive’s free space. Disk wipers are ideal if you are selling or donating your computer.
How to shred files
Shredding files is very easy if you have a good quality file wiping program. All you need to do is:
- open your file shredder
- select the files you want to delete permanently
- select a shredding method
- hit the Shred button
The software will do the rest for you. Remember that shredding may take a while if you are shredding large files and if you select a 35-pass shredding method – it’s the slowest one, but it offers the highest security.
Don’t put your privacy at risk. Download our recommended file wiper and keep your data safe.
Tags: file shredder, file wiper
