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If you need to delete only specific files and folders rather than entire drives, the open-source Eraser is the tool for you. Securely erase specific files with Eraser

Nevertheless, we have used all of these methods successfully in the past. If you do choose to erase your data with any of these methods, you do so at your own risk-which is why we advise making a backup before you begin. Department of Defense’s “Short” specification and for numerous militaries around the globe.

Some utilities support “Gutmann”-level protection with 35 passes, but three passes is enough for the U.S. The more times you overwrite your data, the less likely it is to be recovered. A utility that makes three passes overwrites your drive with ones and zeroes three separate times. Each pass signifies a complete overwrite of the data. Drive-wipe utilities let you specify how many “passes” the software makes. With that out of the way let’s talk terminology. Best of all, almost every solution discussed here is free. If you want to erase only specific files, we’ll show you how to do that, too. We’ll identify the best secure-erasing utility for every job, no matter what type of drive you’re using-even USB flash drives. That’s where this guide comes in.ĭifferent technology and scenarios call for different tools. To truly destroy the data on your storage device you need to take more drastic (and time-consuming) measures to overwrite your drive space with ones and zeroes. That’s a workable scenario for everyday use, but it could spell disaster when it’s time to part with an old machine. Instead, NTFS (the file system used by Windows PCs) just hides the data from immediate view, leaving it to be overwritten when a new file takes up residence on the drive. Simply deleting the data off your hard drive doesn’t erase it as you might expect.

First you need to securely erase the data off your old hard drives so you don’t become a victim of identify theft.

It’s time to sell or donate your old gear and start playing with your new toys, right? Not so fast. The siren has sung and you’ve finally succumbed to her call: You’re the proud owner of a shiny new PC, a faster SSD, or a bigger hard drive.