Carefully deleting all the files on your computer before disposing or donating your computer doesn’t ensure the impossibility of recovering your data. Data can be easily recovered with a number of system recovery options that are available. The only way out is to use softwares which completely erase the data from your drive without leaving a trace behind.
If you have been searching for options to completely format your hard disk and leave no trace of the data you had on it, here are five applications that help you erase your disk completely and prevent any chance of data recovery from your hard drive in the future. All the softwares mentioned below are completely free to use.
1. Heidi Eraser
Eraser is an advanced security tool (for Windows), which allows you to completely remove sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it several times with carefully selected patterns. You can use this freeware to shred individual files or wipe out data completely from your hard disk. Check out HeidiEraser.
2. File Shredder
File Shredder is a fast, safe and reliable tool to shred files. It is a simple but powerful program that helps you shred your data completely from your hard disk. Check out FileShredder.
3. Darik’s Boot And Nuke
Darik’s Boot and Nuke (DBAN) is a self-contained boot disk that securely wipes the hard disks of most computers. DBAN will automatically and completely delete the contents of any hard disk that it can detect, which makes it an appropriate utility for bulk or emergency data destruction. Check out DBAN.
Darik’s Boot and Nuke file shredding tool is my favorite tool when it comes to completely deleting all the files from my hard drive.
4. Kill Disk
Kill Disk is a powerful and compact software that allows you to destroy all data on hard drives completely, excluding any possibility of future recovery of deleted files and folders. This freeware is a hard drive and partition eraser utility. Check out KillDisk.
5. CCleaner
This freeware needs no introduction. While CCleaner is primarily a system optimization, privacy and cleaning tool, it also has a well hidden file shredding utility too. To use that, go to Options => Settings, and choose ‘Secure File Deletion‘ that you can see at the bottom of the window. Select the Gutmann 35 passes option from the drop down menu. Check out CCleaner.
If you ever plan on donating your old hard drive or your old computer, do remember to use one of the above mentioned softwares to completely remove the data. You don’t want any privacy issues as far as your data is concerned, do you? 
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Hi, My name is Narayanan and i'm your resident blogger. Technology and internet have always fascinated me and that's the reason behind the origin of this blog. Thanks for visiting Tech Spikes :)
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