Secure File Deletion: How You Can Permanently Delete Files

OK, you've highlighted a file and pressed "delete". That's the end of that file. It's no longer available to anyone, is it?

Err. No. It's still there.

The problem with computers is that they take short cuts. And one of the short cuts is by ignoring your command to delete a file. It doesn't really get deleted. At times, this is good as it means that if you didn't really want to delete a file, no problem.

But what can you do if you want to completely obliterate all traces of a file? Maybe you're selling your computer and you'd rather the new owner had no chance of finding out all of your passwords and logins. Maybe you had some confidential documents from your company and you want to make sure that no-one else gets access to them. Maybe you've deleted some emails that you don't want anyone to be able to read.

Whatever the reason, just hitting the delete button isn't good enough.

Unless you can guarantee that no-one else will ever have access to your computer, you've got to ensure that any files that need to be deleted forever really are deleted permanently.

Far and away the best way to do this is by using a software program. The only other way is to format your hard disk tens of times and hit it with a big hammer until it breaks into so may pieces even the biggest jigsaw addict would give up.

Fortunately you can get some cheap software that makes securely deleting files an absolute breeze.

It will overwrite the space occupied by the file you want to delete. Not just once or twice (that's still too easy to recover) but time after time after time. Once it's done it's job, not even the most powerful computers in the world would have the slightest clue about the file's contents.

Which means if you want to be completely certain that your files are permanently deleted, you should download this inexpensive software!