Is my deleted data really gone?

Deleting files completely takes a lot of time, so Windows Vista performs a shortcut by marking the first few bytes of a file as ‘deleted’. The rest of the file is left untouched, but the area it resides in on your hard drive is considered free space, so eventually the data should get overwritten by newer files. Until this occurs, however, it’s possible to retrieve
the data using a variety of software programs, including the free data recovery program PC Inspector File Recovery (head over to www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/UK/welcome.htm to check it out).

If you have privacy concerns about the data on your hard drive, you’ll need to invest in a special tool that can wipe
the data securely. Many commercial programs exist, but for a free alternative try Eraser, which you’ll find http://www.heidi.ie/node/6. The guide below shows how to use it, but if you’re really paranoid, select Edit > Preferences > Erasing to choose an even more secure method of deletion. If you select the most powerful option – Gutmann – then be prepared for a long wait, because it overwrites the data 35 times!

How can I securely delete data?

Discover how to make sure sensitive fi les and settings are purged from your PC

1 INSTALL AND SET UP You’ll find Eraser at http://www.heidi.ie/node/6, so install the correct version, either 32-bit or 64-bit, depending on your copy of Windows Vista (see the System Control Panel if you’re not sure which version you have on your computer).

2 CREATE TASK Let the program launch once the installer finishes. Eraser is task-based, so choose On Demand for tasks you want to run manually or Scheduler for tasks you’d like to run at set intervals. When you’ve done that, select File > New Task.

3 DELETE OR PURGE Eraser’s options enable you to pick a specific file or type of file to securely delete. You can also purge a folder or completely wipe the free space on a selected drive, thereby removing all traces of previously deleted files on that drive.

4 SET SCHEDULE If you selected Scheduler, switch to the Schedule tab then choose a day and time for the task to run automatically. Flip back to the Data tab to set your PC to shut down or go to sleep when the task has completed successfully.

5 RUN TASK All tasks appear in the main Eraser window – right-click one and choose Run to launch it manually. Delete files or folders directly in Windows Vista by opening the parent folder, right-clicking the file or folder and choosing Erase.