But that is not always sufficient, especially if files need to be deleted that contain data that should under no circumstance be recoverable. Think of financial information, private pictures and videos, copies of official documents, and other private data.

FileKiller is a portable Open Source software for the Windows operating system to delete files permanently. This is achieved by overwriting the files with random data, blanks or Ascii code so that the overwritten files become unrecoverable.

The method can be used on conventional hard drives, not solid state drives who handle writes to the drive differently.

filekiller

Files can be added in the main interface by clicking on Select Files. This opens a standard file browser. One, or multiple files can be selected for secure deletion. It is unfortunately not possible to select directories, which means the software is not suitable for deleting files that reside in many different directories.

Software alternatives for this operation are Blank and Secure, or Eraser.

Back to FileKiller. The left sidebar offers configuration options, including the number of iterations and the type of data that is written over the file sectors of the hard drive. It usually is enough to reduce the iterations to one, and fill the space with blanks or random data.

Recovery software like Recuva or Pandora Recovery can be used to confirm that the deleted files have become unrecoverable.

FileKiller could use an option to add all files of a folder and its subfolders automatically. Another helpful option would be a context menu addition to send files or folders directory to the program.

The secure file deletion software has a size of about 50 Kilobytes. It is compatible with most 32-bit and 64-bit editions of Windows. Downloads are provided at the project’s homepage at Sourceforge.

Why would someone walk the extra mile and erase files that already have been deleted in Windows? The answer to that question is simple: Windows does not really delete the file, it only deletes the reference to the file which tells the system where files are located on the hard drive. It’s like loosing the address of a friend’s house. You could not point your finger on it on a map but it is still existing and calling the friend would reveal its location again.

Files can be recovered if they have not been erased properly. The age of a file plays a role in determining the chances of success. A rule of thumb is that new files have a higher chance to be recovered than files that have been deleted a while ago.

Prevent Restore was designed with ease of use in mind. The user picks a partition that he wants to erase files from, selects the type of data that should replace the deleted files and the program does all the hard work in the background. It uses several security algorithms to overwrite the deleted data on the hard drive ensuring that the data cannot be recovered with recovery software.

So how does it compare to Eraser? The user interface of Prevent Restore is not providing many options to choose from. This is less confusing but advanced computer users might miss features that Eraser offers. Eraser on the other hand comes with options that Prevent Restore does not offer. This includes the selection of the data algorithm to erase files or a scheduler that performs the operation regularly.

Eraser can also erase existing files and folders securely and it does support all Microsoft Windows operating systems from Windows 95 on while Prevent Restore is only compatible to Windows XP and Windows Vista.

Advanced users will most likely stick with Eraser while beginners might tend to work with Prevent Restore to erase files on their system.