Byebye Data Eraser

Pressing the 'Delete' button on your keyboard is not enough for a file or a folder to be completely removed from your PC's hard disk. Pressing Shift-Delete gets rid of the data without sending it to the Recycle Bin, but data recovery software might still be able to retrieve it. Getting rid of sensitive files for good requires a dedicated application, and one example is Byebye Data Eraser.

This particular application uses simple to complex data shredding algorithms to make files and folders it deletes impossible to recover. It comes with no less than 14 overwriting options, allowing you to ensure that the files you are shredding will be gone.

From plain overwriting with zeros or ones, moving on to more advanced algorithms that feature two or three passes (GOST, DoD, US Army AR, US Air Force), and continuing with complex approaches (RCMP, German Standard, Bruce Schneier;s algorithm, or Peter Gutmann's algorithm), there are plenty of options for you to pick from.

Byebye Data Eraser allows batch processing, which means it can delete several files and folders on your PC. Once the input data is selected, all that's left for you to do is to choose the wiping algorithm and press the 'Erase Now' button. You can monitor the application's progress as it deletes the files and access the generated report at the end.

Aside from individual files and folders, Byebye Data Eraser is also capable of removing entire drives and disks.

The more advanced editions of the application (Pro, Business, Admin) can also erase free space on a disk, and come with an integrated WinPE bootable media creation tool.

Byebye Data Eraser surely comes in handy to anyone who wants to quickly get rid of documents and directories that contain sensitive and personal information. While simple algorithms might keep you in doubt about your files being recoverable, more complex ones are sure to wipe the data permanently.