SECUDRIVE Eraser Free

SECUDRIVE Eraser Free is a tool that gives you the possibility to permanently remove files and folders from the computer to prevent unauthorized users from recovering data using specialized tools.

It's also capable of securely emptying the Recycle Bin and of wiping free space. The last mentioned action makes sure that files and folders cannot be retrieved from the disk if they were already deleted using traditional methods, such as sending it to the Recycle Bin or triggering the Shift+Key key combination to eliminate it from the computer.

Once installed, the utility integrates a new entry into the file explorer's context menu, in order erase one or more selected files or folders, and empty the Recycle Bin. You must confirm the actions before performing tasks, so they are not automatically performed.

In order to wipe free space, it's necessary to access the "Full erase with SECUDRIVE Eraser Free" entry of a drive's right-click menu, and then pick the "Free Space Erase" option. Alternatively, you can delete all disk contents. Listed information includes the drive name, capacity, filesystem, and erase mode.

When launched, the application also creates an icon in the systray to provide access to its configuration panel. There are multiple erasure methods available for each cleanup type (file/folder, Recycle Bin, and disk/free space): overwrite by random number, DoD 5220.22-M overwrite with 3 or 7 passes, or Gutmann (35 passes).

However, only the default deletion mode is available in the free edition: overwrite by constant. The other ones could be obtained by purchasing a license, but the project is now discontinued.

It deleted data pretty fast during our tests while remaining light on system resources consumption. No error dialogs popped up and it didn't hang or crash. To conclude, SECUDRIVE Eraser Free offers a simple solution for shredding data and free space, and it can be easily handled by anyone.