How to Permanently Remove Files from Your Hard Drive
Simply putting files in the trash and emptying it leaves them on your hard drive in a form that is fairly easy to recover. This solution is free, and requires only a bit of time and access to an internet source. Follow some simple steps...
Method 1 of 1:
With CCleaner
-
Picture 1 of How to Permanently Remove Files from Your Hard Drive Download and install CCleaner -
Picture 2 of How to Permanently Remove Files from Your Hard Drive Open the tools menu and select the "Drive Wiper" sub-tab option. -
Picture 3 of How to Permanently Remove Files from Your Hard Drive Select Wipe, select "Entire Drive (All data will be erased) " then Security. Determine how many passes it should take ("7 passes or 35 passes") and the drive you wish to wipe.- The more passes the lower the chance your data will be recoverable. However, more passes may make the process take longer to complete.
-
Picture 4 of How to Permanently Remove Files from Your Hard Drive Select Wipe: This process can take anywhere from a few minutes to days, depending on the number of passes and free space to recover. (400GB with 7 passes took me 8 hours)
Update 05 March 2020
You should read it
- Distinguish Delete and Erase, wipe and shred
- How to Wipe Clean a Computer and Start Over
- How to Copy Google Drive Files on Android
- How to safely erase an SSD without destroying it
- How to Format a PC
- How to Format a Hard Disk
- Select the optical drive yet for your computer?
- How to Wipe a Hard Dive in Windows 10
- Instructions for cleaning touch screens for phones and tablets
- What is Secure Erase?
- How to Wipe a Mac Clean
- How to Install Windows Vista