Removal tools

I am giving my old PC to a needy student and I want to remove a number of files from the hard disc. Is there a programme that anyone can recommend that does this simply and easily?

 

If it's installed program you can use Add/Remove Prorgams in the Control Panel. If it's just file just simply right click and delete, then empty the recycle bin.

 

Thanks for the advice. Removing programmes is fine as I also use Crap Cleaner.
I am concerned any personal files that I remove maybe able to be resurrected. Is there any way this can be avoided?

 

The best way to delete files is to hold shift and hit the delete key, doing so bypasses the recycle bin.

Just about any file can be recovered, depends on the person doing the recovery. The average person can't recover any files, it takes an advanced user to recover deleted files.

 

Advice much appreciated.

 

Your Welcome!

 

If im correct..... normally, once you delete a file, the computer actually leaves it on the system drive and "deletes" it by replacing the front character of the file with a ? which makes it tell the computer to ignore the file on the hard drive. The file is not completely gone until the data is overwritten by fresh data, or by use of a program to reset the drive bits to 0.

The best way to securly delete things is by using eraser as already mentioned here. you can also "zero" the remaining space on your hard drive with this utlility so that any other files that you have deleted previously are unrecovorable.

 

If you have Spybot installed, it also has a 'shredder" under Tools.

 

And in Ccleaner in settings you have secure deletion for owerwriting the files.you can choose from 1,3,7 times owerwriting.