Quickly destroy data on your hard drive. Files Terminator Free - permanently delete data from your computer

Storing confidential data on a hard drive and removable media is, as a rule, always considered in the context of general information security. This is a fairly voluminous topic, covering many different aspects, not the least of which is secure file deletion.

There may be several reasons for this - transferring a computer, disk or flash drive for temporary use to another person, handing over a computer or media for repair, as well as selling them. Simply deleting data using the operating system or even completely formatting the media does not ensure permanent deletion of information.

In most cases, deleted data can be recovered using data that can be easily found on the Internet. One hundred percent guaranteed destruction of data can only be achieved by demagnetizing the media or its complete physical destruction. These are the measures that are taken in relation to data stored under the heading “Top Secret”. To destroy data of a lesser degree of secrecy, utilities are used that use algorithms for repeated rewriting of the entire media or a specific area of ​​it.

Currently, there are many programs for secure data deletion. There are just as many opinions regarding the effectiveness of this or that utility. In reality, claims that one shredder program deletes data better than another is nothing more than a myth. It is not the program itself that deletes information, but the rewriting algorithm built into it, and these algorithms are the same in all these utilities; it’s just that one program may have a wider range of algorithms than another. According to experts, Peter Gutman's algorithm, which uses 35 rewrite cycles, is considered the most effective. Here is a small list of utilities that will help you to ensure that your personal information is deleted.

CCleaner

This popular free cleaner can be used not only to remove file junk and correct errors in the system registry, but also to ensure guaranteed formatting of hard drives and removable media, as well as clearing free disk space. In this case, four deletion methods are available: simple overwriting in one pass, DOD 5220.22-M (three cycles), TSA (7 cycles) and the Peter Gutman method already known to us.

Eraser program

A simple and free program for securely deleting data. With its help, you can delete not only individual folders, but also entire partitions, as well as clear free disk space. Despite the lack of Russian language, using the program is very simple. Deleting files and folders is done by simply dragging them onto the Eraser workspace; in addition, objects can be deleted from the Explorer context menu, where the program is built in during installation. There are 14 deletion algorithms to choose from, including the most reliable - Peter Gutman's algorithm.

File Shredder

Another free utility, simple and convenient. Deleting data from and also from removable media is supported. Adding files to the list to be deleted is done through the main menu, or by directly dragging them onto the working window of the program. File Shredder can also be used to wipe free disk space. It is also possible to delete through the Explorer context menu. Unlike Eraser, File Shredder has only five built-in deletion methods.

Secure File Vault Program

Multifunctional program for protecting confidential information. This application is intended primarily for data encryption, but can also be used to permanently delete files and folders. Secure File Vault has a built-in File Shredder utility for this purpose. When deleting data, you can choose a security level from 10 to 110. Secure File Vault is a commercial program, and quite expensive at that - its cost is $49.95.

Download Secure File Vault: http://www.securefilevault.com/

Freeraser

A free, simple and convenient program for deleting any user files with support for the Russian language. There are three main removal modes available in Freeraser - fast, reliable and uncompromising. Fast corresponds to one rewrite cycle, reliable to three, and uncompromising to 35 consecutive passes. and folders is done by dragging them onto a special trash can from the standard “Browse” window. The utility supports customizing the appearance of the recycle bin, autostart, and working from the system tray. Russian language available.

Download Freeraser: http://www.freeraser.com/home/82-freeraser.html

Conclusion

All of these five programs, on the whole, do their job very well. If you want to be sure that your personal files cannot be recovered, then use any of these programs. Of course, this list is far from complete; many utilities for secure data deletion are included in other programs, as is the case with Secure File Vault. AusLogics BoostSpeed, Acronis True Image, TuneUp Utilities, Glary Utilities and many other applications for working with the file system have built-in cleaning tools.

Among the five programs described above, we decided to give Eraser first place. This program undoubtedly deserves to be called a professional tool for effectively destroying confidential data.

The rewriting methods used by the program are based on the most well-known standards for removing magnetic traces from hard drives and removable media.

A wide range of tools, flexible settings, the use of additional “deception” technologies, as well as a friendly user interface make this program one of the most convenient and popular tools for securely deleting files.

Data recovery and destruction are two sides of the same coin. To know when and how you can get your information back, you need to understand how it can be permanently destroyed. And in some situations it is simply necessary: ​​for example, the destruction of corporate information when disposing of equipment, the destruction of your personal data when transferring a disk to friends for use or selling, or maybe you want to delete the history of correspondence with your mistress once and for all;) It is believed that the best specialists data recovery work in the special services, so we formulated the question exactly this way: how to destroy information from a disk so that neither the cops from department “K”, nor Q from James Bond, nor even our specialists from StoreLab can recover it.

Destruction of data using software

If you still want to use the hard drive after destroying the data, and are not going anywhere, then you should look towards software methods for deleting data.

Full disk rewrite

There are many algorithms for destroying data through a complete disk overwrite. But they all boil down to N-fold formatting and writing binary ones, zeros and pseudo-random numbers onto it. Since the disk writing speed usually does not exceed 70 MB/s, armed with a calculator we can calculate how much time we need?
The formula is quite simple: Disk capacity (MB) / Write speed * Number of cycles = Seconds;
500000 / 70 * 7 = 50000 (sec.).
From this we can conclude that a 500 GB disk will be “erased” in about 13 hours. But should we use 7 rewrite cycles? Modern storage media do not leave residual magnetization after rewriting data. Therefore, one cycle is enough for us. This means that we will need not 13 hours, but only 1.5.
Operating systems have tools for completely deleting files.

Windows:
format c:
Instead of " c:" you must specify the letter of the logical partition.
For Windows Vista and older, previous generations of Windows delete only service information.

Linux:
dd if=/dev/zero of=/dev/sda bs=4k
Instead of " /dev/sda"You must specify the address of the device to format.

Partial data overwrite

By using a direct connection to the hard drive at the lower level via the disk driver API or its own driver, you can quickly corrupt information by overwriting data gaps with pseudo-random numbers. By directly specifying the memory address to write to, we do not need to completely rewrite the disk. Also, through the disk driver API, you can get the addresses where information is stored and overwrite only this memory area. This method is the most complex in its implementation, but on the other hand, it allows you to quickly destroy only confidential information while maintaining the functionality of the disk.
Working with the driver involves 2 stages. The first is to get the address and length of the data, usually one file is written in different places on the disk, so we will get an array of addresses and an array of lengths. The second step is writing pseudo-random numbers into these memory areas; writing must also be done through the driver, so that the operating system does not block or redirect data writing to another area of ​​​​the disk.

Destroying data along with the disk

Let's complicate the task: imagine that we do not have time for disk-safe data destruction. In this case, the only thing that can help you is to destroy the disk itself. To be precise, you only need to destroy the pancakes on which the information is recorded.

Mechanical data destruction

The picture shows the hard drive after placing it in a hard drive pressurizer (EDR Solutions) .
You can destroy data once and for all if you damage your hard drive. It is difficult and often impossible to recover data from scratched disks; do not forget to keep a screwdriver nearby, because you will have to remove the hard disk cover and it can scratch the hard disk. Naturally, the data will be erased in the places where the scratch was made and adjacent to it. In other places, the data can be recovered in the laboratory. Do not spare your efforts on scratches; light strips will not destroy data even in places where your screwdriver has been. And if you bend the pancake, as shown in the picture, then your data will definitely never be recovered by anyone.

But dropping the disc on the floor won't be enough. Yes, it will not be detected by the computer, but the data will be successfully restored in the laboratory. The HDD drive will not survive a fall from the table, and when it is turned off, the safe fall height is greater than when the drive is running. SSDs were designed with such a case in mind; even a fall from a first or second floor window will not kill the disk. This is achieved due to the fact that the SSD has no moving elements; all actions are performed by the controller. The information can still be read programmatically or non-programmatically.

Modern discs are made of magnetically coated glass. It is enough to remove the disk cover, pull out the magnetic disk and break it. The glass disc breaks easily, but you should take safety precautions to avoid cutting yourself. A disk failure will lead to the destruction of the entire sputtering layer and it will no longer be possible to restore the data.

Physically

"What doesn't kill us makes us stronger." It would be logical to assume the opposite: what does not make us stronger kills us. From the previous article, you may have learned that cooling the disk negatively affects its performance. But is it possible to kill him like that? Putting your important information carrier in the freezer does not kill it. You have a time bomb in your hands - the disk will work and you can read information from it programmatically. When the disk breaks, all data can be restored without much difficulty in a “clean room”.
What do discs think about heating? Among all the disk devices, we are only interested in pancakes. The material that covers the pancake is capable of demagnetization at a temperature of 450 °C. When heated, the magnetic layer should oxidize and turn green. Another negative result for the disk, but positive for us, is a temperature of more than 660 °C.

At this temperature, aluminum - the basis of the hard drive pancake - begins to melt. A temperature of 750 °C at home can be obtained from the flame of a candle or a burning match. To achieve maximum temperature, it is necessary to place the flame at the very edge of the pancake.
You can also demagnetize the disk using an electromagnet by exposing the pancake to an alternating magnetic field as the distance from the magnet to the disk increases. For such purposes, special equipment “Information destruction devices” was developed. By acting on hard drives with pulses, they completely demagnetize the drive, which makes it impossible to recover any data on it. These devices destroy everything in 2-3 seconds.

Chemically

As you probably already understood, in order to destroy data, you need to destroy the magnetic layer of the hard drive pancake. It is enough to pour any liquid onto the disk that can change the properties of ferromagnets. To change the structure of chromium oxide (the ferromagnet that covers the pancakes of hard drives - the magnetic layer of the disk), you need to pour hydrochloric acid or water on it at a temperature of 100 ° C.

What else is important?

• If you do not need long-term storage of confidential data, write it to volatile (random access) memory, then you will not have to worry about destruction.
• Make sure that your data cannot be recovered from other media on which a copy was once recorded.

Today, under my “software microscope” I had the temerity to come across a free program for permanently deleting files and folders called Alternate File Shredder.

Is it as good and reliable at dispersing various computer files into atoms, without the possibility of their recovery by any means, methods and special programs, as the manufacturers claim? Let's check.

How to completely and securely delete a file or folder

Several times on the pages of this site I have described to you special recovery programs accidentally deleted files. With their help it was possible to return data even after formatting the disk.

But what if the task is to completely delete a file or folder, without a single chance of recovery (by bad uncles and evil aunts)... so that no Recuva, Hetman Partition Recovery or PhotoDOCTOR can resurrect them? Are there really no such programs?

We launch the program and specify files or folders for secure deletion...

The "number of iterations" is the number of passes. On SSD drives, I do not recommend abusing this figure (one pass is enough).

Click on the “Destroy files” button and confirm complete deletion...

(Oops, screenshot with deleting another file)

...let's go submit documents to any spy organization in the world...

We check the reliability of data deletion...

...the Recuva program didn’t find anything even similar to my deleted file, but it did find a huge pile of files that were deleted a couple of years ago.

I didn’t check the data with other resuscitators - I’m sure the result will be the same.

Download Alternate File Shredder

Alternate File Shredder, a program for permanently deleting files and folders, lives at this address - http://www.alternate-tools.com/

Its size is 909 kb. There are no viruses or installation difficulties. Has a multilingual interface (English, Spanish, French, Italian, Russian, German, Korean, Czech...). Works in absolutely any version of the Windows operating system.

And lastly, do not confuse Alternate File Shredder with uninstalling programs. These are different things. The hero of this article deletes individual files and folders, and does not uninstall programs previously installed on the computer.

P.S. I also ask you not to make a holivar in the comments about the fact that there are other programs with a similar function of reliable permanent deletion - of course there are, but this article was about Alternate File Shredder.

Until new useful computer programs and do not forget to delete files behind you.

Or documents with passwords.

Or even worse, when your information falls into the hands of not just an ordinary curious person, but professionals who know how to use the obtained data to rake money from you.

You may say, “That would never happen to me.” “I always delete all files” or “I always format the disk before it goes into the wrong hands.” Not so simple. The data still remains on the disk.

When you delete a file, it is not completely deleted. The file data remains on the disk until it is overwritten. Much the same thing happens when you format a hard drive. Most of the data remains the same. The disc is simply completely free for recording.

To protect yourself, you need to overwrite/delete/erase all important information. Also, in the Window OS, you need to clear the “swap file”, as it may contain your confidential data.

• For data security on large hard drives, one pass of data overwriting is more than enough.

  The best practice, of course, is to regularly overwrite free disk space. I found virtually nothing on the overwritten space of the large disk. After just one overwrite with random data, PC Inspecot File Recovery found nothing useful, or found a bunch of files filled with random data.

  However, on small disks the data can be recovered, it largely depends on the pattern in which the empty space is filled with random data.

• Since clearing all free space takes quite a long time, you can clean only specific files. For specific files and folders, it will be much easier and faster to overwrite information with random data. However, it should be taken into account that some media use a wear leveler at the hardware level, which may prevent normal disk cleaning.
• Currently, data cleaning programs also assume that it is necessary to erase data from the download file that is used in the Windows family. This can be done using the Ultimate Windows Tweaker program or by following these instructions:

Clearing the swap file:

2. Go to the key "HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SYSTEM\CurrentControlSet\Control\Session Manager\Memory Management"

3. Create or change the ClearPageFileAtShutdown key of type (REG_DWORD) to the value 1

4. Restart your computer

Pagefile encryption (Vista or higher):

1. Launch Command Prompt.

2. Run the command "fsutil behavior set EncryptPagingFile 1".

3. Restart your computer.

• If you need to erase the entire disk before getting rid of it, then Darik's Boot and Nuke (DBAN) is suitable for you. This utility is specially designed to clean the entire disk. But be prepared that you will have to spend time, since the disk already contains There will be nothing at all, including partitions.

Review of free data deletion programs

Eraser is one of the most powerful tools for secure data deletion

More programs for securely deleting data

• Revo Uninstaller (from the review of uninstallers): includes the "Unrecoverable Delete" utility for overwriting files, as well as the "Evidence Remover" utility for cleaning up free space.
• Recuva (from a review of file recovery programs): A program for file recovery. But it can also delete files found during recovery.
• EraserDrop: Has a good drag & drop interface. Allows you to quickly delete unnecessary files. Supports Windows 2000/XP/Vista/7.
• UltraShredder: A small program. Easy to use. And it can work from a flash drive. Supports Windows XP/2000/98/98SE.

An alternative with a slightly different plan is (DBAN). It is used to create a floppy disk (rare) or CD to automatically clean the hard drives of any computer that has been booted from them. A great tool if you need to clean a lot of computers, as well as if you quickly need to delete important information. However, in the hands of a beginner, this utility can become a dangerous weapon.

Good to know about secure data deletion

Do I need to do 35 passes?

If it's quick, then no. The current sizes of hard drives are becoming quite huge. And the chances of just finding 10Kb of your data on a 500GB disk are quite small. Therefore, several passes to fill with random data will be quite enough.

Why is it necessary to wash? Just to know what you deleted? Or that I have good manners?

• Stealing information is not paranoia. This is reality. Your information can be accessed by a virus that can easily crawl through your hard drive in search of a certain type of information. Or the person who got your hard drive can easily see what was interesting on it before.
• When I delete a file, that means I delete it!!! I don’t store it somewhere in a basket, or wait for someone to restore it. True, sometimes this is for the better.
• There are some types of programs that restore themselves after deletion, due to the fact that the file itself is not physically deleted.
• To protect confidential information from unauthorized persons.
• Some organizations require it as per their security policy. However, some of them may require more extreme actions.

Quick Guide (download free secure data deletion utilities)

eraser

		Works with any devices, including IDE, SCSI, RAID, CD-RW. Good scheduler. Rich in functionality. Good support. Quite informative reports.
		Consumes a lot of system resources. Starts slower than File Shredder.

File Shredder

		Small. Easy to use. Has enough functionality to improve efficiency.
		Not everything is provided. No scheduled launch. Very small help.

CCleaner

		It works quite well and quickly. There is a portable version.
		It takes a lot of steps to finally get to the uninstall functions. Installs Yahoo Toolbar by default.