Zer0

Deleting a file on a computer is not the equivalent of shredding a physical document. The system simply marks the file as free space, which can be overwritten in the future, which makes file recovery a possibility. If you want to make sure your data will be gone forever, you will have to use a specialized application. An excellent example is Zer0. This lightweight utility is capable of shredding files at a moment's notice and it renders them unrecoverable.

Zer0 is offered as a freeware application and it works on all popular Windows platforms. It comes in a small package and it can be installed in just a few seconds. The application's hardware requirements are modest and it doesn't ask for any special tools or services.

All you have to do is load your files on Zer0's compact user interface and click a button. This will wipe the targeted files from existence right away. Files can be loaded with a simple browsing option or by dragging and dropping them over the user interface.

Erasing files with Zer0 takes slightly longer than deleting them in Windows Explorer. This is because the application actually erases the data from the disk, instead of marking that location as free. Besides erasing the information, the application will overwrite it as well. As a result, even the best recovery utilities won't be able to rescue the data.

Erasing files with Zer0 is an excellent way to make sure the sensivble data won't be salvaged by recovery utilities.