Regardless of whether it's an SSD storage device (pictured) or a classic hard drive, data is only properly deleted if it has been overwritten. — Photo: Andrea Warnecke/dpa
BERLIN: Deleting something on a computer doesn't mean it's actually gone, even when you've emptied the recycle bin.
Deleted files can often be easily retrieved with special programs. Data is only truly deleted when the corresponding memory sectors are overwritten by new data.
Special overwriting software is available if you want to delete something completely and irretrievably. It works by overwriting the data once or multiple times with predefined characters or random numbers. This is sufficient in most cases; the data is truly gone and can’t be recovered.
One reliable open-source tool for securely overwriting and thereby deleting files on a Windows system is the aptly named Eraser. The program can be downloaded for free from various sites.
Once you’ve installed it, it can be found in the context menu. So then you can simply right-click on whatever you want to delete and select Eraser and it’ll securely delete it immediately. The program also allows you to automatically overwrite specific hard drive areas. – dpa
