User names, passwords, emails, pictures, letters, financial details - your hard drive contains all kinds of personal information, and getting rid of this can be surprising difficult. You might delete files, folders, even reformat the system, but if you then pass on the hard drive to someone else there's a good chance that at least some of your data can be recovered.
If you're about to pass on a computer or hard drive, then, it could be wise to protect yourself with a copy of DriveScrubber. The program doesn't just delete your data, it actually overwrites it - multiple times, if you want to be really safe - and as a result, even if someone does manage to undelete a file, they won't be able to recover anything recognisable.
DriveScrubber offers multiple cleaning options. At a minimum, for instance, it can securely delete particular files or folders which you know contain sensitive information. Or you can tell it to wipe only the free space of a drive, so anything you've deleted already really will be destroyed, while everything else is left untouched.
When you're really serious, though, there's an option to wipe the full contents of a particular drive. You can even use DriveScrubber to create a custom boot disc, which will allow you to properly wipe your system drive. All this is very configurable, with you able to delete your data according to a host of important military and industrial standards. And while of course you'll need to use these functions with extreme care (delete something important and by definition there will be precisely no way to get it back) the program does a good job of gently walking you through the necessary steps: it's generally very easy to use.
Please note, though, the DriveScrubber trial build is strictly limited to three uses only: if you're planning a few test wipes, then choose them wisely. And keep an eye on the toolbar at the top of the screen (see the grab) to see how many uses you have remaining at any one time. The full version, which you can buy here, has no limitations.
Includes a Whole Home 1-Year license.
Review by Mike Williams.
