Articles tagged: secure delete

How Can I Securely Delete Everything Except the Operating System? Five Steps to Get as Close as You Can

Before giving away a machine or returning a loaner, it’s important to remove personal information from it. That may be both harder and easier than you think.

How To Keep an External Hard Drive Useful and Healthy Longer

My best practices for external hard drives concern software, hardware, and — you guessed it — backing up.

Tip of the Day: Permanently Delete a File

To access this post, you must purchase The Ask Leo! Tip Of The Day, Silver: Online Everything or Gold: What More Can I Add?.

Does deleting things really delete things?

Deleting items on your computer usually doesn’t wipe them clean. That’s an extra step.

How Do I Erase Traces of a File I Moved to an External Disk?

Moving a file almost always leaves traces behind. So deleting any file securely is only the first step.

Can I Use a Backup Image to Wipe Free Space?

There’s an app for that! An easy combination of programs can help you clean a computer before you sell it or give it away.

A surreal scene showing a standing maintenance person using a floor polisher on a giant hard disk platter. The maintenance worker, dressed in a standard blue jumpsuit and safety shoes, is actively operating the large, mechanical floor polisher.

How Often Should I Wipe Hard Drive Free Space?

Free space wiping removes the ability to undelete files. Whether or not you need it, or how often, depends on how interesting your data might be.