Permanently deleting files in Windows is not as straightforward as it seems. Many people know that when a file is deleted in Windows it goes into the Recycle Bin and can be brought back to life by right-clicking it and choosing Restore. But even after emptying the Recycle Bin, deleted files can still be examined, and in many cases completely recovered with specialist software.

When a file is deleted within Windows, it's like deleting a book from a library catalogue: although the book's name disappears from the catalogue, the volume is still physically present on one of the shelves. This Workshop demonstrate use of Eraser, a program that permanently removes files from hard disks. It is the equivalent of taking a book off a shelf and destroying it by fire, so take great care when using it.

In the Workshops section of Computeractive issue 251 we explain how to make use of Erase. So, refer to the magazine and then click to be transferred to the download area of the Eraser software developer's website.