FileWipeOut

FileWipeOut enables you to securely erase files to prevent unauthorized users from recovering them with specialized tools. It doesn't include complicated options, making it accessible to all types of users.

Before proceeding any further, you should know that FileWipeOut is a pretty old application, and the project is now discontinued. However, it still works on newer Windows editions.

After setup, it creates its executable file on the desktop and lets you move it anywhere on the computer to run FileWipeOut. As soon as you start a wiping job, it also creates a configuration file in the same location as the executable, where it takes note of the target file's location. Moreover, it keeps a log file in your "Documents" directory that records all, and this item cannot be moved.

The tool adopts a user-friendly interface made from a single window with a plain and simple structure, where you can locate and select a file to shred using a built-in folder structure. There are no kinds of configuration settings at your disposal, so all you can do is execute the file removal operation.

This task may take a while, depending on the size of the file, but it's generally fast. During this time, you can check out the total zero, blank, random, and random loops wipe count. On completion, you are informed of the job's success or failure through a notification messages, and you can also find out the task time. There are no other notable options available.

It worked smoothly in our tests, without triggering the operating system to hang, crash or prompt error messages. It had minimal impact on computer performance, using low CPU and RAM.

Too bad that it hasn't been updated for a long time, and it doesn't offer support for batch processing. Otherwise, FileWipeOut delivers a simple solution for permanently removing files from the HDD.