Free Disk Wipe

Free Disk Wipe is a lightweight and portable application that can permanently remove files from the computer. It can be handled by all types of users, even the ones with limited or no experience in such tools, thanks to its overall simplicity.

Standard file deletion is unsecure, as unauthorized users can recover these items using specialized tools, such as Recuva. File shredding is not a built-in Windows feature, so a program such as Free Disk Wipe comes in handy whenever you want to permanently delete files beyond recovery, such as instant messenger logs, for instance.

Since installation is not a prerequisite, you can drop the executable file somewhere on the hard drive and click it to run. It is also possible to move Free Disk Wipe to a USB flash disk or similar storage unit, in order to run it on any machine effortlessly.

An important aspect to take into account is that the Windows registry does not get new entries, and additional files are not created on the HDD, leaving it clean after removal.

The interface is represented by a regular window with an Explorer-based folder structure that enables you to quickly locate files for shredding. Performing this job needs the push of a single button. There are no other options available through this tool.

Files are deleted on the fly, while Free Disk Wipe uses a barely noticeable amount of CPU and RAM. It has a good response time and works well on later operating systems, although it has not been updated for a pretty long time.

We have used Recuva in our tests in an attempt to retrieve a deleted file, in deep scan mode, but the tool was unsuccessful in detecting it. Free Disk Wipe doesn't look like much at first sight, but it is effective and simple to use.