Context-Shredder

Deleting a file from your system may seem like the simplest duty: send it to the recycle bin, or erase it permanently through Shift+Delete, and that's that. But behind the scenes, things look a little different: even a "permanently" deleted file is not erased forever, so unless you keep writing to that drive, the file can be recovered.

If you wish to delete something for good, then a designated program for such a duty can make quick work of that. Context-Shredder offers users numerous algorithms through which they can permanently wipe any files and folders from their drives.

Perhaps you're wondering why would one actively seek out such a solution. If you wish to sell a drive, or give it to someone else, then it would do you good to completely wipe your data from it — before backing everything up, of course. Even if the chances to recover a file upon deleting it the usual way are slim, they're never zero. So it's best to take precautions.

The prerogatives of such a solution are thus easy to understand. It comes in the form of two inter-related programs: Context-Shredder and Erase-Wizard. The former can work to quickly wipe several types of files: related to your browser, Explorer, Recycle Bin, and temporary ones.

Erase-Wizard serves to provide a more focused approach, as it allows you to freely choose the files and folders you wish to wipe from your system.

The Erase Settings is a rather populous list of algorithms, each with varying levels of complexity. From a simple erase procedure, and all the way to a Gutmann one, there's a bit of something for everyone. The more complex the procedure, the more time it'll take to complete. This has to do with how many writing and erasing passes are done. Usually, 3 are enough, but more elaborate algorithms can take up to 70 passes.

For instance, deleting a 170MB file through the US Army AR380-19 option took about a minute. You can elect to have the tool also erase the file in all subdirectories, and remove any locked files upon rebooting.

Those who wish to completely wipe data from their disk can find a trusty tool in Context-Shredder, leaving no traces in the wake of the deletion.