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How to delete data from your old hard drives: Eraser

Introduction

Hello everyone, it's AlexIn Tech! Today we're going to talk about data security, a topic of particular interest to me as a sysadmin. More specifically, I will introduce Eraser, a free and open source tool that I use regularly to permanently delete data from my old hard drives (HDD).


What is Eraser?

Eraser is an advanced data deletion tool for Windows that allows you to safely delete sensitive data from your hard drive by overwriting it multiple times with carefully selected patterns. Unlike standard file deletion, which only marks disk space as "free", Eraser truly eliminates the risk of data recovery.


Why use Eraser?

  1. Enhanced security: Standard deletion methods are not enough to ensure that your data is unrecoverable. Eraser solves this problem.

  2. Free and Open Source: No need to pay for increased security. Eraser is free and its code is open to the public.

  3. Ease of use: An intuitive user interface that makes secure data deletion accessible even to non-technical people.

How I use it

Step 1: Installation

Download Eraser from their official website https://eraser.heidi.ie/ and follow it standard installation process.


Step 2: Configuration

Launch Eraser, then create a "task" and select the specific drives or files you want to delete. You can also schedule the task for regular deletion.


Step 3: Execution

After confirming that you want to proceed, click "Start". Eraser will then begin the secure deletion process, which may take some time depending on the size of the disk and the security level* you have chosen.


*Eraser offers "military grade" security.


My feedback

As an IT professional, data security is a top priority for me. I've used Eraser on several occasions, including when disposing of or repurposing old HDDs in my work as well as personal projects. The software is reliable, efficient and offers a level of security that few competing products can match.


Conclusion

Eraser is an invaluable tool for anyone who takes data security seriously. Its user interface is simple, but under the hood, it's a powerhouse that will make your data undecipherable. I highly recommend it to anyone looking to eliminate the risk of data leaks.


That's all for today. If you care about data security as much as I do, be sure to give Eraser a try and let me know what you think!

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