Permanently erasing deleted files

CIPHER /W:directory

(commandline / run as admin)

What you're looking for is a "file shredder" program. I can't really recommend any since I haven't used any because I don't need to, but my computer was pre-installed with EgisTec Shredder when I bought it (it only has a 30-time free trial though). Or just Google for a free one.

Or just use the manual method in the above post :)

I would recommend tuneup utilities, deletes good + easy to tweek up ur system

DBAN for windows, shred for linux, however forensics will know that "something" has been deleted.

P.S. : for linux, this guy is the authority since publishing this.

Edit : reddit/privacy, the cypherpunks mailing list or the EFF might be good places to ask what and why, i am pretty sure that on a windows even DBAN might not be perfect.

Bonus.

You can use CCleaner's secure erase algorithms to make a file unrecoverable by conventional methods, or you could do what the CIA do and fire bullets into the HDD to make sure it can't be used again.

If you have an SSD, you're in a much more difficult situation. You can always try secure erasing, but that will shorten the lifespan of your drive significantly, or going the hardware destruction route would involve microwaving and melting the NAND chips.

Get hammer
Apply hammer to hard drive
????
PROFIT!

My antivirus (AVG) has a shredder function, and I always use it when deleting files, but I can't say if it works. I suppose it does.

You don't have to be that cautious with porn :|

PROTIP: Don't download anything that requires more than hitting the delete key to get rid of sufficiently.

Copy something to fill your HDD up. The new files will override the deleted files. No one can detect after that.

Keep a big ass magnet in the corner of the room, when the shietstorm hits, just run there with your HDD, and massage it for 1-2 mins to completely erase everything.
If you just want to remove some data, and keep the rest you can google for it, but unless it's a very professional program it will leave a trace/mark/clue that something was perma. deleted from thoose sectors. And I believe the professional enough softwares are not free.

CCleaner does that job. You can change it in the options menu to delete everything with special algorithms. Then run it one time to erase unused disk space (This will take a while). Then just make a shortcut and add /autorun /shutdown to use as a replacement for the shutdown button.

revo uninstaller does the job but I don't think that program is getting any updates anymore. It's good for cleaning out your registry too.

Vsauce says files are never completely deleted. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=G5s4-Kak49o

http://www.iobit.com/advanceduninstaller.php
check shred file and there you go

I do hope it's nothing too illegal here. Really, if we're talking about something you don't want your family to find, don't worry about it - most family members aren't tech-savvy. Something you don't want your company to discover? use a shredder program. Something you don't want the Feds to find? The best bet is to destroy the hard drive.

Ummmm shift+delete, will delete them without sending them to the recycling bin, if that's what you're looking for.

Other than that, you could reformat the clusters that contain the files and fill them with empty information (the same process that is made whenever you make a "complete format"). If that sounds a bit too complex (which it is), just stick with shift+delete, not many people know how to recover information from an "empty" cluster in an HD, so don't worry and just delete what you don't want to be seen.

DBAN