Did you know that the normal way of deleting data doesn't actually remove the files? This might sound strange, given how you usually receive such a warning before you empty the recycle bin or format a drive. But everything you delete can be recovered using specialized software. It's very important that you know this if you're planning to sell or donate your old computer or any other digital storage device. In such cases, data which you thought you deleted can easily end up in the wrong hands. Often, when you delete something, you're sure you will never need it again. That's fine, but if the files contain any sensitive information, the last thing you want is for someone else to get their hands on it.

Active@ ZDelete helps you overcome this problem freely and easily. Firstly, however, it's important to understand how modern digital storage devices work. When you delete files and folders in the normal way, such as emptying the recycle bin or formatting a drive or volume, nothing is really deleted. Instead, the disk sectors which were previously occupied by the file are made available to the operating system. The files appear to be gone, but they're really still there on the disk until something else overwrites it. This can happen at any time but, until it does, the data can be recovered. The only thing that changes during the normal deletion process it an entry in the master file table.

The only way to properly delete data so that it may never be recovered is to ensure it gets overwritten by something else. Sometimes, this can take many months or even years. It mostly depends on how often you use the drive and how frequently you write new data to it. You can't rely on general use to overwrite the files. Active@ ZDelete overcomes this limitation by giving you a simple alternative to the recycle bin. Enter the ZDelete Bin, which provides a comfortable and familiar experience much like the normal recycle bin. Only, when you drag and drop a file or folder into it, that data is gone for good. It's overwritten with zeros according to the internationally recognized US Department of Defense 5220.22-M standard.

When you use Active@ ZDelete by dragging and dropping a file, a dialog box will appear providing further options. You can choose from various erasure and wiping methods, including one or multiple passes of zeros. For example, one pass zeros overwrites the deleted data with zeros. Even then, in extreme cases, the data might still be recoverable, especially if you're using a magnetic storage device like a conventional hard disk. Fortunately, you can also choose even more secure wiping methods, including multiple passes of zeros. Using the ZDelete alternative to the recycle bin, you can simply delete files the normal way too. However, when you empty the bin, it will ask you if and how you want to overwrite the data.

Active@ ZDelete is now fully freeware, and you no longer need to register to use any of the erasure methods. The disk wipe procedures have also been improved for certain file systems, alongside various minor improvements and bug fixes. Download today at https://www.zdelete.com/index.html .