Eraser - Securely Delete Files

But when you decide to remove these information from your system, what you think is gone forever is just lurking around the corner of your hard disk. This is what I found out when I run a secure deletion program like Eraser, into my PC system. I was totally impressed with how the program completely eliminates sensitive files stored in my system. I’ve noted and compiled some facts and features of the program that appeals to me. Read on.

Specifications

Eraser is made to support several computer platforms such as Windows XP, Windows 7 32-bit/64-bit, Windows Vista 32-bit/64-bit and Windows 2000. I was using the Eraser 6.0.8 version with a total file size of 8.70MB.

Features

The recent version of the program welcomes useful improvements. I quickly noticed the refreshed interface of the program that makes it much easier to use along with the inclusion of FAT directory cleaning capabilities which is better in wiping even USB flash drives. Deleting sensitive data is extremely easy by simply right-clicking the selected private folder or file and click the Eraser option then it instantly wiped these files immediately.

Completely deleting private file could be done either by overwriting these files several times before deleting them or run the Scheduler to delete automatically. Overwriting files several times to delete private data entails using different bit patterns that securely mess it up in which even a special data-recovery tool could not restore its contents.

Eraser - Setting Screen

On the other hand, deleting the files by running the scheduler requires setting up a schedule before automatically running secure deletions. I run the customizable Scheduler to completely remove the contents of the web browser cache of my PC system, Recycle Bin as well as idle hard drive space that destroys all files deleted earlier.

Pros and Cons

I love this program because it efficiently works in deleting sensitive files stored in my computer system in plain user-interface and spontaneous design all for free. However, when I first run the application, it takes over 24 hours to delete those private files but reasonably this depends on the deleting method used and the amount of deleted files.

If you want to permanently delete sensitive data stored in your computer system, then, Eraser is a must-have security deletion tool in maintaining your PC system.

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Windows Powershell Command

So how it happens, basically “winword.exe” is the core application file which is launched when you click o MS Word shortcut in your start menu. Same thing you can launch by typing the executable filename on command prompt. Run prompt does the same thing when we type an executable filename, it invokes command prompt and then execute the command and closes the Command prompt as well.

Now you know how and why Command prompt is faster than anything else in windows and that is why advanced users heavily use it. But if you are a Linux user, I am sure you never liked the command prompt of Windows compared to Linux Shell. Reason ? Linux shell is much more powerful then Windows Shell. It has so many command available and it can do so many task, that MS Windows shell seems like a child in front of it with its limited availability of functions.

If you liked the Linux shell so much then there is something Microsoft has developed in last few years which will make you like Microsoft windows as well. It is called Powershell. Powershell is a new command interface first announced by Microsoft in 2006, For XP and Vista user it is available to download and install separately for free, however it comes preinstalled with windows 7.

Microsoft has developed it as Task Automation framework, but when you work with it, you will feel that it is much like Unix Shell. Not only it works like that, it’s cmdlet(specially aliases) syntax are also very much similar. It is built on top of .Net framework and integrated with. To work with Powershell you need Microsoft .Net 2.0 Installed on your machine. However Windows 7 has .Net 3.5 Preinstalled.

Powershell can use and execute any of following 4 types of command –

1. Executable programs (binary files) like any other shell or command prompt.

2. Script files, written with native Powershell commands. These script have extension .ps1

3. ‘cmdlets’ Just like commands in older version of shell, these are .NET programs written as native commands.

4. Powershell based functions.

Cmdlets are specific programs which are designed to perform a specific task. Cmdlets have name like A verb and A Noun separated by a dash, so that you can easily recognize what it is designed for by its name (e.g. Get-Help). Each command let has a single function but you can combine them to perform complex jobs using pipes, just like old Unix Pipes. Powershell also recognize older shell command, they have simply created alias to their cmdlets to recognize old commands which does the same job. For your convenience we have given a list of cmdlets.

List of Cmdlets for Windows Powershell

Add-Content			Add-History 		Add-Member
Add-PSSnapin 			Clear-Content 		Clear-Item
Clear-ItemProperty 		Clear-Variable 		Compare-Object
ConvertFrom-SecureString 	Convert-Path 		ConvertTo-Html
ConvertTo-SecureString 		Copy-Item 		Copy-ItemProperty
Export-Alias 			Export-Clixml 		Export-Console
Export-Csv 			ForEach-Object 		Format-Custom
Format-List 			Format-Table 		Format-Wide
Get-Acl 			Get-Alias 		Get-AuthenticodeSignature
Get-ChildItem 			Get-Command 		Get-Content
Get-Credential 			Get-Culture		Get-Date
Get-EventLog 			Get-ExecutionPolicy 	Get-Help
Get-History 			Get-Host 		Get-Item
Get-ItemProperty 		Get-Location 		Get-Member
Get-PfxCertificate 		Get-Process 		Get-PSDrive
Get-PSProvider 			Get-PSSnapin 		Get-Service
Get-TraceSource 		Get-UICulture 		Get-Unique
Get-Variable 			Get-WmiObject 		Group-Object
Import-Alias 			Import-Clixml 		Import-Csv
Invoke-Expression 		Invoke-History 		Invoke-Item
Join-Path 			Measure-Command 	Measure-Object
Move-Item			Move-ItemProperty 	New-Alias
New-Item 			New-ItemProperty 	New-Object
New-PSDrive 			New-Service 		New-TimeSpan
New-Variable 			Out-Default 		Out-File
Out-Host 			Out-Null 		Out-Printer
Out-String 			Pop-Location 		Push-Location
Read-Host 			Remove-Item 		Remove-ItemProperty
Remove-PSDrive 			Remove-PSSnapin 	Remove-Variable
Rename-Item 			Rename-ItemProperty 	Resolve-Path
Restart-Service 		Resume-Service 		Select-Object
Select-String 			Set-Acl 		Set-Alias
Set-AuthenticodeSignature 	Set-Content 		Set-Date
Set-ExecutionPolicy 		Set-Item 		Set-ItemProperty
Set-Location 			Set-PSDebug 		Set-Service
Set-TraceSource 		Set-Variable 		Sort-Object
Split-Path 			Start-Service 		Start-Sleep
Start-Transcript 		Stop-Process 		Stop-Service
Stop-Transcript 		Suspend-Service 	Tee-Object
Test-Path 			Trace-Command 		Update-FormatData
Update-TypeData 		Where-Object 		Write-Debug
Write-Error 			Write-Host 		Write-Output
Write-Progress 			Write-Verbose 		Write-Warning

If you looking for more information on Powershell you can visit – Microsoft Powershell Resource

We will try to cover more of Powershell in coming days for home users like you.

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