Hi tcdollar,
Pressing the Shift-Key + Delete does "bypass" the recycle bin, but does not permanently remove the actual "file data", which remains on your Hard Drive and is available to be recovered at least until it gets overwritten several times through ordinary computer use. Deleting files in Windows doesn't really remove the file. It just removes the reference to those files which means a data recovery program can still restore them.
If you want to Securely Delete File Data, you can use various commercially available and freeware utilities.
Of the "
freeware" offerings:
Consider:
Eraser or
FileShredder
Available here:
http://www.snapfiles.com/Freeware/security/fwerase.html
Of the "
paid products" — Controversy gets ugly real fast, due to some rather unscrupulous advertising and marketing practices that some third-party associate vendors have used in the past to try to promote their product by discrediting other products and to "scare" the user into purchasing the product based on exaggerated claims of government spying and other file investigation shams.
I would advise you to NOT heed advice from sites, blogs, postings, that use Scare Tactics and/or Tactics to discredit "competitor's Products.
Of the paid product offerings:
I use: Directory Snoop, which has a robust featured Wipe utility (data and/or free space) and a Purge feature to eliminate file references. It works
Directory Snoop also has a restore file function for single file restoration, if you accidentally used Windows Delete and need to get the file back. (but once you use the Wipe and Purge functions… forget about it, you're not going to get it back.)
http://www.briggsoft.com/
I also like Erase from PCPitstop
Here's why:
Many owner/users of average computer competency, really don't know where to look to find the various traces of Internet activity and confidential files that may be resident on your machine.
"Erase" provides an easy to use and understand interface to show you what is there, when you don't know where to look.
http://www.pcpitstop.com/store/erase.asp
Note: The above free and paid products are listed and linked to assist and answer the specific question of the original poster inquiring about such products.
Neither this responder, nor WhatTheTech Forums endorse the listed products, nor are there any financial or business agreements in place regarding these products.
In other words, neither WTT nor myself stand to benefit if you use or purchase one of the products.
Also, neither WTT nor myself can be held responsible for consequences of your decision to use one of the products.
Proceed at your own discretion and risk.
These are powerful utilities. If you use them without knowing what you are doing, you could lose valuable file information, and/or damage your operating system.
Best Regards
Doug
