Active@ KillDisk

Active@ KillDisk gives you a fast, easy way to delete your files and folders for good if you're getting rid of your hard drive. While it's not as advanced as some other permanent deletion programs, it offers enough bonus features to keep you interested. The professional, welcoming look earns it a few extra points.

Active@ KillDisk lets you take another pass at your deleted files and unallocated disk space to make sure your deleted files stay deleted if someone tries to recover them. The program scans your disk automatically and gives you a hierarchical view of what's on your drive so you know exactly what you're deleting. The free version of the program we tested only gives you one pass, which is nowhere near as secure as the military-grade standards that other permanent erasers give you. The program will push up to those standards if you're willing to pay for it, though. It does let you create a brand new boot disk, which can be handy to have if you're using an unstable machine. It even works in DOS and lets you visualize your disk in its true binary code. Those aren't cosmetic add-ons by any means, but it's up to you if these features make up for the lackluster data security.

Many people who are heavy into security may want something that does more than just one overwrite, which is fair. Active@ KillDisk is a cool program for anyone else who is willing to sacrifice that extra security for a few utility features, though. Even better, it gives you the best of both worlds if you're willing to spend a few bucks.