Eraser v6.2.0 Review (Free Data-Wipe Program) GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Software & Apps > Apps 190 190 people found this article helpful
Eraser v6.2.0 Review
A free data-destruction software tool
By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on June 1, 2021 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Apps Best Apps Payment Services Eraser is a free data-destruction program that's able to wipe all the data off of an entire hard drive at once. Because it also can permanently delete individual files and folders as well, it's also a great free file-shredder program. Eraser can be used to schedule data-wipe tasks and supports lots of sanitization methods, making it a great way to evade file-recovery programs. Download Eraser This review is of Eraser version 6.2.0. Please let us know if there's a newer version that we need to review. More About Eraser
Eraser works by scheduling tasks to erase certain files. You can set up a task to run immediately after it has been created, manually, on every restart, or on recurring daily, weekly, or monthly schedule. Eraser can use any of these data-sanitization methods to securely remove data from a drive: DoD 5220.22-MAFSSI-5020AR 380-19RCMP TSSIT OPS-IIHMG IS5VSITRGOST R 50739-95GutmannSchneierRandom DataFirst/Last 16KB Erasure This version of Eraser supports Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows Vista, Windows XP, and Windows Server 2003-2012. It works well in Windows 10, too. Eraser must be installed on your computer to use it. This means you can't erase your primary hard drive—the one that's running Windows. For example, if you're using Eraser in Windows 8, you can't use it to remove all the Windows 8 files. For that, you must use a program that runs before the operating system is launched. See our article on How to Wipe a Hard Drive for more on that. However, you can use Eraser against an external drive, any other internal drive, or any single or group of files/folders. Eraser Pros and Cons
There's a lot to like about Eraser. but it does have a couple of downsides. Pros
Supports deleting files, folders, and whole drivesEasy to useAble to erase data on a scheduleCan replace removed files with custom onesSupports most common sanitization methodsIntegrates with Windows ExplorerSupports drag and dropScheduled tasks can be backed upErases SSDs and mechanical drives Cons
Can't wipe the drive that Windows is installed to Eraser has a simple design, and the task creator couldn't be easier to use. It's easy to change the default delete method, and you can clearly see how many passes each method will do when chosen. These are all the data sources Eraser supports file, files in folders, Recycle Bin, unused disk space, secure move, and drive/partition. This means you can set up Eraser to securely empty the Recycle Bin every day, for example, or to delete the files in your Downloads folder on a schedule. Eraser even supports include/exclude masks for when you're deleting files within a folder so you can explicitly decide what gets shredded and what remains. You can schedule multiple data sets—such as wiping the free space, deleting folders, and wiping a drive—to run at once on a designated schedule. That way, you don't need to make different scheduling sets for each task when you're planning on running them at the same time anyway. When adding files and folder to the delete queue, you can drag and drop them directly into the program, which speeds up the process of selecting the data you want to delete. Overall, Eraser has more useful features and supports more data sanitization methods than most other data destruction programs. It should be your first pick if you're looking for a file shredder that doesn't run from a disc. Download Eraser Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire 35 Best Free Data Destruction Tools (October 2022) HDDErase v4.0 Free Data Wipe Software Program 32 Best Free File Shredder Programs (October 2022) CBL Data Shredder v1.0 Review (A Free Data Wipe Tool) What Is a Data Sanitization Method? (Data Wipe Methods) The 21 Best Free Data Recovery Software Tools (Oct. 2022) Samsung HUTIL v2.10 Review: Free Hard Drive Test Tool How to Erase a Hard Drive Using DBAN KillDisk Review (Free Data Destruction Software) Smart Defrag Review (v8) Wipe vs Shred vs Delete vs Erase: What's the Difference? 3 100% Effective Ways to Completely Erase a Hard Drive Wise Care 365 v6.3.8 Review (A Free System Optimizer) Puran File Recovery v1.2.1 Review (Free Undelete Tool) 31 Best Free Backup Software Tools (October 2022) AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition v9 Review Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies