Article · Wikipedia archive · Last revised Jun 1, 2026

Eraser (software)

Eraser is an open-source secure file erasure tool available for the Windows operating system. It supports both file and volume wiping.

Last revised
Jun 1, 2026
Read time
≈ 1 min
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314 w
Citations
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Source
Wikipedia ↗
Eraser
Initial release4 September 2003 (2003-09-04)
Stable release
6.2.0.2996 / 4 April 2025 (2025-04-04)
Written inC#, C++
Operating systemMicrosoft Windows
TypeSecure file erasure
LicenseGNU General Public License
Websitehttps://eraser.heidi.ie

Eraser is an open-source1 secure file erasure tool available for the Windows operating system.2345 It supports both file and volume wiping.62

Eraser securely erases data by overwriting it such that the data is irrecoverable.1 It supports a variety of data destruction standards, including British HMG IS5 (Infosec Standard 5), American DoD 5220.22-M, and the Gutmann method which features a 35-pass overwrite.7

The tool has been recommended in TechAdvisor,8 The Guardian,3 and PC World,9 and is a tool suggested by the United States government Computer Emergency Readiness Team.10

See also

See also

References

References

  1. Hassan, Nihad (2017). Digital Privacy and Security Using Windows: A Practical Guide. New York, NY: Apress. p. 99. ISBN 978-1-4842-2799-2. OCLC 992988887.
  2. Pash, Adam (2011). Lifehacker: The Guide to Working Smarter, Faster, and Better. Indianapolis, Ind: Wiley Pub. ISBN 978-1-118-13343-9. OCLC 762078309.
  3. Schofield, Jack (30 November 2017). "My laptop no longer works. How can I erase my personal data?". The Guardian. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  4. Doss, Surit (13 November 2017). "Wipe your hard drive clean". Telegraph India. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  5. "How to permanently delete files". BT.com. Archived from the original on 6 February 2018. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  6. Johansen, Gerard (2017). Digital Forensics and Incident Response. Birmingham, UK: Packt Publishing. p. 103. ISBN 978-1-78728-868-3. OCLC 1000390982.
  7. "Appendix A: Erasure Methods – Eraser". Eraser – Secure Erase Files from Hard Drives. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  8. Martin, Jim (13 April 2018). "Here's how to ensure no-one can get back sensitive files you've deleted". Tech Advisor. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  9. Zukerman, Erez (8 January 2013). "Review: Eraser removes files safely and permanently". PCWorld. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
  10. "Disposing of Devices Safely" (PDF). United States Computer Emergency Readiness Team. Retrieved 11 December 2018.
External links