Removing confidential files from your PC can be difficult, especially if you're relying on Windows alone. Delete the file and it goes to the Recycle bin; empty that and it's accessible by Undelete tools, and fragments of the file may be visible for a considerable time.

East-Tec Eraser Lite offers a simple solution, though: just drag and drop whatever files and folders you want to delete onto the program screen, click the Erase button, and it overwrites the contents for you. The program even scrambles the name, date and size of your wiped files and folders, so intruders have no information at all about their possible contents.

Many secure deletion programs stop there, but East-Tec realised that there may be clues about your activities elsewhere on the PC. The "My Recent Documents " list will list files you've been working on, for instance, and there might be remnants of them visible in the Temporary Files folder, or your paging file. Then there are Windows application logs to consider, your browser cookies and history, the "recent programs" list on your Start menu, and a whole lot more.

You could work your way through Windows and your browser, plugging these security leaks manually, but Eraser Lite has a better solution. Click Privacy Guard > Advanced > Next, choose the areas you'd like to clean, and the program will erase them for you. And again that means "securely erase", not just delete, so snoopers with an Undelete tool won't be able to recover any useful information.

Ignore the 'time limited demo' reference on this page. This software is the full Lite edition and won't need a serial code. 

UPGRADE OFFER - Save 60% on East-Tec Eraser 2006

Move to this version of Eraser and you'll be able to securely delete free file space, emails, or the contents of the Recycle Bin. A Media Wiper cleans rewritable CDs, DVDs, USB drives and so on, while overwriting the data multiple times ensures the program exceeds US Department of Defence security standards. And you can schedule the program to run when you're not around, so it won't get in your way. Best of all, a 60% discount means you can get hold of all these extra functions for only £10.50: click Help > Upgrade to find out more.