Active@ KillDisk is intended to preserve the privacy of your data by wiping disk contents beyond the possibility of recovering them by any means.
Active@ KillDisk scans your system and shows all available partitions, which includes those that are hidden or reserved by the system. The contents of each partition are shown in a tree style, quite similar to the system’s file manager. Likewise, the program can detect unused space, which is very important because there is always the possibility that deleted files are still recoverable from there.
The tool supports two main kinds of actions, called Wipe and Erase. In this respect, you should be aware that they are quite different. On the one hand, wiping refers to securely deleting whatever data may be left on the unused space. On the other, erasing means deleting the selected files or folders or even the entire disk and it has the advantage of removing even the boot sector.
The irrevocability of data removal mainly depends on the strength of the sanitizing standard used. Luckily, Active@ KillDisk supports more than 20 methods, which are internationally recognized because of their reliability. In this respect, DoD 5220.22-M is, fortunately, one of them.
The product includes other valuable features. For instance, it can examine disks to detect bad sectors and use S.M.A.R.T. information to provide you with a report about their health. Since you cannot wipe the partition where the operating system resides, it is very convenient that the program can create a bootable media that you can use to erase data from the active partition. Moreover, it lets you save a lot of time by allowing batch operations on a group of disks. Finally, complete automation can be achieved by means of combining batch mode and command-line operations.
In general, Active@ KillDisk is definitely among the best tools of its type and, consequently, it deserves a try. On this point, there is, fortunately, a free edition for home use; however, it has the big limitation of supporting One Pass Zeros erase method only. In addition to this free version, there are other types of licenses for home, business and enterprise purposes. So, it is advisable to visit the developer’s site and read the feature comparison available there.
Pros
- Supports batch operations
- Two kinds of actions: wipe and erase
- Multiple strong sanitizing methods
- Can wipe the active partition
- Supports command-line operations
- Reports about disk health
Cons
- Its free edition supports the "one-pass zeros" erasing method only
- Not suitable for inexperienced users
I have used KillDisk for my personal year for a couple years now. It is very useful when one needs to dispose of old storage hardware. Apart from deleting whole drives it can also delete slack space. The app is very robust and reliable.
This data erasure tool is a solid pick. I’ve used it a few times when getting rid of old computers and drives, and never had any issues. You can only wipe two drives at once, but I think you can buy extra slots if you need them. It also cleans out slack space, which is a nice touch. It supports a ton of sanitation standards, though honestly, three overwrites is perfectly fine and anything beyond an overkill.
KillDisk is a well-known name in the data sanitization world. It’s reliable, follows up-to-date sanitization standards, and comes with its own boot disk. With KillDisk, you can create labels, certificates, and more. However, it only supports two parallel erases at a time, and aside from wiping entire disks and slack space, it doesn’t offer additional features...which feels lacking in today’s era of integration. Most users might only use KillDisk a few times in their lives. Adding the ability to delete individual files and folders could make it more appealing and less of a “one-off” app.