File recovery / perm delete help

Hopefully I posted in the correct forum this time

Anyway, I have an older mac desktop and an external hd I'm going to be giving to a family member and I have a few things I'd like to do before getting rid of them.

1) I accidentally deleted some files off the external hd I want to try to get back.

2) There are some sensitive files I want to permanently delete so they can not be recovered.

I'm looking for programs that will allow me to do this if possible.

1) Are these programs safe? meaning they won't mess up parts of the hd or corrupt other files I wish to leave intact?

2) Which programs do you recommend for these?

3) How do I go about doing all this?

Thanks very much for the help

The best program at file recovery is Data Rescue 3 but it's $99. You can download a trial version first though. As far as secure wiping files, the best utility to use is Disk Utility which is already on your Mac. Use the "secure wipe free space" option. And no, it will not harm your other files.

Edit: Please do not Cross Post. If you post in the wrong forum, don't attempt to post again in another forum. Ask a Staff member to move the post for you. I've gone ahead and deleted your other post. Thanks for understanding.