Files Shredder

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File Shredder is free desktop application for shredding (destroying) unwanted files beyond recovery With File Shredder you can remove files from your hard drive without fear they could be recovered. There are quite a few software tools today for retrieval of deleted files under Windows OS. 3.Securely File Shredder. A lot of people who ask how to shred files windows 10 are looking for a clean and light solution. The Securely File Shredder is a very small program that has a clean interface with easy usability. You can simply select the folder you want to delete by using a drag and drop feature.

File Shredder is a free and open source file deletion utility that promises to completely destroy files, making them unrecoverable from the Recycle Bin.

File Shredder works by deleting and then overwriting the data it has deleted using random bits, making the usage of popular file recovery programs ineffective. This can be used to permanently remove sensitive information such as banking details or Internet browsing history.

The program includes 5 different algorithms for erasing data, with each selection a bit stronger than the previous one. These can be found in the settings menu under Algorithms.

Though not quite as powerful as other programs in the niche, File Shredder has a very welcoming and straightforward user interface which supports adding multiple files and directories into the application as necessary. It doesn't include a search function, but adding directories is probably the quickest way to irreversibly delete data from a hard drive or other storage media.

All in all, File Shredder is a fast and effective free software application that makes destroying data painless.

File Shredder 2.5 on 32-bit and 64-bit PCs

This download is licensed as freeware for the Windows (32-bit and 64-bit) operating system on a laptop or desktop PC from secure cleaning software without restrictions. File Shredder 2.5 is available to all software users as a free download for Windows.

Filed under:
  1. File Shredder Download
  2. Freeware Secure Cleaning Software
  3. File Removal Software

STOP! Don’t touch that delete button! If you want to get rid of that file for good, then you’ll have to do something much more severe than simply deleting it. That’s right, we’re going to absolutely kill that sucker by sanitizing it with a special file shredding program. You will never be able to get the file back, so use with caution.

Important Note: File shredding does not work on SSDs and will only wear the drive out faster. For more on this check out my article How Does Digital File Shredding Work?

How To Use File Shredder

There are many free programs that do what we’re about to do, but for this tutorial we’ll be using one called File Shredder because it’s more customizable than most. Some others I would recommend are Eraser or AxCrypt. The latter is actually an encryption program but it offers a shredding function as well.

1. Download and install File Shredder

Go to FileShredder.org and click the download button at the bottom.

Run the installer after it’s downloaded if it didn’t start automatically. Follow the prompts to install.

2. Securely delete an individual file

  1. Right click on the file you want to delete
  2. Select File Shredder
  3. Select Secure delete files

How long it takes to erase depends on how big the file is. Small files like regular documents will be so quick you probably won’t even realize it did anything special. But as long as the file disappeared, then File Shredder did its work. You can also delete more than one file at a time by selecting several at once then following the same process.

3. Use the program window to delete several files at once

Maybe you have lots of files you want to shred. It might be easier to do it in the File Shredder program window, especially if they’re in different folders.

First, open the file shredder program. If it didn’t put an icon on your desktop then you should be able to find it in the Start menu.

Then add all the files you want to shred. You can either drag them in from another window or click Add File(s) or Add Folder to find them. Then hold your breath and click the button that says Shred Files Now when you’re ready.

File Shredder Settings and Features

Change the shredding algorithm

The default is the DoD method which does three overwrite passes. There’s really is no need to change this as the DoD method is plenty secure. But if you want, you can:

  1. Click on Shredder Settings in the main window
  2. Select the Algorithms tab
  3. Choose a different method from the drop down menu
  4. click OK

Shredding Services Near Me Free For Seniors

I do not suggest choosing the one- or two-pass methods. Feel free to choose from any one of the others, however.

Note: The method you choose will be the same one used when you use the right click method as described above.

Shred your hard drive’s free space

If you’d like to learn more about why this is necessary, check out my tutorial on shredding your free space with CCleaner.

In the main window click Shred Free Disk Space.

Select the box for the correct drive (there’s probably only one) and click Next. You can also select the erasure method here as well.

Click Start to begin the wipe.

Files Shredder

When it reaches 100%, it will say “Wipe finished.” You may have to scroll down the window to see it. Click the X to go back to the main window.

Very Important File Shredding Note

Moving files around can leave unseen copies behind. If you’re moving a sensitive file off of a location to a new location (like from a computer to a thumb drive), you’ll need to take some special steps to make sure it doesn’t leave anything behind.

File Shredder Windows 10 App

For example, I have a sensitive file I want to remove from my computer and put on a thumb drive. I can’t just cut and paste the file. If I did, the computer would automatically delete the original file from my computer in the normal way. The original file never got shredded and is still hiding in my free space.

File Shredder Android

So what I would need to do here is copy the file to my thumb drive first so that there are two copies. One on the thumb drive and one on the hard drive. Then I’d need to manually shred the original file on my computer’s hard drive. That way I’m not leaving one behind where it could be recovered.

File Shredder

The same principle applies when moving files between different hard drives, over the network, or any other move that causes Windows to automatically delete the original file.

When moving files around on the same hard drive this does not apply, because it does not move the actual file. It just modifies the pointer that tells the operating system where it’s located.

File Shredder 64

If for some reason you think you’ve messed up, you can always shred your free space as a thorough measure, just to make sure nothing gets by. Conveniently, File Shredder provides that function, too.

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