Recommended File Shredder for Windows?

[AZPops]

Did a few searches, but thought I'd ask if anyone is able to recommend a file shredder they're presently using.

TIA!

Btw, if it also works with Apple OS is a plus.

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

CCleaner has one.

 

[AZPops]

CCleaner has one.

Thanks. I'm running CCleaner Pro. I'll check it out. I found a free one (Freeraser), but haven't installed it.

 

[bluflaam777]

I used to use CCleaner but when they got bought by another company they started tracking you web movement. They may have stopped or not even be owned by the same company that did that. It's been a while now.
Anyway, that's when I found glarysoft. They seem to be working fine.
They have also have free, trial and pay versions, including file shredder software.

Not sure about running on Mac tho'.

 

[AZPops]

I used to use CCleaner but when they got bought by another company they started tracking you web movement. They may have stopped or not even be owned by the same company that did that. It's been a while now.
Anyway, that's when I found glarysoft. They seem to be working fine.
They have also have free, trial and pay versions, including file shredder software.

Not sure about running on Mac tho'.

Thanks!

 

[PaladinNO]

We talking about a limited file shredder, or for whole hard drives?

For whole drives, I use KillDisk to zero-write the whole drive 1-3 times before a sale or throwing a faulty one away,

KillDisk: Disk Eraser, Wiper & Sanitizer - Erase HDD/SSD/USB/NVMe Securely

Active@ Kill Disk is a hard drive eraser software for secure formatting of hard drives without any possibility of following data recovery.

www.killdisk.com

Secure Eraser is another for specific files, but I have no personal experience with it.

Secure Eraser - Download and install on Windows | Microsoft Store

What is deleted from the hard drive is far from gone. As long as the data is not overwritten, anyone can make it visible again at any time. This is particularly problematic when a computer is resold or given away. Secure Eraser utilizes recognized methods for data deletion and overwrites...

apps.microsoft.com

I am not a Mac-user, but VaultSort seems do everything you need.

VaultSort - Organize, Secure, and Optimize Your Mac Files

VaultSort is the all-in-one solution for Mac users who want to take control of their digital files with military-grade security and intelligent organization.

www.vaultsort.com

I used to use CCleaner but when they got bought by another company they started tracking you web movement. They may have stopped or not even be owned by the same company that did that. It's been a while now.

Avast, yeah. I used to use both CCleaner and Avast AV, but as Avast has given me problems in the past (a DPC latency issue, to be very technical), and they made CCleaner much more bloated and ad-riddled after the acquisition, I have stopped using both softwares.

 

[AZPops]

We talking about a limited file shredder, or for whole hard drives?

For whole drives, I use KillDisk to zero-write the whole drive 1-3 times before a sale or throwing a faulty one away,

KillDisk: Disk Eraser, Wiper & Sanitizer - Erase HDD/SSD/USB/NVMe Securely

Active@ Kill Disk is a hard drive eraser software for secure formatting of hard drives without any possibility of following data recovery.

www.killdisk.com

Secure Eraser is another for specific files, but I have no personal experience with it.

Secure Eraser - Download and install on Windows | Microsoft Store

What is deleted from the hard drive is far from gone. As long as the data is not overwritten, anyone can make it visible again at any time. This is particularly problematic when a computer is resold or given away. Secure Eraser utilizes recognized methods for data deletion and overwrites...

apps.microsoft.com

I am not a Mac-user, but VaultSort seems do everything you need.

VaultSort - Organize, Secure, and Optimize Your Mac Files

VaultSort is the all-in-one solution for Mac users who want to take control of their digital files with military-grade security and intelligent organization.

www.vaultsort.com

Avast, yeah. I used to use both CCleaner and Avast AV, but as Avast has given me problems in the past (a DPC latency issue, to be very technical), and they made CCleaner much more bloated and ad-riddled after the acquisition, I have stopped using both softwares.

Thanks for the links! I downloaded and installed REVO Uninstaller, and downloaded, but not installed Freeraser (for shredding files). I'll look into the ones listed.

I'm presently running CCleaner Pro, and Malwarebytes.

 

[Toulouse42]

Did a few searches, but thought I'd ask if anyone is able to recommend a file shredder they're presently using.

TIA!

Btw, if it also works with Apple OS is a plus.

If we're talking about security for drives (HDD) that are going, then I have two approaches. 1. Never give away any hard drive. 2. If its dead, dismantle it and destroy the platters, then toss the bits.

I have read that with modern Solid State drives (and Win 10 or 11), deleted files are actually gone, but I've not been able to test this. Maybe our more knowledgeable contributors know more?

 

[dc38]

I have read that with modern Solid State drives (and Win 10 or 11), deleted files are actually gone, but I've not been able to test this. Maybe our more knowledgeable contributors know more?

Typically old "deleted" sectors would be written over with junk, not necessarily "emptied". TRIM helps to keep all that nice and tidy.

 

[Toulouse42]

Typically old "deleted" sectors would be written over with junk, not necessarily "emptied". TRIM helps to keep all that nice and tidy.

Yes, TRIM is the command that I was trying to remember. Thank you. My understanding is that this process takes only an hour or so to happen. Again, you may have some views about it?

 

[dc38]

Yes, TRIM is the command that I was trying to remember. Thank you. My understanding is that this process takes only an hour or so to happen. Again, you may have some views about it?

Not really, lol...i set trim to once a week

 

[AZPops]

If we're talking about security for drives (HDD) that are going, then I have two approaches. 1. Never give away any hard drive. 2. If its dead, dismantle it and destroy the platters, then toss the bits.

I have read that with modern Solid State drives (and Win 10 or 11), deleted files are actually gone, but I've not been able to test this. Maybe our more knowledgeable contributors know more?

Thanks! I have an SSD in my computer / laptop.

 

[PaladinNO]

I have two approaches. 1. Never give away any hard drive. 2. If its dead, dismantle it and destroy the platters, then toss the bits.

Correct. You should always sell them, for a bit of money back towards a new drive. ^^
Seagate Exos ftw.

For me, that depends on what I have had on the drive. If it's just a part of my movie collection, I pretty must just do a Shift+Delete, and the drive is good to go. If anyone want a recover a bunch of illegally downloaded movies, be my guest.

That also goes if it's a dead or dying drive. But I have ever had any personal data on it, that drive isn't going anywhere. If it's a simple upgrade, I keep the old one as a backup. And if it's dead or dying, I give it repeated hits with a digging bar until the drive chassis is at a satisfactory 45º angle.

If the drive is still resisting, it's only one thing to do.

 

[PaladinNO]

Just in general, I prefer having specific drives for specific things (SSDs or HDDs), not just for convenience, but also for security. If a drive fails, I can with certainty go yes or no whether I had anything personal on it - and if yes, I go Gordon Freeman on the thing (hitting it repeatedly with a crowbar, for those heretics who has not yet played Half-Life).

Not really, lol...i set trim to once a week

You don't have to set it on a schedule, but I see the convenience for peace of mind if you handle sensitive files. Both TRIM and garbage collection is automatic by default, if the SSD supports it (and all modern drives do, apart from perhaps the very cheapest ones that no one should buy anyway).
I don't know whether it would cause any extra write strain on the drive (any SSD has a limited number of TBW - TeraBytes Written), and I bet it would be negligible if there is any.

 

[iacchus]

This should work for you

 

[bluflaam777]

^that would be fun to have.

 

[Kestrel]

 

[IMA SOL MAN]

Probably work better than the garbage disposal...