Hence a powerful file shredder on Windows 7 is required for complete deletion of data from the hard drives, memory cards, external hard drives, flash cards, etc. File Shredder is one such effective file shredder tool which shred files and folders to erase them permanently.

Who can use the file shredder tool?

Users who want to shred files from their hard drives/external hard drives/memory card used in phones/cameras/camcorders, to avoid data sharing or who want to sell or dispose these devices.

Users who want to shred data from their used laptops or computers before assigning them to new employees.

This software makes use of nine powerful shredding patterns that meets and exceeds patterns approved by various international government and law enforcement agencies. The faster speed of shredding helps in saving time and system resources. It shred individual or selected files and folders from the hard drive on FAT16, FAT32, NTFS, NTFS5 file systems. This software can also be used to shred files from SD card, XD card, MMC card and CF card. The shredding zone of this software helps to shred batch of files or folders using drag & drop functionality. The important options used in the software are listed below:

“Wipe Free Disk Space”: Using this option, it shred previously deleted files from your drive on Windows 7.

“Customized In-built scheduler”: This option can be used to schedule time for shredding the data.

“Context menu”: You can shred files from anywhere in Windows using this option.

Steps to shred data on Windows 7:

• Download and install the File Eraser software on your system. Launch the program by double clicking the shortcut icon from the desktop. All the drives present on the system will be loaded on the left pane tree as shown in figure 1.

Figure 1: Main Window

• Select the drive from which data has to be shredded. Now, all the files present on that drive will be listed. Select the files and double click on that to add them into shredding zone. You can also drag and drop the files into the shredding zone as shown in figure 2.

Figure 2: Shredding Zone

• This utility provides nine different shredding patters. To select a specific shredding or erasing pattern, “click on “Erasing Option” from the tool bar. Nine different methods will be displayed. Select any one shredding pattern and click “OK” as shown in figure 3.

Figure 3: Shredding Pattern

• Once you select the erasing pattern, click on “Erase file(s) and folder(s)” option from the tool bar. Shredding process will start based on the selected shredding pattern. After the successful completion of shredding process, a message would pop confirming the completion.

Why deleting files or formatting is not enough?

When you delete files or format the SD card, the references to those files are deleted from the file allocation table. However, the files still remain on the card. The operating system marks the space occupied by the old files as available for new data. As there are no references to the files, they become inaccessible. These files remain on the SD card until it is overwritten by new information. However, these files can be recoverable even after many months or years if the SD card is not further used using good data recovery software. Therefore, deleting files or formatting the SD card is not enough to wipe the data completely from SD card.

How Shredding or data wiping works? 

User can manually perform shredding by over writing the present data on the SD card by randomly typing the garbage data. But, this process consumes lot of time and there is a possibility of missing few things. Recommended way is to use third party utility software like File Shredder. It is the best file shredder tool, which will repeatedly overwrite the data present on the card with some random garbage value using different shredding patters, erasing the content of the card and deleted beyond recovery.

File Shredder tool provide nine different shredding patters to wipe the data permanently.  Using “Context menu integrated” option, you can shred files and folders anywhere from Windows and by using “Superior drive wiping” option you can shred entire hard drive permanently.

Steps to Shred files from SD card:

1. Download and install the File Shredder software to your system. Connect the SD card to be shredded to the computer. Launch the program by double clicking the shortcut icon from the computers desktop. All the drives present on the system will be loaded on the left pane tree as shown in figure 1.

Figure 1: Main Window

1. Select the SD card. After selecting, the SD card all the files present on the SD card will be listed. Select the files and double click on that to add them into shredding zone. You can also drag and drop the files into the shredding zone as shown in figure 2.

Figure 2: Shredding Zone

1. This utility provides nine different shredding patters. To select the shredding or erasing patters, click on “Erasing Option” from the tool bar. Nine different methods will be displayed. Select any one shredding pattern and click “OK” as shown in figure 3.

Figure 3: Shredding Pattern

1. Once you select the erasing pattern, click on “Erase file(s) and folder(s)” option from the tool bar. Shredding process will start based on the selected shredding pattern. After the successful completion of shredding process, a message would pop telling the same

Digital camera memory is an essential part of digital photography equipment. Generally, Digital cameras internal memory does not support storing huge amount of pictures/videos, thus the digital camera memory cards are utilized. These memory cards store all the pictures and videos taken with the digital camera. If your card is full of capacity and when you need more space you can delete erase/delete pictures from it. On the other hand if your digital camera performance becomes sluggish, you can format the memory card. However, a memory card should be formatted several times a year for good performance.

Erasing/deleting images or just formatting the memory card, does not actually delete the data on it. If you are planning to get rid of your digital camera or memory card, you will need to permanently delete the images on it. File Shredder can help you shred files from a digital camera memory card beyond recovery. File Shredder will completely erase files from your memory card, without the possibility of recovery by any practical software or hardware methods. Select the data you wish to shred, select your shred standard and the data is gone forever.

Step-by-step guide on how to shred files from digital camera memory card

Step 1: Launch the File Shredder either by selecting the program from the Start Menu, or by double clicking on the desktop shortcut. Once the File Shredder software is launched, it starts loading the drives on the left tree pane, as shown in Figure a.

Figure a: Application main window

Step 2: Select the memory card that contains the file(s) to be shredded. After selecting the files to be shredded, double click on them to add them into the ’shredding zone’ or drag and drop them into the shredding zone. The application adds the selected file(s) into shredding zone as shown in Figure b.

Figure b: Selected data in Shredding zone

Step 3: File Shredder utility provides nine shredding methods and they are classified into different levels for erasing the data which are based on the security patterns. To select the shredding methods, click on the “Shredding Options” button in the toolbar. This drops down the different shredding methods, and the user has to select any one of these methods, as shown in Figure c.

Figure c: Shredding Methods

Step 4: Once you select the shredding method, click on the Shred file(s) and folder(s) button. As you click on Shred file(s) and folder(s) button, all the selected file(s) and folder(s) in the shredding zone will be overwritten by different pattern depending on shredding method selected and once the process is completed a message would pop up intimating the same.

The data once erased with File Shredder cannot be recovered back using any data recovery software.

Need for shredding file

Many users are in a misconception that by just deleting a file you can permanently get rid of it. Most of the information you delete can still be recovered by using an undelete software. Here arises the concept of shredding. If you are looking to permanently delete file(s) beyond recovery, then File shredder can do it for you. File Shredder offers safe erasing of data beyond recovery by overwriting the data several times based on the shredding method selected.

How to shred files from iPod?

Download and install File Shredder to PC, which is healthy system and has the best of hardware components, plug the iPod into the computers USB port and then proceed ahead with the process of shredding the files.

Steps for shredding file(s)

Step 1: Launch the File Shredder either by selecting the program from the Start Menu, or by double clicking on the desktop shortcut. Once the File Shredder software is launched, it starts loading the drives on the left tree pane, as shown in Figure a.

Figure a: Application main window

Step 2: Select the drive that contains the file(s) to be shredded. After selecting the files to be shredded, double click on them to add them into the ’shredding zone’ or drag and drop them into the shredding zone. The application adds the selected file(s) into shredding zone as shown in Figure b.

Figure b: Selected data in Shredding zone

Step 3: File Shredder utility provides nine shredding methods and they are classified into different levels for erasing the data which are based on the security patterns. To select the shredding methods, click on the Shredding Options button in the toolbar. This drops down the different shredding methods, and the user has to select any one of these methods, as shown in Figure c.

Figure c: Shredding Methods

Step 4: Once you select the shredding method, click on the Shred file(s) and folder(s) button. As you click on Shred file(s) and folder(s) button, all the selected file(s) and folder(s) in the shredding zone will be overwritten by different pattern depending on shredding method selected and once the process is completed a message would pop up intimating the same.

Please Note: File shredder does not support shredding files from iPod Touch.

As deleting a file does not erase the actual data of the file. Until that space is overwritten by a new file or data, it can be restored easily using undelete software which are specially designed to recover such deleted data. This means that the data is still available on the disk and is liable to data theft. Therefore, after deleting files, you need to run such a program to ensure that the data of those files are completely erased.

File Shredder will completely erase files from your disk, by overwriting the portion on the hard drive that was previously allocated to the files several times without the possibility of recovery by any file recovery software or hardware methods.

Steps to be followed to wipe unused disk space using File Shredder

Step – 1

Launch the File Shredder Main application either from start menu or from desktop shortcut. As soon as the application is launched, it starts loading the drives in the left tree pane as shown in Figure a.

Figure a: Application Main Window

Please Note: You can press Esc button to cancel loading

Step – 2

To shred free disk space, click on ‘Shred free disk space’ button at the toolbar or launch from Shred -> Shred free disk space in Menu bar. As you click the button, a window to select drives is displayed as shown in figure b.

Figure b: Select logical drive

Step – 3

Select a logical drive on which free disk space has to be shredded and click on OK button to proceed

The software starts overwriting the free disk space with selected patterns as shown in Figure c.

Figure c: Progress Window

Once the Shredding process is completed, a confirmation message pops up as shown below.

Let us now come to your question about shredding files from an external USB drive. Yes, it’s definitely possible. Not only is it possible to shred files from an external USB drive, but it is also possible to shred free space present on your external USB drive, with utmost ease. This is made possible by File Shredder, an ultimate software for shredding your files. Try it now!

Why shred, when you can delete?

This is the first question that comes to mind, when we talk about shredding. Many people are of the fallacy, that merely emptying the Recycle Bin gets rid of their data permanently. In fact, all the deleted data can be recovered without any loss, using the wide variety of software available in the market today. This brings us to the topic of shredding.

Shredding is completely different from deletion. While deletion just removes the reference to a file, and not the disk space, Shredding uses a simple technique of rewriting the disk space of the deleted items, by replacing the existing values with random values. This renders the data unreadable and makes it irrecoverable. This makes shredding a much sought after option, than just plain deletion.

File Shredder lets you shred files from your USB drive, using few simple and easy steps.

Once the software is launched, in your PC, it detects all the local and external drives, and lists them on the left tree pane of the Main window. You can select the USB drive from the list, to get a list of the files present on the USB drive.

File Shredder provides nine different shredding methods, based on different security standards approved by various government agencies like U.S. Police department, U.S. Department of Defense, and, standards approved by many other governments around the globe. The software provides various other Shredding options, like Confirmations, passwords, scheduler, etc. The software also lets you shred free space, so that all your deleted files are also shredded completely. Try it now!

Follow the simple steps given in the subsequent pages, which guide you in using the software effectively, and shred the files efficiently.

Steps to Shredding

  
Step 1: Launch the software either by selecting the program from the Start Menu, or by double clicking on the desktop shortcut. Once the File Shredder software is launched, it starts loading the drives on the left tree pane, as shown in Figure a.

Figure a: Main Window

Step 2: Select the file(s) for shredding

All the contents of the drive are listed in the left pane of the main window. Select the USB drive that contains the file(s) to be shredded. After selecting the files to be shredded, double click on them to add them into the ’shredding zone’ or drag and drop them into the shredding zone. The application adds the selected file(s) into shredding zone as shown in Figure b.

Figure b: Select file(s) for shredding

Step 3: Selection of shredding methods
File Shredder provides nine different shredding methods that the user can choose from. To select the shredding methods, click on the Shredding Options button in the toolbar. This drops down the different shredding methods, and the user has to select any one of these methods, as shown in Figure c.

Figure c: Selection of shredding method

Step 4: Shred the file
Once you select the shredding method, click on the Shred file(s) and folder(s) button. The files in the shredding zone will be overwritten by different patterns depending on the shredding method selected. Once the process is completed, a message pops up intimating the same as shown figure d.

Figure d: Shredding Complete

Yes, you get such option with File Shredder where you can schedule shredding process to run at specified time. If you want certain files or folders to be shredded regularly/ at specified time, then they can be added in the task list in scheduler and time and date can be specified so that those files/folders can be shredded at set time and date.

Follow as explained below to set the Scheduler:

Application main window of File Shredder is as shown in Figure a.

Figure a: Application Main Window

To set the scheduler, click on Shredding options button from the Tool bar or you can also choose this option from Tools Menu->Shredding options. Once you click on Shredding options button, you get a window as shown in Figure b.

Figure b: Shredding Options

Shredding options are listed on the left hand side of the window, select Scheduler from the list. As you click on Scheduler option, you get Scheduler Window as shown in Figure c.

Figure c: Scheduler

Click on ‘Add file(s) or ‘Add folder(s) to add files and folders to scheduler’s task list. Once you add file(s)/ folder(s), you need to schedule the time for shredding process. You can schedule the shredding process for a specific date and time, or you can schedule it to run at start up. Click on OK button after configuring the scheduler settings.

If you want to remove any files and folders that have been added from this list then select the required file/folder and click Remove button. Then the file/folder would be removed from the scheduler list.

If you do not want to set the scheduler, you can also disable the scheduler. To do that just check Disable Scheduler option and click Ok button as shown in Figure d.

Figure d: Window to Disable Scheduler

Whether the file is deleted, Windows operating system does not delete that file permanently. Instead the allocation area or the index of the file system (FAT or NTFS) marks the area used by the deleted file as empty. But the actual raw contents of the file always exist even if the file has been deleted and waits for overwriting by the operating system. Deleted file, which is not overwritten, can be easily recovered.

In order to ensure that your deleted files are erased forever, a file shredder should be used which permanently erases the files from the storage devices. One such utility is File Shredder which helps you to shred files and folders from Windows drive, it shreds the deleted data leaving no traces of sensitive/critical data.

File Shredder presents a hierarchical explorer view to select file and folders to shred. Simply add the files to “shredding zone” and select the shredding patterns and the software would start data destruction beyond recovery.

Shredding patterns offered by File Shredder exceeds the standards of DOD US and offers 9 Shredding standards.

Erasing the files beyond recovery

File Shredder offers safe erasing of data beyond recovery by overwriting the data several times based on the shredding method selected.

Follow the steps mentioned below to use File Shredder to securely erase your data.

Step – 1
File Shredder has an intuitive interface that helps even a non technical person to use the software to erase their sensitive data. As soon as the application is launched, it starts loading the drives in the left tree pane. The main window of File Shredder is as shown in Figure a.

Figure a: Application Main Window

  
Step – 2
Once the logical drives are loaded, select a drive that has file(s)/folder(s) having sensitive data to be shredded beyond recovery. All the contents of the drive would be listed in the right pane of application main window. Select those file(s)/folder(s) that need to be shredded and click to add them into ‘shredding zone’ or drag and drop them to shredding zone. The application adds the selected file(s) and folder(s) into shredding zone as shown in Figure b.

Figure b: Selected data in Shredding zone

  
Step – 3
Once you select the data you wish to permanently erase, click Shred file(s) and folder(s) button listed in the tool bar, to shred the file(s) / folder(s) listed in shredding zone.

  
Step – 4
As you click on Shred file(s) and folder(s) button, all the selected file(s) and folder(s) in the shredding zone will be overwritten by different pattern depending on shredding method selected and once the process is completed a message would pop up intimating this.

The data once erased using File Shredder cannot be recovered back using any data recovery software.

Shredding Methods

To select shredding methods, select Shredding Options either from the toolbar or from the Tools menu and select Shredding methods option. This would drop down the shredding methods that can be used to shred the data beyond recovery as shown in Figure c

Figure c: Shredding Methods

File Shredder utility provides nine shredding methods and they are classified into different levels for erasing the data which are based on the security patterns

Low Security Shredding methods/ patterns

• Fast Zero Overwrite
• Random Overwrite
• US Department of Defense (DoD 5220.22-M)
• US Navy, NAVSO P-5239-26 – RLL

Medium Security Shredding methods/ patterns

• North Atlantic Treaty Organization – NATO standard
• German:VSITR
• DOD Standard 5220.28 STD

High Security Shredding methods/ patterns

• Peter Guttmann Secure Deletion
• US Department of Defense (DoD 5220.22-M) + Guttmann Method

File Shredder overwrites the data with selected method several times. If low security pattern is used to erase the data then there are chances that the recovery could be done by hardware specialists who can read off the disk and get the data back with a pattern of bits. High security shredding methods are bit complicated. They overwrite the data with selected patterns several times that makes the data impossible to recover.

In order to ensure that the files deleted using File Shredder is not recoverable run the demo version of File ShredderUndelete software.