Shredder 1.0

CNET editors' review

Reviewed by: CNET Staff

Though it earns points for its extra features, this utility disappoints with its performance as a file shredder. The interface is simple to understand and can be dressed up with a number of included skins. However, some of the skins make the program's icons render strangely when viewed in window mode. The developers claim that files or folders deleted with this utility can't be restored. However, in our tests, we recovered some shredded data using a third-party application. Also, although the program offers three security levels, you won't find government-sanctioned algorithms for deleting files, a perk many of Shredder's competitors offer. Besides its main job, this program wipes away your Web-surfing tracks and can delete the histories of popular applications such as Word, WinZip, Excel, and Windows Media Player. Though Shredder might work as a quick-and-dirty privacy solution, it's not the best bet for securely zapping sensitive information.

Publisher's description

From MRP Services :

Not many people know that using Delete in DOS or the Windows Recycle Bin to delete files is not secure. These methods merely remove the file-system's pointer to the file. All the data in those files remains on your computer until the space is reclaimed and overwritten by another file. The remaining data can be easily recovered with any software-recovery program, most of which are free to download. Even if your data has been overwritten, it can still be vulnerable. Using advanced recovery techniques to analyze latent magnetic traces, most any file can be recovered.

Shredder destroys files beyond recovery before deleting them. This means that even if you can recover a file, the data within the file will be totally useless. It overwrites the data with random information a number of times before finally deleting the file. Shredder also cleans all history and temp files.

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