Shredder

Shredder is a compact and portable application that enables users to permanently delete data from the computer, preventing specialized tools from recovering it.

Since there is no setup pack involved, you can drop the executable file anywhere on the hard disk and click it to run.

Alternatively, you can move Shredder to a USB flash disk or similar storage unit, in order to run it on any machine with minimum effort.

The Windows registry area does not get entry updates, and files do not remain on the hard disk after removing the utility.

The interface of Shredder is not particularly attractive. Although it's intuitive, thanks to the folder view, navigating directories on the hard drive can become a bit frustrating.

All you have to do is select a file and click the Shred button. The program comprises two additional options: for deleting files normally (like emptying the Recycle Bin) which makes them prone to retrieval methods, and for erasing items. The latter option only clears contents, leaving file structure intact (for example, an "erased" file displays "Unable to access file" when opening it). Last but not least, the program can be set to remove duplicate entries from the list.

Although Shredder is capable of deleting multiple files at the same time, you are required to make the selection from individual items. A select-all function is not supplied, and the tool cannot shred directories.

The utility barely uses CPU and memory, so it doesn't burden system performance. It has a good response time and removes files rapidly. However, Shredder popped up an error and crashed in our tests, right after erasing a JPG file (the task was successful). But we must take into account that the application has not been updated for a long time.