File Shredder - Disk Wipe Software for Windows: Free Download

Delete, format, reinstall: what happens to the data

Windows' usual deletion tools change the file table while leaving the bytes underneath.

The usual way

Delete and format

Deleting a file and emptying the bin drops the entry but leaves the bytes.
A quick format builds a fresh index over the old one
Removing partitions from install media leaves old sectors untouched

VS

The overwrite way

Shred and wipe

New bytes are written over the old ones
The done screen lists passes and failures

Download

What it erases, and how

Shred files and folders

Click + Add files or Add folder, or drag items onto the list. Press Shred permanently when the list is ready. One tested run handled a folder containing 20,000 files without a crash. Windows, Program Files and ProgramData are refused, so a misplaced click cannot break the system.

Wipe free space

Wipe the empty part of a drive, where deleted files can still sit, while current files stay where they are. The feature works on every non-system drive, including USB ones.

Erase an entire volume

Clear a non-system partition or an entire secondary drive, sector by sector from start to end. Erase entire volume remains grey until you tick "I understand this erases everything on the selected volume". The system drive appears in the list but cannot be selected because Windows cannot erase the drive it runs from.

Knows an HDD from an SSD

File Shredder - Disk Wipe Software checks whether the drive is a rotating disk, an SSD or removable flash before writing. On a hard drive, it confirms that overwriting destroys the old data. With SSD and flash, it says that overwriting is not reliable and points you to the device's built-in Secure Erase or NVMe Sanitize.

Verify after erasing

For a shred job, tick Verify after erasing. The app reads every byte again through a fresh, uncached handle and counts any mismatch as not erased.

Clean traces

Clean now removes Temp folders, the Recycle Bin, recent documents and jump lists. It clears browsing history in Chrome, Edge, Firefox, Brave, Opera and Vivaldi. Saved passwords and cookies stay. If a browser is open, the report names it instead of quietly skipping it.

Also inside

Certificate on by defaultPRO

Default method in Settings

Unreadable sectors skipped and logged

Locked files reported

Pass-by-pass progress

Send log to support

Cancel a running job

Interface language switch

How to download and use the File Shredder - Disk Wipe Software

1

Download and install

Download the File Shredder - Disk Wipe Software and run the installer on Windows 11 or 10. The home screen asks what you want to erase.

2

Pick what to erase

Open Shred files and folders, Wipe free space, Wipe drive / volume or Clean traces. To wipe a hard drive other than the Windows one, choose Wipe drive / volume. Add items with + Add files or drop them onto the list.

3

Choose a method

Keep the default method or open Advanced to see 14 more standards. Tick Verify after erasing and Save PDF certificate when you need proof.

4

Shred and keep the report

Press Shred permanently and confirm. The completion screen shows the passes, elapsed time and any errors. Save PDF puts the certificate wherever you choose.

16 erasure methods, grouped by passes

Every method writes a known pattern over the existing data. Zeroes and Random are available in the free version. The other 14 methods come with the full license.

Zeroes

Writes 0x00 over every byte. It is the fastest option on any drive.

1 pass

Random

Writes random bytes instead of zeros, leaving something that looks like noise rather than a blank drive.

1 pass

GOST R 50739-95

This Russian government data-protection standard dates from 1995 and runs here as a single pass.

1 pass

NIST 800-88 Clear

NIST SP 800-88's Clear level, the US guideline quoted by many IT policies today, uses one pass of a fixed pattern.

1 pass

HMG IS5 Baseline

British government Infosec Standard 5 at its baseline level makes one pass with zeros.

1 pass

Which one to pick?

For a modern hard drive, one pass is enough. NIST's 2014 guidance said that a single overwrite with zeros defeats even lab recovery. Choose a named standard when a policy or client asks for one. On SSD and flash, stay with one pass.

DoD 5220.22-M

The best-known name here comes from the US Department of Defense operating manual. It writes 0x00, then 0xFF, then random data.

3 passes

DoD 5220.28-STD

The longer US Defense preset is for policies that require more than the 3-pass version.

7 passes

US Army AR380-19

US Army regulation 380-19 specifies random data, then a fixed byte, 0x55, followed by its complement, 0xAA.

3 passes

US Air Force 5020

The US Air Force 5020 overwrite preset, ready for contracts that name it.

3 passes

German VSITR

German BSI standard from 1999. Its six passes alternate 0x00 and 0xFF, with 0xAA in the final pass.

7 passes

HMG IS5 Enhanced

British Infosec Standard 5 at enhanced level writes zeros, then ones, 0xFF, and finishes with random data.

3 passes

NATO standard

The NATO seven-pass overwrite, for policies that list it by name.

7 passes

Bruce Schneier

Cryptographer Bruce Schneier described this method in 1996. It makes two fixed passes, 0xFF and 0x00, followed by five passes of random data.

7 passes

Which one to pick?

For a modern hard drive, one pass is enough. NIST's 2014 guidance said that a single overwrite with zeros defeats even lab recovery. Choose a named standard when a policy or client asks for one. On SSD and flash, stay with one pass.

Peter Gutmann

Designed in 1996 for old MFM and RLL drives, this method uses 35 different patterns. Gutmann later wrote that people treat the full 35-pass run like a voodoo incantation.

35 passes

Pfitzner

Choose it when a policy asks for Pfitzner by name. On a modern disk, it mostly adds hours.

33 passes

Custom

Set the pattern yourself, along with the number of passes.

You choose

Which one to pick?

For a modern hard drive, one pass is enough. NIST's 2014 guidance said that a single overwrite with zeros defeats even lab recovery. Choose a named standard when a policy or client asks for one. On SSD and flash, stay with one pass.

Turn on Verify after erasing and the shredder adds one zero pass after any method. It can then check the result even when a standard such as DoD 5220.22-M or Gutmann ends with random data. The certificate records the actual count.

Drives it works with

Internal hard drives (HDD)

SSD and NVMe drives

USB flash drives

SD and memory cards

External USB hard drives

Who needs File Shredder - Disk Wipe Software

People selling a used PC

IT technicians refurbishing laptops

Small business owners

Accountants and bookkeepers

Lawyers and paralegals

Photographers with client shoots

PC builders reselling drives

Privacy-minded home users

When people reach for it

Donating an old PC

A PC goes to a school or charity, and you will not see it again, along with every file still on it. Shred those files before it leaves.

Returning a work or leased laptop

Personal files have a way of collecting on a company machine. Shred them before the work or leased laptop goes back to IT or the leasing firm.

Retiring an old backup disk

The old backup disk in the drawer may still hold tax scans. Clear it completely before sending it to recycling.

Remote Wipe

Left in a taxi

The bag is gone, and the car has driven off. Client files on that PC are now somebody else's to find, unless you set the protection up before the trip. Then you still have a move left.

Free and full version

Try the basic job once before you buy.

Feature	FreeOne run to try it	Full versionAll methods, unlimited runs
Shred files and folders	✓	✓
Clean traces	✓	✓
Erase runs	1	Unlimited
Zeroes and Random, 1 pass	✓	✓
DoD, Gutmann, NIST and 11 other standards	✗	✓
Wipe free space	✗	✓
Erase entire volume	✗	✓
Remote Wipe via Telegram	✗	✓
PDF erasure certificate	✗	✓
With a license key, new jobs start on DoD 5220.22-M (3 passes). Settings lets you make any other method the default.	Download	Buy now From $ 19.99

Buy now

From $ 19.99

Download

With a license key, new jobs start on DoD 5220.22-M (3 passes). Settings lets you make any other method the default.

Prefer installing apps through the Microsoft Store? You can also get File Shredder & Disk Wipe - Secure Data Eraser on Microsoft Store.

File Shredder - Disk Wipe Software

Price

from $ 19.99 / month

Version

3.7

File Size

15 Mb

Last updated on

26/08/26

Free version: one erase run with a single-pass method

System Requirements

Windows 11/10/8.1/8/7 (32/64 bit)
Intel i3, AMD Ryzen 5 or above
4 GB of RAM or above
NVIDIA® GeForce® series 8 and 8M, Intel® HD Graphics 2000, Quadro FX 4800, Quadro FX 5600, AMD Radeon™ R600, Mobility Radeon™ HD 4330, Mobility FirePro™ series, Radeon™ R5 M230 or higher graphics card with up-to-date drivers
1280 × 768 screen resolution, 32-bit color
1 GB of free hard disk space or above

Frequently Asked Questions

Does a file shredder really work?

On a hard drive, yes. Shredding writes new data over the sectors a file used, so recovery software reads the overwrite pattern instead of your document. SSDs are different because overwriting is not reliable.

Is a factory reset or reinstall enough before selling a PC?

Usually not. Deleting partitions from install media or using a quick reset removes the file table while most of the written data stays readable. The Windows reset option that also cleans the drive takes longer and goes further. To sell the PC with Windows still installed, shred your own folders and erase any second drive. Wiping the Windows drive itself requires boot media, which this version does not include.

Does shredding work on an SSD?

SSDs cannot be overwritten reliably, and the app tells you that before it starts. Wear leveling spreads writes across cells, while TRIM clears deleted blocks on the drive's own schedule. An overwrite may therefore land on different cells from the ones holding your file. For a whole SSD, use the maker's Secure Erase or NVMe Sanitize. That firmware command marks every cell empty and brings back factory write speed.

Is there a DoD wipe tool, and is DoD 5220.22-M still worth it?

Yes. The full version includes DoD 5220.22-M (3 passes) and DoD 5220.28-STD (7 passes). Many admins consider the old DoD label outdated, and NIST's 2014 guidance treated one pass as enough for magnetic disks. Use DoD when a contract or policy names it.

How do I remove all traces of files I already deleted?

Run Wipe free space on the drive where the files were, then use Clean traces for browser history and temp files. The drive Windows boots from is not offered for free-space wiping. Shadow copies, the pagefile and hiberfil.sys remain untouched.

How long does it take to secure erase an SSD?

Secure Erase and NVMe Sanitize run inside the SSD's firmware, so the drive controls the timing. On many SSDs, the process takes minutes and the drive's fullness barely matters. Software overwriting takes longer with a larger drive and more passes: a 3-pass DoD run takes about three times as long as one pass of zeros, while Gutmann's 35 passes take about 35 times as long. Verify after erasing roughly doubles the total time for file shredding. For a large hard drive, one pass is the practical choice.

Can I prove a drive was wiped?

Yes, with the PDF certificate in the full version. After a job, the app writes a Certificate of Data Erasure showing which method ran on which target and the verification result. The software produces this record itself; it is not an audit by a third party. For a small office or private sale, it is usually the paper people ask for.

How does Remote Wipe work, and can someone else trigger it?

The feature runs through a Telegram bot you create and obeys only your chat ID. Someone who finds the bot gets no reply. It erases only folders you marked yourself, on your own PC, and never runs until you turn it on.

What does the free version include?

You get one full erase run. Shred any number of files and folders, or run Clean traces with the Zeroes or Random single-pass method. After that run, the app asks for a license key. The full version lifts the limit and includes everything marked in the table above.

How to permanently delete files so they can't be recovered?

On a hard drive, overwrite files before removing their entries. To delete files permanently, add them to Shred files and folders and press Shred permanently. If you already deleted them the usual way, run Wipe free space on that drive, except the Windows one. On an SSD or flash drive, overwriting cannot promise that the old cells are gone. For a whole SSD, use its Secure Erase instead.

Download File Shredder - Disk Wipe Software

Delete, format, reinstall: what happens to the data

Delete and format

Shred and wipe

Sell the laptop, not your photo albums

No drill, no boot stick, no hex editor

Paper proof when someone asks

What it erases, and how

Shred files and folders

Wipe free space

Erase an entire volume

Knows an HDD from an SSD

Verify after erasing

Clean traces

Also inside

Remote Wipe for a lost or stolen laptop

How to download and use the File Shredder - Disk Wipe Software

Download and install

Pick what to erase

Choose a method

Shred and keep the report

16 erasure methods, grouped by passes

Zeroes

Random

GOST R 50739-95

NIST 800-88 Clear

HMG IS5 Baseline

Which one to pick?

DoD 5220.22-M

DoD 5220.28-STD

US Army AR380-19

US Air Force 5020

German VSITR

HMG IS5 Enhanced

NATO standard

Bruce Schneier

Which one to pick?

Peter Gutmann

Pfitzner

Custom

Which one to pick?

Drives it works with

Who needs File Shredder - Disk Wipe Software

When people reach for it

Donating an old PC

Returning a work or leased laptop

Retiring an old backup disk

Left in a taxi

Free and full version

Frequently Asked Questions

Related disk and security tools

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