In the article “How to Securely Delete a File” we saw that using Windows to delete a file is not the way to do so securely. To completely delete a file you have to overwrite it multiple times with different patterns; something Windows has no capability to do. In this article we discuss how to use the free program Moo0 FileShredder [pronounced moo-ah] to securely delete files.
Moo0 FileShredder is a program that allows you to securely shred one or multiple files using algorithms up to the Guttmann 35-overwrite algorithm by simply dragging and dropping the file onto the open program window.
Installing Moo0 FileShredder is easy. It comes with a Windows installer that operates much like any other Windows installer. The program installs into the C:\Program Files\Moo0\FileShredder [version #]\ directory by default but you can change that if you need to.
Once installed, to start the program you need only double click on the program icon and you see the main screen in minimized mode…
You can click on the Detailed Description button to enlarge the program window in order to see the options better…
To use the program simply pick the algorithm you wish to use to shred files by opening the drop-down menu in the Method box. Then, from any Windows Explorer window left click on a file and then drag and drop it on the toe Drop Box you see on the left side of the Moo0 File Shredder window. It’s that simple. Once you do that, the file is shredded using the chosen algorithm. If the file’s icon continues to show up in the Windows Explorer window after the operation simply go back there and press the F5 key to refresh the Explorer display. The file icon should then disappear.
The Method box menu allows you to select the exact method you want used to overwrite and “shred” files; all the way up to the Gutmann 35-overwrite method…
The DoD 5220-22.M standard of three passes over the file with specific patterns will likely do unless you have very sensitive files to delete. It’s also the fastest secure algorithm in the options. The other two to consider would be the 7 and 35-pass algorithms. These certainly will be more secure than the DoD but will take that much longer to execute. Your choice however. Use what you feel comfortable with.
Now let’s see the program in action. CKnow set up a test machine and ran the program against several copies of the same 2.4 megabyte file using different algorithms and captured the results in a Flash video. The results can be viewed by clicking on the graphic below…
Show me please!
[Time: 3:40]
That’s the Moo0 FileShredder in a nutshell. Interested in the program? Go to their page and read more or download
.
This article is part of a series about secure file deletion. The others in the series include: “How to Securely Delete a File” and “How to Use File Shredder to Permanently Delete Files“.