Shred items

Shred the selected items

This option destroys permanently one or more files and/or folders, and possibly the sub-folders, in a single operation. No action, whatsoever, will permit restoration of those files.

Why shred a file?

When you delete a file, it is not physically destroyed. It's name is erased from the Master File Table (MFT) for NTFS formatted volumes or from the File Allocation Table (FAT) but the sectors, containing your data, remain on your hard disk! Explanation

Shred a file

When you select "Shred the selected item(s)..." in CryptUp contextual menu, the following screen asks you to confirm the shredding.

Once you press [ Yes ], the selected files will be irremediably destroyed. No action, whatsoever, will permit restoration of those files.

WARNING!
If a folder containing sub-folders is selected, all the sub-folders and their contents will be destroyed.

However, you can stop the progress by pressing the [ Cancel ] button that appears under [ NO-STOP! ] at the beginning of the process.

However, the files already shredded and the file being processed will not be restored. Only the files not yet destroyed will be "saved".

But CryptUp being very fast, the files processing might be finished before you even had time to move the mouse! Especially if you selected relatively few files of small size. So, be very careful when selecting your files to be shredded!