What's the difference between "Shred" and "Delete"?

Updated by

Linda 

Original Author

Tracy King 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

When it comes to removing files in Windows, most of us are familiar with the term “Delete.” It means that the file is removed from the computer. However, there's another term – “Shred” – which is an advanced method of deleting files so that they can't be recovered. In this article, we'll explore the difference between Shred and Delete, their variations, which one you should use, and which method works best on a partition.

What's the Difference Between Shredding and Deleting?
When Should You Use Shredding vs. Deleting?
How to Shred a File or Partition
How to Delete a File

What's the Difference Between Deleting and Shredding?

“Shredding” refers to permanently deleting or destroying a file so that it cannot be recovered by anyone. “Deleting” a file removes it from the hard drive, but the file can sometimes be retrieved using advanced recovery methods.

Thus, when you delete a file from the Recycle Bin, due to the way the operating system works, it cannot find the file. It simply removes the reference to the file from the file table, and the file is not actually deleted until something new is written over the same location.

On the other hand, when a file is shredded, it is overwritten with junk data multiple times, making it irrecoverable. This applies to free space on a partition or the entire drive. This is why a factory reset on a laptop takes so long, as the drive is being overwritten with random data multiple times.

When should I use Shred and when should I use Delete?

Now the distinction matters, because the time scales are so different.

"Shred" is used to format a drive in order to overwrite the data on a hard drive partition. It uses multiple passes (three or more) to thoroughly delete information. Use it when giving a drive or computer to someone else, or before selling it, to ensure that the files can't be recovered.

To remove something from your computer, you “delete” it. Once something is out of the trash, it is gone for good, as far as the operating system or an ordinary user is concerned.

Deleting files is a regular part of our daily computing, usually to get rid of unimportant ones. But when dealing with sensitive files or those that need to be permanently removed, you have to use a shredding tool.

How to Wipe a File or Partition

Now that we've cleared the air on the two and their usage, let's learn how to delete files or partitions. But remember to try this out on a spare drive or unimportant files since the deletion is irreversible.

You can use either of these methods. While the first one ensures that the file is irrecoverably gone once deleted, the second one simply removes it from your computer, making it difficult to locate.

Method 1: Erase all files from the hard drive partition

One of the safest ways to delete all files on a hard drive partition is by using professional disk management software that can perform various operations on the disk. For instance, the AOMEI Partition Assistant tool can not only wipe out files but also delete partitions and data from the hard drive.

This software offers the following features:

• Migrate/Move partitions
• Create/Format/Delete partitions
• Merge partitions
• Erase data

The last option on the list can permanently erase all data from the hard drive, making any confidential or sensitive data unrecoverable. After launching the software, right-click on the drive partition and select Wipe Data. You can set the number of overwrites, or use random junk data to overwrite the information.

This ensures that no data from the file can be recovered using any third-party software.

We have set up two ways for you to clear data. Please choose the one you need.

Option 1: Format Partition

- Right-click on the partition you want to wipe and select "Wipe." - In the new window, set the time you want for the wiping process, then click "OK." - Click "Execute 1 Task(s)" in the bottom right corner to review the changes, and then click "Apply."

Option 2: Wipe the disk

Select HDD/SSD, then right-click and choose “Erase Disk.” Set the number of times you want to overwrite the data. (You can set it up to 10 times.) Then click “OK.” Click “Perform 1 Task” and then click “Apply.”

Method 2: Deleting Individual Files

If you only want to delete a single file, as opposed to an entire drive or partition, you can use CCleaner. In addition to cleaning out all sorts of junk data from your computer, removing unused registry entries, and anything else that can speed up your PC, it also has a feature for individually shredding files.

1. Go to the CCleaner website and download and install the program.

Step 2: To use the Shredder in CCleaner, go to Options > Include. Add the folders and files you want to securely delete.

Select the files to wipe out

Step 3: Next, select “Clean Up” from the menu and press the “Run Clean Up” button.

In the future, you can keep a folder and add any files you want to get rid of to it. Make sure this folder is included in the list of things to wipe, so that all the files in it will be regularly deleted. That said, be aware that any files you delete from this folder will be gone for good.

How to Delete a File

If you simply want to make sure that a file is deleted from Windows so that the operating system and users can't find it, you can use a built-in method.

Drag the file to the Trash

You can delete any file using the Delete key on your keyboard or the right-click menu. Then empty the Recycle Bin to permanently remove the files from your computer. If the file is on the taskbar or desktop, you can also drag it to the Recycle Bin to delete it.

The other way is to use Shift+Delete to remove a file immediately, without sending it to the Recycle Bin first.

Conclusion

As a regular user, these terms are often used interchangeably. While both terms do refer to the concept of getting rid of a file, “shredding” ensures that the data cannot be recovered, whereas “deleting a file” simply means that the file or folder is no longer accessible.

That said, the best way to shred or delete files is by using a specialized software like Partition Master. It can safely delete files and offers disk management utilities. It's also user-friendly, but you might need to back up all data on the partition before wiping it since you'll be dealing with partitions.