The shredding function in BleachBit is designed to securely delete files so that they cannot be recovered later. Here’s how it works:
How Shredding Works
- Overwriting Data:
- When you shred a file, BleachBit overwrites the file’s contents with random data or zeros. This process ensures that the original data is no longer readable.
- Unlike simple deletion, which only removes the file’s metadata (making it invisible to the operating system but still recoverable), shredding ensures the data itself is overwritten.
- Renaming Files:
- To further obscure the original data, BleachBit renames the file to a long, random name and then to a short name before finally deleting it.
- Wiping Slack Space:
- At the end of a file, BleachBit may write additional data to wipe the slack space. Slack space is the unused space in a file cluster that can still contain remnants of old data.
Benefits of Shredding
- Prevents Data Recovery: By overwriting the data, BleachBit makes it extremely difficult for data recovery tools to retrieve the original contents of the file.
- Enhances Privacy: This function is particularly useful for ensuring that sensitive information is completely removed from your system.
Considerations
- Time-Consuming: Shredding is slower than simple deletion because it involves overwriting the data, which takes time proportional to the size of the fill.
- Single Pass: BleachBit uses a single pass of overwriting, which is generally sufficient for most purposes.
By using the shredding function, you can ensure that your sensitive data is securely deleted and cannot be recovered, providing an extra layer of security for your information.
To Shred a location, select the Settings menu and then the Shred Location menu item to launch the Shred Location form.
You can shred a directory or a file. place the full path in the form provide and select execute to have request sent to your RMM platform.
