Do file shredders really work?

[Christopher]

Do file shredders really work? I ask because I have been using a paid for shredder program which states quite clearly that once shredded,files cannot be recovered,I have been using this prog for about 3 years now, and I thought I'd give it a bit of a test (bit late I know) with "Recuva". I could not believe that even though I renamed,encrypted and shredded six MP4 video files and six JPG's 10 times,Recuva recovered the files to original state ie: unencrypted and un-renamed.I also used file shredders in WinUtilities and Your Unin-staller and still could recover the files in original format.So if anyone knows of a file shredder that actually works,I would be very grateful if you could point me there. 

[Glenn]

This does but you need a new hard drive each time you shred a file.

[Glenn]

Try a paid for forensic file shredder, this one has a 15 day trial http://www.quickcrypto.com/download.html

[mervl]

May be wrong here but when I last used them several years ago, it depended on how many times they overwrote the data (with "randomised" data) as to how "secure" and recoverable they were. Some paid versions you could set to do so 99 times or even more, provided you were prepared to wait several hours for anything to be deleted. Are you concerned about the police or the Americans?  Old adage is that nothing is entirely secure. It used to be the case that the gold plate was American Department of Defense (their spelling) standard, now that's not good enough!

[talos]

If you still want to use the drive then "overwriting" as many times as possible is the only answer. If you don't want it then Glen's hammer will do the trick.

[Gary]

tbh I would just try out CCleaners 37 (maybe 33 cant remember) overwrite of free space. If that works its good enough for most bods that may steel your pc, but like glenn says the best shredded file is a smashed hard drive. Darik's Boot and Nuke does a good job but thats your whole drive and can take days. But is as though as it gets really. Great for using before selling your PC http://www.dban.org/

[Simon]

I use Eraser, which I believe may still be free, and this overwrites 35 times, and claims to be up to US DoD standards. 

[Christopher]

No mervl I'm not concerned about the police or America,why would you think I should be? What I shred is to with my business OK?

Thanks Simon,I thought about Eraser and will give it a try tomorrow.   Thanks also to Glenn,not for the hammer idea  but for the quickcrypto link 

[Christopher]

tbh I would just try out CCleaners 37 (maybe 33 cant remember) overwrite of free space. If that works its good enough for most bods that may steel your pc, but like glenn says the best shredded file is a smashed hard drive. Darik's Boot and Nuke does a good job but thats your whole drive and can take days. But is as though as it gets really. Great for using before selling your PC http://www.dban.org/

Thank you Gary for your suggestion