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microsoft / PowerToys

Windows system utilities to maximize productivity
MIT License
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[Feature Request] File Shredder / Secure delete files #13055

Open dodekaphilist opened 2 years ago

dodekaphilist commented 2 years ago

Description of the new feature / enhancement

I would like to see a module that implements an easy to use option to secure delete files from your hard drive so that they cannot be restored using specialized recovery software.

Scenario when this would be used?

Files with confidental data e.g. from the corporate context need to be deleted securely, so that they cannot not be restored from the hard drive afterwards for security reasons, like e.g. at the end of life of a drive.

Supporting information

I'm currently using a software called File Shredder, which uses different shredding algorithms to completely wipe data from a drive. However, the program is quite old, which you can also see optically, and doesn't get updated anymore, which could in turn create security risks. An implementation into PowerToys closely anchors the topic to Microsoft and elevates the security level of such an important feature while making it more accessible to more people.

Jay-o-Way commented 2 years ago

I bet there are hundreds of programs that have this ability already. Can you explain why it would be advantageous to build a new one?

dodekaphilist commented 2 years ago

I would say that from a usability perspective none of these programs are as closely integrated into the system as a PowerToy could be, with UI/UX often times outdated especially in regards to Windows 11. Also, there's the extra step to search for a decent solution online while a semi-official version as a PowerToy provides easy access to this kind of a software. Moreover, existing programs are mostly closed source and therefore cannot be checked for security flaws.

maxweltd commented 2 years ago

I bet there are hundreds of programs that have this ability already. Can you explain why it would be advantageous to build a new one?

For me, this is a feature that should exist in Windows by default. If I move an item to the trash bin, it means I no longer want it. If I empty my trash bin, the files should be securely deleted from the hard drive. Yes, there are programs that can securely delete files and folders, but why install someone's program for such a simple task?

Microsoft finally went to full drive encryption by default many years ago. Having the ability to securely delete files & folders should be standard for any OS. Since it is not, this would be a great addition to Power Tools. Power Tools seems logical for this, and if the ability to securely delete from the context menu existed, that would be perfect.

I used to use a program called PGP Desktop 10 up until Windows 11 rolled out. I could get it to work on Windows 10, but it conflicted with Windows 11. PGP 10 had context menu option to secure delete (shred) files and folders, as well as ability to secure delete files/folders when trash was emptied.

This feature being in Power Tools would be awesome.

franky920920 commented 2 years ago

For me, this is a feature that should exist in Windows by default

In this case, you cloud also file this in the Feedback hub.

Jay-o-Way commented 2 years ago

How should this work on (increasingly used) SSDs?