File shredding programs are software tools that permanently delete files from your computer. Deleting and shredding are different terms: deleting a file only hides it from the operating system, it is only truly gone when the same space is overwritten by something else.

That's exactly what a file shredder does: it overwrites selected files using a specific data sanitization method so that they can never be recovered.

Below is an updated list of the very best, completely free file shredding software programs that I have used. The best choices are listed at the top:

Eraser is a very well designed file shredding program. When it comes to advanced options, Eraser wins the file shredding competition hands down. It allows you to schedule file shredding with all the precision you would expect from a scheduling tool.