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What is secure file shredding in RJL System Cleaner?

Secure file shredding is a registered feature that overwrites file contents with random data before deleting, making recovery impossible.

When you normally delete a file, Windows removes the reference to it but the actual data remains on your hard drive until it gets overwritten by new data. This means deleted files can potentially be recovered using data recovery software.

RJL System Cleaner offers two shredding levels:

  • 1-pass -- Overwrites with random data once. Sufficient for most users.
  • 3-pass -- Overwrites three times with different random patterns. Higher security.

Shredding is slower than normal deletion because the file must be overwritten before removal. For typical cleaning, normal deletion is fine. Enable shredding only if you are specifically concerned about data recovery on your hard drive.

Note: on modern SSDs, shredding is less effective due to wear-leveling algorithms in the drive firmware. For SSD security, enable full-disk encryption (BitLocker) instead.

Secure file shredding requires registration ($19.99 one-time). Register at RJL System Cleaner.

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Added: Feb 22, 2026   |   Last Updated: