CBL Data Shredder v1.0 Review (A Free Data Wipe Tool) GA S REGULAR Menu Lifewire Tech for Humans Newsletter! Search Close GO Software & Apps > Backup & Utilities 39 39 people found this article helpful

CBL Data Shredder v1.0

A Full Review of CBL Data Shredder, a Free Data Destruction Software Tool

By Tim Fisher Tim Fisher Senior Vice President & Group General Manager, Tech & Sustainability Emporia State University Tim Fisher has more than 30 years' of professional technology experience. He's been writing about tech for more than two decades and serves as the VP and General Manager of Lifewire. lifewire's editorial guidelines Updated on February 1, 2022 Tweet Share Email Tweet Share Email Backup & Utilities File Types Apps Windows MS Office Linux Google Drive Backup & Utilities Design Cryptocurrency CBL Data Shredder is an easy-to-use free data destruction program that can be run from both inside and outside Windows, making it a very versatile program. When run from outside Windows, you can use this program to destroy a hard drive that has any operating system installed to it. From within Windows, this free tool can completely erase any internal or external drive other than the one you're using for Windows, which is usually the C: drive. Download CBL Data Shredder This review is of CBL Data Shredder version 1.0. Please let us know if there's a newer version we need to review.

More About CBL Data Shredder

CBL Data Shredder comes in two versions, both of which are useful for different scenarios. The first is a bootable program that can be used on a floppy disk or a data disc, and the other is a regular program that works in Windows 7, Vista, and XP. It's also said to run in Windows 8 and 10 (and probably Windows 11), but only if the program is launched with administrative rights. The bootable program that comes as a floppy disk program or ISO disc image is useful for erasing the hard drive that an operating system is installed to. For example, if you're wanting to wipe a Linux or Windows hard drive, use this method to boot from the floppy or disc to erase the drive. The Windows version is useful if you need to destroy all the files on a flash drive or some other connected hard drive other than the one you're using right now to run Windows and the CBL Data Shredder program itself. In both the bootable version and the Windows program, the following data sanitization methods are supported: DoD 5220.22-MGutmannRMCP DSXSchneierVSITR In addition to the several methods listed above, you can also create your own wipe method be defining zeros, ones, or some custom text that should be used as the overwriting text. You can also choose a custom number of rewrites for a more thorough clean. To use the bootable program on a floppy disk, extract the contents of CBL_Data_Shredder-DOS-en.zip and open CBL-Data_Shredder-floppymaker.exe, ensuring that the floppy is inserted. The program will place the CBL-Data_Shredder-dos.exe program on the floppy so it can be used while booting up the computer. Few if any of you probably have floppy drives anymore, so the CBL Data Shredder DOS CD-R Image ISO file is what you'll want. See How to Burn an ISO Image File to learn how to properly burn that file to a disc, and then see our How to Boot From a Disc tutorial if you need help loading the program once it's on the disc. To use it from a flash drive or other USB device, you'll need to download the same ISO image that's used for a disc. However, once downloaded, you need to open the file in the Rufus program. Your other option for making a bootable flash drive version of this program is to extract the contents of CBL Data Shredder DOS CD-R Image.iso using a file extractor program like 7-Zip. Once extracted, you'll find an IMG file called Boot-1.44M.img in a folder named [BOOT]. Burn this IMG file to the flash drive using Win32 Disk Imager, and then boot from the device to run the program. The Windows version is easy to use: launch the program and choose Select Disk to locate the drive that should be wiped. Then just pick an erase method and hit Start.

CBL Data Shredder Pros & Cons

There's little to dislike:

Pros

Erases everything on a hard driveBootable options availableAble to wipe away any operating systemCan be used from inside WindowsNot confusing or difficult to use

Cons

Windows version doesn't make you confirm before deleting a driveMust enter your email address to get the download links

Thoughts on CBL Data Shredder

There are multiple reasons we prefer some data destruction programs over others. We like a program to be able to erase everything on a hard drive regardless of the installed OS, for it to be easy to use, and for it to support secure and industry accepted erase methods. CBL Data Shredder hits all of these points. The bootable program means you can delete absolutely everything on a drive, both the bootable version and the Windows version could hardly be easier to use, and the data sanitization methods CBL Data Shredder can use will certainly ensure that no file recovery program can retrieve your deleted files in the future. Something we don't like is that you aren't asked twice if you want to erase a hard drive when using the Windows version. This means files will begin to be permanently overwritten the moment you press the Start button. The bootable program, however, makes you confirm, which is great. Also, the bootable program tells you how large each drive is but that's about all the identifiable information you're given. This means it can be a little tricky to know which drive you really want to destroy and which you want to keep. Some of the program text in the Windows version might be in German, but because so little of it is, we don't see it as a huge problem. The cancel button, for example, is in German but it's the only button that's clickable while files are being wiped, so it's really not hard to miss. Download CBL Data Shredder Was this page helpful? Thanks for letting us know! Get the Latest Tech News Delivered Every Day Subscribe Tell us why! Other Not enough details Hard to understand Submit More from Lifewire 35 Best Free Data Destruction Tools (October 2022) KillDisk Review (Free Data Destruction Software) HDDErase v4.0 Free Data Wipe Software Program 32 Best Free File Shredder Programs (October 2022) Samsung HUTIL v2.10 Review: Free Hard Drive Test Tool How to Erase a Hard Drive Using DBAN What Is a Data Sanitization Method? (Data Wipe Methods) Western Digital Data LifeGuard Diagnostic Tool Review 14 Best Free Hard Drive Testing Tools (October 2022) AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard Edition v9 Review 4 Best Free Memory Test Programs (October 2022) DBAN 2.3.0 (Darik's Boot and Nuke) Review How to Burn an ISO File to a USB Drive How to Wipe a Hard Drive How to Use the Format Command to Write Zeros to a Hard Drive How to Boot From a CD, DVD, or BD Disc Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up Newsletter Sign Up By clicking “Accept All Cookies”, you agree to the storing of cookies on your device to enhance site navigation, analyze site usage, and assist in our marketing efforts. Cookies Settings Accept All Cookies