To begin with, open File Explorer (Win+E) and navigate to the location of the files to be deleted. This is a simple method of deleting the file(s) or folder(s). All you have to do is select the file, and drag and drop it to the Recycle Bin. Deleting a folder consisting of other files or folders will delete all that is inside that folder, so make sure you check properly before doing so.
First, transfer everything you want to keep to another machine, remembering to back it up. Then, fully reinstall the operating system to securely wipe all the data on the SSD. If you’re on a computer, your first move should be to delete the file from File Explorer in Windows or Finder in macOS. Then clear out whichever undelete tool your operating system uses—either the Recycle Bin or the Trash folder. That’s where most people would stop and move on to another task, leaving their data vulnerable.
A file may be set as read-only, meaning the user can only open it for viewing and not modify or delete it. When trying to delete a read-only file, you get a message stating the file is write-protected and cannot be deleted. Locate the item you want to delete, highlight it by left-clicking the file or folder with your mouse once, and press Delete. You can browse the location of the file or folder using My Computer or Windows Explorer. To delete in a hurry, click the offending object and press the Delete key. Dragging and dropping a file or folder to the Recycle Bin does the same thing.
So, take action today and start managing your files efficiently on Windows 11. If you have more questions, revisit the FAQ section or explore further reading on Windows file management. To delete a file, right-click on it to launch the context menu, and then select ‘Show more options’ to access the legacy context menu. Alternatively, select the file and press SHIFT + F10 and the legacy context menu will appear. Deleting files from the Recycle Bin permanently deletes them from Windows’ active memory, but the files can still be recovered with dedicated file-recovery software. If removing unwanted apps is your goal, check out our guide on how to remove unnecessary apps on your PC.
By following the straightforward steps outlined in this guide, you can effectively manage your file storage and ensure you have enough space for what matters most. Remember to periodically check and clean out your files, making use of tools like Storage Sense to automate some of the process. Keeping your computer clutter-free not only improves performance but also makes it easier to find the files you actually need.
Mac – Using the Trash
If you delete a file from an SSD, it’s erased completely to make room for a new file. The SSD approach is faster but makes data more vulnerable — most SSDs require a password to access storage. Learning how to delete files on Windows 11 is a fundamental skill that helps keep your system organized and running smoothly.
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To delete a file or folder with the delete key, follow these steps. The Delete option deletes entire folders, including any files or folders stuffed inside those folders. Make sure that you select the correct folder before you choose Delete. To delete using the Context Menu, select the file(s) or the folder(s) you wish to get rid of.
- Simply point this app to the files and folders you want to get rid of, and it will take care of the rest.
- For a Mac with a mechanical hard drive, the process depends on the age of your machine.
- Because SSDs store bits of data at random locations around the disk, you don’t really have any way to prevent people from doing this.
- CCleaner has a Drive Wiper tool that scribbles random data over the space a deleted file was occupying.
To restore a few files, hold the CTRL key, click on all the files you want to restore and then click on ‘Restore the selected items’ near the top-right corner. On launching File Explorer, you will notice the Command Bar at the top. It’s a quick way to access some of the basic tools including the ‘Delete’ icon.
If you use an SSD, deleting temporary files can also help to fix or prevent 100% disk usage. In the examples above, we are deleting the file named “my example file.txt” with quotes surrounding the complete file name and extension. We are also removing the “my example directory” directory. In the example above, this command would delete all files with a .txt file extension. In the example above, this command would delete all text files that end with a .txt file extension. Wildcards can delete multiple files or a group of files, as shown in the example below.
AVG’s own Internet Security features a built-in Data Shredder to securely delete files and prevent unwanted recovery. There are specialized software that permanently delete unwanted files from your Windows 10 PC which cannot be recovered by any file what is a reduced value recovery tools. Some of these data erasing apps are Eraser, WipeFile, Freeraser, File Shredder, Alternate File Shredder, and more.
Locate the file or folder you want to delete and right-click it. Confirm that the files are permanently removed.After emptying the Recycle Bin, the files are gone for good. Double-check the folder where the files were located to ensure they have been deleted. Deleting files on Windows 11 is a straightforward process that helps keep your system clutter-free.
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In the example above, the “test” directory in the “example” directory is deleted. You could also use the cd command to change the directory to the example directory and then delete the “test” directory using our first example shown above. To delete a subdirectory, subfolder, folder within a folder, or directory within a directory, use a command similar to the example below. Before you follow any of the steps below, you must get to an MS-DOS prompt or the Windows command line.
Linux – Using the Shred Command
For good measure, you can run a few nails through the hard drive or flash storage to make sure it can never be accessed again. After that type of damage, no one will ever touch your deleted files. If you’re getting rid of your computer or mobile device, physical destruction is the ultimate in paranoid data protection.
How to Delete Files on Windows 11
Deleting files permanently is usually irreversible — even dedicated recovery software may not be able to retrieve the data. MS-DOS users can delete directories (dir) in MS-DOS using the deltree command or rmdir command. See either of these links for additional information about these commands. Some files may only be deleted with administrator permissions. To delete these files, you would need to have administrator rights on the computer. If you are using a work computer, the technical support staff often are the only users with administrator rights on the computer.
For a Mac with a mechanical hard drive, the process depends on the age of your machine. On newer HDD Macs, we’d recommend Permanent Eraser, which is free. Simply point this app to the files and folders you want to get rid of, and it will take care of the rest. When you delete a file from your computer, it doesn’t simply disappear from existence—at least, not right away. Even if you immediately empty the Recycle Bin or Trash folder, all your deletion does is earmark the space that file takes up on your hard drive as vacant.