Permanently Delete Files on Windows 10/11 – Complete Removal

Summary: In this piece of information, we will discuss the different ways to permanently delete files on PC Windows 10/11. Also, will explore the appropriate reasons to wipe files.

In this prevailing era, secure file deletion is critical among users who are concerned about their personal information. Next, with the rise of malicious cyber threats and data importance, just simply moving a file to a recycle bin is not sufficient. Due to this, understanding the ways to completely erase files has become essential. So that, the unauthorized parties couldn’t recover the sensitive information.

Ensuring that files are deleted permanently is not just about wiping, but also about protecting the individual’s identity and privacy. Moreover, as the technology changes so will the updates need to be evolved to address the challenges with more robust security features. That’s why secure file deletion in Windows 10 & 11 is the need of the hour. The only way to accomplish complete wipe is to follow the steps:

What Happens if We Don’t Permanently Delete Large Files on PC?

Whenever you perform a delete operation, it doesn’t mean the file is gone forever. And also, hitting the delete button often removes the reference, leaving the actual data hiding somewhere in the PC. These files are referred to as “ghost files,” and can ultimately lead to privacy risks, waste storage, and a cluttered system. Now, let’s explore why deleting files is essential for performance and security.

Storage inefficiency: Big files that you delete may no longer be visible, and you technically can no longer open them, but they take up space on the disk. And while these hidden uses of space may not complicate your user experience individually, they can slow your system down over time, like a full attic that is technically “empty” but stuffed with garbage.

Privacy risk: Deleted files can sometimes be restored using particular software; therefore, they can be misused if you sell, donate, or share your device. And cybercriminals could pick up on those scraps to contrive to steal or sell confidential information.

No real deletion:  More often than not, “deleting” a file simply sends it to the Recycle Bin or frees its storage from being marked as in use. The contents of the file are undamaged and recoverable until that space is overwritten.

Clutter: Even hidden files add to the digital mess. The more unnecessary data you have on your system, the trickier it is to maintain and manage order and access whatever you need instantly.

Techniques to Permanently Delete Files on Windows 11 & 10

Completely wiping data has become essential to protect your privacy and confidential data. Here, is the detailed video on the tips and tricks to permanently delete files on PC.

 
Now, to do so follow the strategies discussed here by using:

1. Shift + Delete
2. File Explorer Ribbon
3. Command Prompt
4. Cipher
5. PowerShell

#1: Permanently Delete Files on Windows 11/10 Using Shift + Delete

The Shift + Delete is the traditional method to entirely delete files by bypassing the Recycle Bin. However, it is important to jot down why this method doesn’t completely erase the files from storage devices – leaving scope for recovery with specialized software.

• Navigate to the file(s) you want to erase – Open File Explorer. Browse the file/ folder location you wish to permanently delete.

• Select the file(s) – Press Ctrl + A to highlight all files. Or for selective pick, hold down the Ctrl key and click on each file.
• Permanently delete with a keyboard shortcut – Next, hold the Shift key and press the Delete key. This bypasses the Recycle Bin and permanently removes the files.

This method does not permanently delete files as it can be recovered by advanced forencics tools. Thus, for irrecoverable deletion jump to this section.

#2: Completely Erase Files Utilizing the File Explorer Ribbon

Likewise, the previous method, this guide with a hidden gem i.e. File Explorer Ribbon lets you bypass the Recycle Bin and permanently delete files. While the Recycle bin acts as a first layer of deletion but does not guarantee complete removal. With this much information, let’s get into the guide:

• Open File Explorer on your computer. Then, locate the files that you want to permanently erase.
• Either hold CTRL and click to pick a particular file(s) or use CTRL + A to highlight all files in a folder.
• After that, go to the “Delete” icon in the File Explorer ribbon. Now, a dropdown menu will appear. Here, pick the “Permanently delete” option to bypass the Recycle Bin way.

#3: How to Permanently Delete Files on Windows 10/11 with Command Prompt?

Using the Command Prompt (CMD) to delete files completely can be more extensive/ comprehensive than the graphical interface methods. This approach can handle files with long names or special characters, enabling the broad aspect for recursive deletion of directories. Further, this method is particularly useful for batch file deletions.

• Open Command Prompt as administrator – Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Then, type “cmd“. After that, press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to launch Command Prompt with administrator privileges.

• Navigate to the file location – Use the “cd” command to change and browse through the directories to reach the folder that contains the desired files you want to wipe.
• Permanently delete using the del command – Type “del /f /q” followed by the filename in quotes. For Example – del /f /q “filename.txt”. Here, the purpose of “/f” and “/q” is to force the deletion and suppress the confirmation prompt respectively.

#4: How to Securely Wipe Large Files on a PC with Cipher?

Performing permanent delete files on Windows 10/11 is essential to protect sensitive information for unhazardous purposes. To do so, there are multiple ways one of which is using the Cipher tool. This approach ensures that the deleted data is erased beyond recovery. The mechanism used here is overwriting passes with random patterns. Find the steps given below:

• Firstly, press the Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Next, type “cmd“. Then, press Ctrl + Shift + Enter to open Command Prompt as an administrator.

• Afterward, use the “cd” command to change directories. Navigate to the folder with the files you want to completely delete.
• Permanently erase using the Cipher command – Type “cipher /w:filename.txt“. Make sure to replace “filename.txt” with the actual filename. Using the code, the file data is overwritten by random values, making recovery impossible. ‘w‘ can be lowercase or uppercase (doesn’t matter).

Here, make sure to close all other applications while running the CIPHER /w command.

#5: Permanently Delete Files in Windows 10/11 with PowerShell

Deleting files entirely using PowerShell can be a robust solution. This method utilizes PowerShell’s powerful scripting capabilities for data deletion. With this efficient approach, organizations can safeguard sensitive information maintaining their privacy and data regulations. Let’s explore the practical implementation of PowerShell commands.

• Open the PowerShell window – Press Windows key + R, type “powershell“, and press Enter.

• Navigate to the file location – Use the “Set-Location” command followed by the path to the folder containing the files (e.g., Set-Location “C:\Users\YourUsername\Documents”).

• Permanently delete using Remove-Item – Type “Remove-Item -Path ‘filename.txt’ -Recurse” (replace “filename.txt” with the actual filename and use the “-Recurse” parameter for folders).

Shortcomings in the Manual Techniques to Permanently Delete Large Files

As we know the importance of erasing essential files using the above methods. Now, let’s find the challenges in the easily accessible approaches:

• Most of the above-mentioned solutions don’t erase data, leaving a scope of data recovery unless it is completely overwritten.
• The CMD method – requires command-line knowledge, which could be technical for non-tech individuals.
• In the SDelete step, wiping files multiple times with random data could be time consuming – particularly for large files. It could also affect the system’s performance.
• The Remove-Item command does not overwrite data, making it recoverable.

How to Permanently Delete Files on PC Windows 10 & 11 using Absolute Tech?

Keeping in mind, the aforementioned ways to delete files, does not completely erase them. As a result, we suggest you the SysTools data wipe tool that can delete large files completely without leaving any traces of recovery.

 
This tool holds the potential to run on a wide range of devices from external hard drives to internal files. Now, use the tool to experience the latest wiping algorithm, leaving no space for digital conquest. Features that stand this tool out of competition:

• Permanently delete all data remnants with international standards.
• Military-grade software for wiping devices and drives.
• Erase caches, temporary files, recent data, and other traces.
• Ensure data destruction with a wiping report.
• Choose to add files or folders for complete data removal.
• Effective data sanitization methods for PC repurposing and disposal.
• Compliant with 20+ global standards like ISO, GDPR, HIPAA, etc.
• Wipe data from various storage devices, including HDD, PATA, SATA, and NVMe & M.2.

Steps on How to Completely Erase File(s)/ Folder(s) from Any Location

Step 1. Install and launch the professional software. Next, choose the “File/ Folder” Option.

Step 2. Click on the Select File(s)/ Select Folder(s) as per your Need.

Step 3. After that, locate the file(s) or folder(s) source and click on Next to scan it.

Step 4. Choose a data-wiping method.

Step 5. Click Wipe to start the process.

Step 6. Verify the details of the wiped file/ folder on the report shared.

Final Words

In this write-up, we have tried to answer the query of “how to permanently delete files on Windows 10/11?” By using several methods such as Shift + Delete, File Explorer ribbon, CMD, Cipher, PowerShell, and other potential utilities. Each method holds unique potential and drawbacks. Thus, countering such limitations on every manual approach, we suggest the absolute tech discussed above. Now, you can easily eliminate the remnants of deletion in a few clicks.

Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)

Here are some of the frequent questions which users asked while doing data deletion. Let’s answer them one by one:

1. Why can’t Shift + Delete just permanently delete files?

Ans 1. Shift + Delete skips the Recycle Bin, but it does not really destroy the file. So with that, the file can be recovered by forensic software unless it gets overwritten.

2. Does formatting the drive delete the file permanently?

Ans 2. A quick format will simply remove references of that file from the file system, and these files can be recovered with special software. For permanent deletion, a full format or secure wipe is necessary.

3. Is it possible to retrieve deleted files from cloud storage?

Ans 3. Yes, most cloud services hold deleted files in a trash or backup folder for some time. Be sure to delete them permanently from any synced devices and from cloud backups.