To delete file(s)
without moving to the Recycle Bin first, select the folder or files and press
SHIFT+Delete (at the same time) on your keyboard. Windows asks for
confirmation before it removes the files – when you are asked “Are you sure you
want to permanently delete this file(s)?”, press Yes.
What are the
Dangers of Unsecure File Deletion?
The files we delete using either SHIFT + DELETE keys or emptying the Recycle Bin only remove
them from the storage device. However, as stated earlier, only their headers
and pointers are removed, and the allocated space is cleared for overwriting.
If this data is not overwritten, anyone can easily
recover it with the help of an advanced file recovery software. This data can
be misused to harm you in numerous ways –
- Leakage or misuse of confidential data
- Identity theft
- Exposed financial information
- Loss of reputation due to data breach
Methods to Permanently
Delete Files from Your Computer
It is important to be aware
of secure file erasure as it can save us from situations that could harm our
privacy. And it’s equally important to know ways to permanently erase files from
your PC, in a secure way. Let’s look at the methods one by one.
Method
1: Empty the Recycle Bin
Emptying the Recycle bin will ensure
that you or no one can casually go and restore a deleted file after it has
served its purpose. Following are different ways to empty a Recycle Bin.
- Right-click
on the Recycle Bin and click on Empty
Recycle Bin
- Open
Recycle Bin, right-click anywhere to bring a pop-up menu and then click on Empty Recycle Bin.
- Empty
the Recycle Bin by clicking on Recycle
Bin Tools on the menu bar and clicking on Empty Recycle Bin.
Method
2: Permanently delete files using File Explorer Ribbon
Another quick and easy way to
permanently delete files from your computer is using the File Explorer ribbon. The steps are
quite simple to follow –
- Open File Explorer by pressing WINDOWS + E.
- Locate
the file/s you want to delete and select them.
- Click
on Home in the
File Explorer ribbon.
- Locate
the Delete icon
and click on the down arrow under
it.
- Click
on Permanently Delete.
Method
3: Use SHIFT + DELETE
If you don’t want to use the File
Explorer ribbon or empty the recycle bin every time after deleting files, you
can use this direct keyboard method. It is a simple method where you have to
select the files and press a key combination to delete them. Here are the steps
to use this method –
- Locate
and select the files you wish to permanently delete.
- Press SHIFT + DELETE.
This action will permanently
delete the selected file/s from your PC. Hence, be careful while using this
method and ensure you don’t accidentally delete an important file.
Page Created by:- Chinmoy Tewary
#DELETE
#blog
#FILE
#blogger
#follow
#like
#blogging
#computer
#blogpost
#Staysafe
#computerpedia
#CHINMOYGURU
