How to Erase A PDF File on My Computer?
Summary: A secure disposal method should be used for PDF files because they contain sensitive information. We’ll look at a few simple techniques in this post for safely and easily deleting your PDF files.
PDF (Portable Document Format) is a famous and most used file format to create vital documents, letters, certificates, etc. The majority of our PDF files are kept on the computer, but we remove them once they’ve served their function. However, we have to look out not to mistakenly remove any important PDF files while performing a system clean-up.
PDF deletion and erasing are two different things. It is possible for malicious sources to recover deleted PDF files and use them against you. Due to the possibility that they contain highly-sensitive data, you should use extreme caution when deleting them from your PCs. Due to this, it’s crucial to securely delete PDF files using specific utilities and a tool that was created just for this reason, which we will cover in a later section of this article.
Let’s look at several manual procedures you can use to remove PDFs from your computer forever.
Techniques to Erase PDF Files from Your Computer
You can safely & completely remove any unwanted files from your computer using the following PDF erasing techniques.
We’ll start with basic file deletion techniques before moving on to more advanced ones.
Method 1: Using standard file deletion techniques to delete PDF files
You can easily choose the PDF files you wish to remove from your computer by selecting them and then clicking the delete button. They will be placed in the Recycle Bin, which you can empty later, by doing this. Simply press the SHIFT + erase key combination to permanently erase the unnecessary PDF files if you don’t want to go through the effort of emptying the recycle bin.
Note that this technique only deletes your PDFs momentarily. They will still be on the drive and retrievable.
Method 2: Using Cipher in Windows PowerShell to Delete PDF Files.
Using the effective built-in tool Cipher, you can safely and permanently erase PDF files from a storage disk or computer. With Windows PowerShell, it is simple to access. The PDF file(s) must first be removed from the location and the Recycle Bin in order to be executed.
The steps to use the command “Cipher” are as follows:
- Open Windows PowerShell as an administrator.
- In the PowerShell terminal window, type Cipher /w:C:[Path]. Example. – Cipher /w:C:UsersAdminDownloadsdocs
- Hit the Enter key.
- The command will begin overwriting random data on the remnants of the destroyed PDF files.
- Any traces that are still there using this technique will be wiped, making PDF file recovery for any data recovery program almost impossible.
Method 3: Deleting PDF files with PowerShell’s Remove-Item Command
Using Windows PowerShell’s Remove-Item command and the ‘Recurse’ parameter is another approach to remove images from your computer permanently. You can use this command as shown below:
- Open Windows PowerShell when logged in as the administrator.
- In the console, enter the command Remove-item [Path] -recurse. Take the following example: remove-item C:usersadmindownloadsdocssample.pdf –recurse
- Allow the command to safely remove your file or files.
Method 4: Safely Erase PDF Files Using CubexSoft Data Wiping Tool
The methods mentioned above make it simple to remove PDF files from your computer. However, there is a danger that your deleted PDF files could be recovered and used illegally if the storage device ends up in the wrong hands.
You can use a strong file eraser, such as CubexSoft Data Wipe Tool, to completely eliminate the possibility of deleted files being retrieved. You can use this software to permanently remove pictures and other data that might be used inappropriately.
CubexSoft PDF Eraser is a highly user-friendly program that safely deletes files and directories by repeatedly overwriting the removed data. Users can also remove any traces of deleted data, browser history, or cache with this program.
You can use this software without worrying that someone will be able to recover your destroyed PDF files because it repeatedly overwrites them with random 0s and 1s. The original files and their traces become unrecoverable as a result of this activity.
This robust program may completely delete browser history, cache, cookies, temporary files, and other data in addition to erasing user-created files.
Software Working Steps to Erase PDF Files Permanently
The Data Eraser Tool is an easy-to-use program with a user-friendly interface that anyone may use without any issues. To utilize it, follow to these steps:
From the product’s official website, purchase and install CubexSoft Data Wipe.
Launch the application.
Select Files or Folders option to erase desired files and folders. And click on Next button to continue process.
After this, go to “Filter Options” to erase specific files by applying specified filters.
Now choose the desired data erasure method from the list and hit on Wipe button.
The software will erase the selected files from the device and make them irrecoverable beyond any scope of recovery.
Key Features/Benefits: PDF Erasure Software
PDF erasure software is designed to securely and permanently delete or overwrite sensitive data from storage devices such as hard drives, solid-state drives (SSDs), USB drives, and memory cards. These tools ensure that the data cannot be recovered using standard file recovery methods, making it ideal for protecting sensitive information when disposing of or repurposing storage devices.
Here are some common features:
Data Overwriting: the software overwrite the existing data on storage devices with random or predefined patterns to make the original data unrecoverable. They typically provide multiple erasure algorithms, such as DoD 5220.22-M, NIST 800-88, Gutmann method, or their variations, which dictate the number of passes and patterns used for data overwriting.
Multiple Device Support: PDF erasure tool is designed to work with various storage devices, including hard drives (HDDs), solid-state drives (SSDs), USB drives, memory cards, and even mobile devices like smartphones and tablets. They often support different interfaces like SATA, USB, NVMe, and SCSI.
Scalability and Efficiency: Advanced PDF erasure tool is designed to handle large-scale data erasure requirements efficiently. They may support simultaneous erasure of multiple drives or offer centralized management capabilities for erasing data across multiple devices in an organization.
Ease of Use: User-friendly interfaces and intuitive workflows are common features of PDF File Eraser tool. It help to simplify the erasure process and minimize the potential for errors.
Customization Options: PDF File Eraser tool can provide customization options to align with specific requirements. Users can often select the number of passes, choose the erasure algorithm, define patterns, or configure other parameters based on their security policies or compliance needs.
Bottom Line
Erasing PDF files is similar to deleting other types of files on a daily basis. But deleting is what actually differentiates. Erasing guarantees a secure, long-lasting deletion of the files from your system. You can effectively and permanently delete PDF files using the methods described in this article.
