How to Permanently Delete Files on Windows For Free?
It’s no secret that just deleting files on a Windows PC doesn’t actually remove them from the hard drive. Even if you skip or empty the Recycle Bin, remnants of those files can remain until they are overwritten, making them recoverable with data recovery program. If you want to permanently delete files on Windows for free, there are reliable ways to erase them so that no one can access or restore your sensitive data.
This guide will show you how to securely and completely wipe files from a Windows system, ensuring they are gone for good.
Easy Ways to Permanently Delete Files on Windows for Free
Windows lets you erase an entire drive or just the free space, completely overwriting the data with zeroes to make it unrecoverable. However, if you only want to delete specific files or folders, Windows doesn’t offer a built-in option. To securely remove selected files, folders, or other data, you’ll need to use trusted File Erasure Tool.
Technique 1: Use Windows’ Built-In Tool to Wipe a Hard Drive
Microsoft notes that performing a full format on a drive overwrites existing data with zeroes, making it unrecoverable (this applies to Windows Vista and later). Note that Quick Format does not fully erase data. To completely wipe an internal drive, external drive, or USB drive, follow these steps:
- Open File Explorer from the Start menu.
- Find the drive you want to erase
- Right-click the drive and choose Format.
- In the Format options, uncheck the Quick Format box.
- Click Start to begin fully wiping the drive.
You can also adjust other settings, like the file system type, if needed.
Caution: When the process starts, the data will be permanently lost and cannot be recovered. Make sure you back up any important files before proceeding.
Technique 2: Permanently Remove Deleted Files by Wiping Free Space
Since files deleted normally can still be recovered, it’s a good idea to overwrite the free space on your drive to completely erase any leftover data. You can do this using Windows Terminal:
- Open the Start Menu and type Windows Terminal.
- Launch Windows Terminal. You can also press Windows + X and select Windows Terminal (Admin).
- Type the following command: cipher /w:X:\
(Replace ‘X’ with the drive letter you want to wipe.)
- Press Enter. The Terminal will show progress as it overwrites the free space.
The time required depends on the amount of free space and your system speed. This ensures deleted files cannot be recovered.
Technique 3: Clean Temporary and Junk Files Using Disk Cleanup
Windows’ built-in Disk Cleanup tool helps remove temporary and unnecessary files:
- Search for Disk Cleanup in the Start Menu.
- In the Disk Cleanup window, check Temporary Internet Files (and other categories you want to remove), then click OK.
- Confirm the deletion when prompted. To remove additional system files or cached webpage data, click Clean up system files.
This method helps free up space and ensures temporary files don’t contain recoverable data.
Way 4: Securely Delete Sensitive Data with SDelete
SDelete is a command-line utility from Microsoft that permanently erases files, folders, and even free space using the DoD 5220.22-M standard, making recovery virtually impossible.
- Download SDelete.zip from Microsoft’s official website.
- Extract it to your Desktop or any folder.
- Open the folder where SDelete was extracted.
- Hold Shift and right-click inside the folder.
- Select Open Command Window Here (or “Open PowerShell window here”).
- Type sdelete and press Enter to see all available options.
You can then use SDelete to permanently erase files, folders, or even wipe free space on your drive so sensitive information is completely gone.
Way 5: Clear Your Browsing History to Protect Privacy
To maintain privacy on Windows, it’s important to regularly delete your browsing history, cookies, and cache files, either when closing your browser or shutting down your system.
For Microsoft Edge:
- Open Microsoft Edge.
- Click the Hub icon or the three-dot menu in the top-right corner.
- Select Settings from the menu.
- Go to Privacy, search, and services in the left-hand panel.
- Under Clear browsing data, click Choose what to clear.
- Expand the drop-down menu.
- Set the Time range to All time.
- Check all the items you want to delete and click Clear now.
- Restart the browser to apply changes.
For Google Chrome:
- Press Ctrl + Shift + Delete to open the clear history menu.
- Click Advanced, choose the Time range, and select the items to delete (browsing history, cookies, cache, etc.).
- Click Delete Data to remove the selected items.
Note: These steps help remove browsing data, but they do not permanently erase it from your drive. For complete deletion, you would need to use secure file-wiping tools.
Way 6: All-in-One Solution to Permanently Delete Files on Windows
Specialized file erasure software can securely delete data using multiple passes and advanced algorithms, making it impossible to recover. With such tools, you can remove any type of file i.e. temporary files, media files, browsing history, cached data, log files, and other unnecessary junk.
CubexSoft Data Eraser is a free and reliable tool that permanently deletes files from your Windows PC, ensuring your sensitive data is fully protected. It can securely wipe individual files, folders, or even entire drives and partitions. The software also helps free up disk space and allows you to schedule automatic deletion tasks. With Data Eraser Software, you can efficiently manage all your file-erasing needs in one simple process.
Top Features of Data Erase Tool: Securely Erase Your Data
- Permanently removes files and folders so they cannot be recovered.
- Cleans entire drives or selected partitions safely.
- Overwrites deleted data multiple times for maximum security.
- Supports internal hard drives, SSDs, USB drives, and external storage.
- Allows erasing only free space to protect previously deleted files.
- Lets you choose specific files, folders, or entire directories for deletion.
- Follows military-grade and government-approved wiping standards.
- Generates a detailed log of deleted files for confirmation.
- Provides an easy-to-use interface for one-click secure erasure.
- Frees up disk space while ensuring sensitive data is completely wiped.
Final Thoughts
While Windows allows you to permanently erase an entire drive or wipe free space using built-in tools or the command line, it does not provide an option to securely delete specific files or folders. For this reason, using a reliable file erasure program is the best way to permanently remove selected files, folders, browsing history, and other sensitive data from your Windows PC.
