How to Permanently Delete Files on Your Computer Without the Possibility of Recovery in Windows 11/10/8/7

Updated by

Cici 

Written by

Linda 

Last updated on April 22, 2024

Deleted files can often be recovered with specialist data-recovery tools, which can be a problem if you are passing on your computer or IT equipment to someone else. Whether it's sensitive financial data, business documents, or compromising photos that could be used to blackmail you, you may not want others getting their hands on your stuff.

As a result, most computer users want to know how to permanently delete files from their computer without the possibility of recovery. It's actually quite easy to do. Read on to learn how to permanently delete files from your desktop or laptop and protect your data, whether you're getting rid of your computer, an external hard drive, or a USB flash drive.

When you remove files from your computer using the standard delete feature, pressing Shift+Delete, emptying the Recycle Bin, or even formatting your hard drive, the files remain on your hard drive and allow users to recover the file for some purpose.

How can I permanently delete a file so that it cannot be recovered?

To permanently delete files from your computer or laptop so they can't be recovered, you need to both erase and overwrite the data. This makes it impossible to recover the deleted files. Windows doesn't have a built-in tool to scan and wipe deleted files from the hard drive, but there are several third-party programs you can use.

BitWiper offers a “File Shredder” feature to permanently erase all disk data in Windows 11/10/8/7. It helps you wipe out all data and partitions from hard drives with a solution compliant to the DoD 5220.22-M erasure standard.

BitWiper supports many basic and advanced hard disk management utilities.

Note: Changes apply immediately, and wiping the disk cannot be undone.

Step 1: Run the BitWiper tool and click on “File Shredder”.

Step 2. Click on "Add File" to select the file you need to shred, or you can drag the files, documents, images, music files, etc. to the center area.

Step 3: Re-select the files you want to Shred and click "Shred" to proceed.

Step 4: The program will immediately delete the selected files. When finished, click “Done.”

Disk partitioning and erasing software will allow you to wipe your hard drive multiple times. Usually, after two passes, your data will be gone for good and unable to be recovered.

To ensure deleted files can't be recovered, follow these steps: 1. Delete the file: First, delete the file normally from your computer. On Windows, right-click the file and choose "Delete"; on a Mac, drag the file to the Trash or use "Command + Delete." 2. Empty the Recycle Bin/Trash: After deletion, empty the Recycle Bin or Trash. This permanently removes the file, making it no longer visible in the system. 3. Use a disk cleanup tool: Run a disk cleanup tool like CCleaner to scan and clear any temporary files and system junk. 4. Overwrite free space with data erasure software: Download and use a data erasure software like DBAN (Darik's Boot and Nuke) or Eraser. These tools overwrite the free space on your hard drive multiple times with random data, making it impossible for recovery tools to retrieve the deleted files. 5. Perform a low-level format on the entire drive: This is an extreme method and should only be used when you no longer need any data on the hard drive. A low-level format completely wipes all data from the hard drive, making it irrecoverable. Please note that once these steps are carried out, the files will be unrecoverable, so make sure to back up important data before starting.

If you want to check whether a file has been permanently removed from your computer, you can run a technical data recovery program – the Data Recovery Wizard tool for a scan. This is a reliable utility that can recover any lost files due to accidental deletion, hard drive formatting, OS crash, virus attack, or partition loss.

However, this app – as well as any data recovery software out there – cannot recover erased, deleted, or overwritten files. So with it, you can easily check if the files you deleted are truly lost forever.

Step 1: Select the scanning location

Select the specific device or drive from where you deleted files using Shift + Delete or emptied the Recycle Bin. Then, hit the “Scan” button to get back your lost files.

Step 2: Check the results

The software will automatically start scanning everything on the selected drive. Once the scan is complete, select the "Deleted Files" and "Other Lost Files" folders in the left panel. Then, use the "Filter" feature or click on the "Search File or Folder" button to quickly locate the deleted file.

Step 3: Recover the deleted files

Select the deleted files you want to restore, and click “Preview.” Then, hit “Recover” to save them to another secure location or device.

Select the files and click “Recover”

What types of data cannot be recovered?

Data is gone for good. After a wipe, no data-recovery software can retrieve the files. If you chose to overwrite the hard drive 10 times, data is unrecoverable by any recovery solution.

Covered data. After a loss, you continue using the hard drive or storage device and write new data over the old. Strictly speaking, files that have been overwritten cannot be recovered.

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## More Tips on Permanently Deleting Files from Your Computer ### 1. **Use a secure deletion tool.**

Read more about how to permanently delete files so they can't be recovered.

1. How can I permanently delete a file without sending it to the Recycle Bin?

When you delete a file, it usually goes into the Recycle Bin on your computer. In case you accidentally deleted a file, you can restore it from the Recycle Bin. If you want to delete a file without sending it to the Recycle Bin, follow these steps.

- Right-click the "Recycle Bin" and select "Properties." - Select the drive you want to permanently delete data from. Check off "Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately after deletion." Click "Apply" and "OK" to save your settings.

To revert to the default, simply uncheck this option.

How can I permanently delete files on Android without recovery?

Just like on a computer, when you delete something on your Android, it doesn't go away for good. If you wish, you can use an ultimate Android Data Recovery software to recover lost contacts, SMS, photos, videos, audios, or documents.

Thus, to permanently delete photos or videos from your Android phone in a way that they cannot be recovered, you can use certain free and reliable Android apps such as Secure Delete, Secure Wipe, or Secure Eraser, among others.

How can I format a hard drive to ensure that data cannot be recovered?

A formatted hard drive can still be recovered. If you need to permanently remove files from your computer so that they cannot be retrieved, formatting is not the best method. As mentioned earlier, we can use file recovery tools to recover files from a formatted hard drive. Thus, you need to choose to delete data in such a way that it cannot be recovered.

Read more: How to Format Hard Drive for Free

How do I permanently delete a shortcut to a file?

• Navigate to the directory structure. Go to your local directory path and find the desktop. Find the shortcut, right-click it, and then select "Delete." Alternatively, press "Shift + Delete" to permanently remove the shortcut from the file.
• If you get an error such as "File name too long," rename the shortcut. If that doesn't work, use a cleaning tool to erase it.
• Boot your computer in Safe Mode to delete the file shortcut.