How to permanently delete files from computer without recovery Windows 11/10/8/7 (2024)

Updated byCicion March 21, 2024

Written byBritish

Deleted files can often be recovered by calling a professionaldatagendannelsetool, and it's a problem if you pass your PC or PC-related technology to someone else. Whether it is sensitive financial data, business documents or scandalous photos that can be used to blackmail you. You probably don't want people to get their hands on your private things.

So most computer users want to knowhow to permanently delete files from computer without recovery. This action is easy to perform. Follow this guide to learn how to permanently delete files on a PC or laptop and protect your data, whether you're throwing away a computer, external hard drive, or USB stick.

Usable solutionsStep-by-step troubleshooting
How to permanently delete files from computer without recovery(Bitwiper) Step 1: Launch EaseUS BitWiper and click "File Shredder"; Step 2: Click "Add Files"to select the files....Full step
How to make sure deleted files cannot be recovered(The Data Recovery Wizard) Step 1: Select the location you want to scan. Select the specific device and drive where you…Full step

How to permanently delete files from computer without recovery

When you delete a file from your computer using the standard delete function, the sh*t+Delete keys, emptying the Recycle Bin or even formatting a hard drive, it will persist on your hard drive and allow users to recover files for a specific purpose .

How do you permanently delete files so they can't be recovered?

To permanently delete files from PC or laptop without recovery, you need to do thisdryInto deleteyour computer. In this way, permanently deleted data can no longer be recovered. Windows doesn't offer a built-in tool that can scan and wipe your hard drive for deleted files, but there are a wide variety of third-party software you can choose from.

EaseUS BitWiper provides a "File Shredder" feature to erase all disk data permanently in Windows 11/10/8/7. It can help you completely wipe all data and partitions on your hard drive with solutions that comply with the DoD 5220.22-M Wiping Standard.

EaseUS BitWiper supports many basic and advanced hard drive management functions.

Free download

Windows 11/10/8/7100% sure

Tip: Erasing the drive cannot be undone once changes have been applied.

Trin 1.Start EaseUS BitWiper and click on "File Shredder".

How to permanently delete files from computer without recovery Windows 11/10/8/7 (1)

Trin 2.Click "Add Files"to select the files you want to destroy, or you can drag files, documents, pictures, music files, etc. to the center area.

How to permanently delete files from computer without recovery Windows 11/10/8/7 (2)

Trin 3.Reselect the files you want to destroy and click "Destroy" to confirm.

How to permanently delete files from computer without recovery Windows 11/10/8/7 (3)

Trin 4.The program will immediately destroy all selected files. When it's done, click 'Done'.

How to permanently delete files from computer without recovery Windows 11/10/8/7 (4)

EaseUS partition and disk eraser software allows you to erase hard drive multiple times. Normally, after two deletions, your data will be permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.

Free download

Windows 11/10/8/7100% sure

How to make sure deleted files cannot be recovered

To check if the file has been permanently deleted from your computer, you can test it with a technical data recovery program -EaseUS data recovery wizard. It is a reliable tool that you can use to scan and recover files lost due to careless deletion, hard drive formatting, operating system crash, virus attack or partition loss.

But this software, as well as all data recovery software on the market,cannot recover deleted ones, deleted or overwritten files. So, by using this application you can easily check if the file you deleted is missing permanently.

Step 1. Select the location to scan

Select the specific device and drive on which you permanently deleted files using Shift delete or by emptying the Recycle Bin. Then click the "Scan" button to find lost files.

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Step 2. Check the results

The software automatically starts scanning over the selected drive. After the scan is completed, select the "Deleted Files" and "Other Lost Files" folders from the left panel. Then use the "Filter" function or click the "Find Files or Folders" button to quickly find the deleted files.

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Step 3. Recover Deleted Files

Select the deleted files and click "Preview". Then click "Recover" to save them to another safe location or device.

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What data cannot be recovered?

Data deleted.Once the wipe operation is completed, the files will no longer be recovered by any data recovery software. If the number of times to wipe the hard drive is set to 10, the data will never be recovered by any data recovery solution.

Overwritten data.After data loss, continue to use the hard drive or storage device and write new data over the old one. Strictly speaking, it is impossible to recover overwritten files.

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More tips on how to permanently delete files from your computer

Read more tutorials on how to permanently delete files without recovery.

1.How do I permanently delete a file without sending it to the trash?

By default, when you delete a file, it is moved to the Recycle Bin on your computer. From there you can recover the deleted files if you accidentally deleted something. If you want to permanently delete your files without using the Recycle Bin, here's how to do it.

  • Right-click on the Recycle Bin and select "Properties".
  • Select the drive from which you want to permanently delete data. Check the option "Do not move files to the Trash. Delete files immediately after they are deleted." Then click "Apply" and "OK" to save the settings.

If you want to return to the default settings, you can complete this by simply disabling this feature.

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2. How to delete files permanently without restoring Android?

Just like deleting files on your computer, if you delete files on your Android phone, the files are not permanently gone. If you want, you can use the ultimateAndroid data recovery softwareto recover lost contact, SMS, photo, video, audio or document.

To permanently delete photos or videos without recovery on Android phone, you can find some free and reliable Android apps such as Secure Delete, Secure Wipe, Secure Eraser and more.

3. How do I format a hard drive so that data cannot be recovered?

The formatted hard drive can still be recovered. If you need to thoroughly delete files from a computer without recovery, formatting is not the best way. As mentioned before: we canrecover files formatted hard drivewith a file recovery tool. Therefore, you can only choose to delete data so that it cannot be recovered.

Also read: How to format hard drive partition for free

4. How can I permanently delete the file shortcut?

  • Use folder structure. Go to the local folder path and find Desktop. Find the shortcut and right-click on it to delete it. Or press Shift+Delete to permanently delete the file shortcut.
  • Rename the shortcut if you see an error such as file name too long. If this doesn't work, use a drying tool to clean.
  • Start your computer in safe mode to delete shortcut files.
How to permanently delete files from computer without recovery Windows 11/10/8/7 (2024)

FAQs

How to permanently delete files from computer without recovery Windows 11/10/8/7? ›

Step 1 Right-click on the Recycle Bin

Recycle Bin
The Trash folder shows deleted files from external drives, including removable media.
https://en.wikipedia.org › wiki › Trash_(computing)
from your desktop. Step 2 Click on 'Properties' and then choose the drive for which you want to delete the data permanently. Step 3 After selecting the drive, mark the option called 'Don't move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted'.

How to permanently Delete files on PC without recovery Windows 11? ›

See how to permanently delete files on PC without recovery via wiping drive:
  1. Go to Toolbox > Drive Scrubber.
  2. Choose the partition that saves the sensitive data, select a wipe method, and tap on WIPE SELECTED DRIVE.
Sep 14, 2023

How to recover permanently deleted files for free on Windows 10 8 7? ›

Recover Deleted Files in Windows 10 from Previous Versions
  1. Look for and right-click on the folder that contains the permanently deleted files.
  2. Click "Restore previous versions".
  3. As the pop-up window explains, previous versions come from File history backup or system restore points.

How to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 11 without software? ›

Execute the "Control Panel" app. Find "System and Security" → "File History" Click on "Restore personal files" (it's on the left sidebar) Browse through File History backup copies to find the one containing the deleted Word document → select the document (or documents) → click the green recovery button.

How to ensure data is permanently deleted? ›

Aside from smashing hard drives to bits with a hammer, the best approach is to use a file shredder or eraser program. There are many free ones available and quite simple to use. File shredder programs work by overwriting the files you want to delete with other code so that, in theory, they are no longer recoverable.

What is the program that deletes files permanently? ›

Freeraser. Freeraser is incredibly easy to use. Much like Securely File Shredder from above, it places a Recycle Bin-like icon on your desktop that you can use for a file shredder. Just drag a file or group of files to the bin, and they'll be forever erased from your computer.

How to completely wipe a file? ›

Here's how to permanently delete files through the right-click context menu:
  1. Select the file or folder you want to permanently delete, right-click it, and choose Delete.
  2. Then, right-click the Recycle Bin on your desktop and select Empty Recycle Bin.
Jan 6, 2022

Why won't Windows 11 let me delete files? ›

It's most likely because another program is currently trying to use the file. This can occur even if you don't see any programs running. When a file is open by another app or process, Windows 11/10 puts the file into a locked state, and you can't delete, modify, or move it to another location.

How can I permanently delete permanently deleted files in Windows 10? ›

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 10 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.

How do you permanently delete files so they Cannot be recovered in Windows 10? ›

To permanently delete files on Windows, send them to the Recycle Bin and then empty the Recycle Bin to delete them for good. Once the bin is empty, you can't recover the files unless you have data or file recovery software.

Where do permanently deleted files go? ›

Permanently deleted files are not necessarily gone forever, as their data usually remains on the storage device until it's overwritten by new information. As long as they haven't been overwritten, there's a good chance these files can be retrieved using a data recovery program.

How to recover permanently deleted files in Windows 8 without software? ›

How can I recover permanently deleted files in Windows 8 without software?
  1. Click Start and search File History. Select the result that says Restore your files with File History.
  2. Find the file you want to recover by entering the filename. ...
  3. Once you've selected the files you want to recover, click the Restore button.
Apr 29, 2022

How can I restore permanently deleted files without any software for free? ›

To Recover Deleted Files on Windows 10 for free:
  1. Open the Start menu.
  2. Type “restore files” and hit Enter on your keyboard.
  3. Look for the folder where you deleted files were stored.
  4. Select the “Restore” button in the middle to undelete Windows 10 files to their original location.
Jan 2, 2023

How to recover permanently deleted files from PC without software? ›

Best 6 Methods to Recover Deleted Files on Windows 10 Without Software
  1. Method 1: Check the Recycle Bin.
  2. Method 2: Recover Files Using Microsoft's Windows File Recovery.
  3. Method 3: Restore Deleted Files From Native Windows Backups.
  4. Method 4: Restore Data By Fixing the Corrupted File System Using CMD.
Mar 16, 2023

How to permanently erase data from iPhone so that it cannot be recovered? ›

Go to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone. Do one of the following: Prepare your content and settings to transfer to a new iPhone: Tap Get Started, then follow the onscreen instructions. When you finish, return to Settings > General > Transfer or Reset iPhone, then tap Erase All Content and Settings.

Does emptying the Recycle Bin permanently delete? ›

Emptying your Recycle Bin doesn't permanently delete your files. So, there is no need to blame your employee for supposedly forgetting to delete that old confidential file or your IT guy for not setting up your data backup and security right.

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