2 Ways for How to Permanently Delete Files in Windows 7
Quick Navigation:
- Part 1. What happens while deleting files in Windows 7
- Part 2. How secure delete methods work
- Part 3. How to permanently delete files in Windows 7 with SDelete
- Part 4. How to permanently delete files on Windows 7
"I'm looking for ways to securely wipe files on my Windows 7 64-bit PC! Since I plan to give this computer as a gift to my nephew, completely deleting sensitive data is indeed crucial. It is very necessary to delete the data completely, making it like a new one."
Permanently deleting files in Windows 7 is not as easy as you might think. It doesn't mean they will disappear forever even if you empty the Recycle Bin after the deletion. It's very important to permanently delete files in Windows 7 if you don't want anybody to view the files or you want to resell or donate the computer. You should know that there are dozens of data recovery software programs capable of recovering deleted files. Anyway, don't worry. This article covers 4 parts, telling you all the information about how to permanently delete files on Windows 7.
Part 1. What happens while deleting files in Windows 7
When you delete a file by right-clicking the "Delete" option or dragging it to the Recycle Bin and emptying the Recycle Bin, the deleted file still exists on your hard drive. Windows 7 will mark the space where the deleted file once occupied on the hard drive as "empty", preparing it for storing new files. With a data recovery program, like Qiling Data Recovery, it can help to easily and quickly recover deleted files in Windows 7 if you haven't done any extra tasks. To solve the problem, you need professional secure deletion tools or methods for help.
Part 2. How secure delete methods work
Instead of simply marking a deleted file as "Deleted" and waiting for other data to overwrite the deleted file and occupy the space, secure deletion tools and methods will overwrite the space with other data, which is invisible as well, making it unrecoverable. It sounds complicated. However, with sophisticated storage technology, methods and tools have been developed to make this process accessible. You can't permanently delete files in Windows 7 manually without special tools.
Part 3. How to permanently delete files in Windows 7 with SDelete
To ensure that Windows 7 deleted files are safe from being recovered, Microsoft developed SDelete. It is a command line utility that allows you to delete one or multiple files and directories, and cleanse the free space on a logical disk. Following are the steps for how to use SDelete to permanently delete files in Windows 7.
Step 1. Create a new folder on your hard disk to save the SDelete utility. Next, download SDelete and save it to the folder. Please remember the file path, because you will use it soon.
Step 2. Click the Start menu at the bottom left, type in "cmd" in the Windows Search box, and press Enter (Return). Next, type the file path of SDelete, where you have saved it. For example, if it is located at C:\cmdtools, type cd C:\cmdtools, and press Enter.
Step 3. Please type SDelete, then the file path or directory where you want to delete the file or directory, and press Enter. For example, to delete C:\mysecuredata.txt, you would type SDelete c:\mysecuredata.txt, and press Enter.
Step 4. When the deletion is finished, you'll receive confirmation that the files or directory is permanently deleted.
Part 4. How to permanently delete files on Windows 7
Besides using SDelete to permanently delete files in Windows 7, you have other options, such as using a dedicated tool. Here I'd like to recommend Qiling File Shredder. It is designed for people who know little about computers, command line, or other techniques. From its main window, you can see how to permanently delete files/folders on Windows 7. Here are the simple steps.
Step 1. Download Qiling File Shredder on your computer. Double-click the .exe installation file to install it on your computer. It's fully compatible with Windows 7.
Step 2. In the main window, click the big "+" to select files or folders you want to permanently delete in Windows 7. And from there, you can select how many times the software will overwrite the files or folder. The default is 3 times.
Step 3. Navigate to the file path or directory to select files or folders to delete. Please note that files and folders are folded under directories. You need to click the "+" before each directory to unfold them.
Step 4. Let the Windows 7 permanently delete files software do the rest for you. There will be a progress bar, telling you whether it is finished or not.
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