{"id":37422,"date":"2021-10-29T22:57:26","date_gmt":"2021-10-29T17:27:26","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/www.thewindowsclub.com\/?p=37422"},"modified":"2022-09-01T10:46:47","modified_gmt":"2022-09-01T05:16:47","slug":"delete-files-permanently-freeware-windows","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.thewindowsclub.com\/delete-files-permanently-freeware-windows","title":{"rendered":"Delete Files Permanently using free File Shredder software for Windows 11\/10"},"content":{"rendered":"

The Recycle Bin in Windows operating system behaves like a special directory where the deleted files can be stored temporarily before deleting all of them completely. This ensures that the user can still browse the deleted files and restore them if they have been deleted accidentally. A user can then\u00a0when he wants,\u00a0manually clear out the Recycle Bin by using its \u2018Empty Recycle Bin\u2019 function.<\/p>\n

When you delete a file<\/a>, using the Empty Recycle Bin function, Windows 10\/8\/7 removes the index for the file and prevents the operating system from accessing the file\u2019s contents. However, one can still recover the file\u2019s contents, until it has been overwritten by another file, which may or may never happens. Similarly, files that have been EFS-encrypted leave behind the unencrypted contents of the file on the disk. You can many times recover deleted files<\/a>. To delete, erase or destroy them permanently, you can use any one of these free tools.<\/p>\n

Delete Files Permanently in Windows 11\/10<\/h2>\n

You can delete files and data securely and permanently by using the following methods:<\/p>\n

    \n
  1. Free File Wiper<\/li>\n
  2. SDelete or Cipher<\/li>\n
  3. Microsoft Surface Data Eraser<\/li>\n
  4. Other free File Shredder software<\/li>\n<\/ol>\n

    Let us take a look at them in detail.<\/p>\n

    1] Free File Wiper<\/h3>\n

    It a simple utility that lets you permanently delete files and folders via the context menu.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Once you decide to shred a file and send it via the context menu, you will get a confirmation box first.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    After you click Yes, the files will be deleted permanently. The files or folders that are deleted are overwritten with standard and random patterns and after the wipe, cannot be undeleted or restored.<\/p>\n

    The tool displays an icon near the taskbar. Right-clicking allows you to set the options.<\/p>\n

    \"\"<\/p>\n

    Whenever files are selected and deleted the icon residing in the system tray turns red and displays delete progress. The operation is super quick and once initiated, cannot be canceled. If you don’t like the icon appearing on your desktop, once you have set your options, you can right-click it again and select Exit. The tool will continue to work, nevertheless.<\/p>\n

    Since Free File Wiper is a portable application, it does not require any kind of installation method and can be easily carried on a USB drive. Do note that though the application is distributed as freeware, the author accepts\u00a0donations from its users, so do not get irritated if you find a \u2018Donate\u2019 window appearing on your computer screen, once a week. You can get it here<\/a><\/strong>.<\/p>\n

    2] Delete files permanently with SDelete or Cipher from Microsoft<\/h3>\n

    Microsoft SysInternals also has a powerful tool that lets you delete files permanently. With the SDelete<\/strong> tool from Microsoft<\/a>, which you can download for free, you can overwrite the contents of free space on your disk to prevent deleted or encrypted files from being recovered. Cipher<\/strong><\/a> is a command-line tool from Microsoft that lets you encrypt, decrypt, securely erase, wipe deleted data and free space.<\/p>\n

    Read<\/strong>: How to wipe Hard Disk and MFT clean<\/a>.<\/p>\n

    3] Microsoft Surface Data Eraser<\/h3>\n

    Microsoft Surface Data Eraser<\/a> is a simple tool that boots from a USB stick and allows a user to perform a secure wipe of all data from a compatible Surface device<\/p>\n

    4] Free File Shredder software<\/h3>\n

    Apart from these, there are other freeware to delete files permanently. These free Secure Delete software<\/a> will help you securely delete your data irrevocably. Some of them are being mentioned below:<\/p>\n