In this tutorial, I will explain how to permanently delete files in Windows 10/8/7. When you need to delete sensitive information like your ID, important office files or personal documents stored on your computer or hard drive, simply “Shift + Del” won’t help you. It’s true that “Shift + Del” deleted files and folders without putting them in the Recycle Bin, but are you sure no one can recover them?
When you press “Shift + Del” for files, the system does not destroy files immediately. Windows systems, for example, assign space to deleted files by changing only one character in the file table. However, if anyone uses a recovery tool before the system overwrites that space with new files, it can recover deleted files easily.
To be able to completely permanently delete files and folders in Windows 10, this open-source tool can be of great help. Alternate File Shredder is an open-source software for windows that can “delete and destroy” files and folders safely. This software will delete data without leaving any traces anywhere on the system.
What happens when Windows deletes a file?
The problem is that when you delete a file in Windows, the file is not actually “deleted“. Instead, Windows just marks the space it occupies on the hard drive as “.empty” file so it can be used to store something else and the data that makes up the file stays on the drive until then.
So what can you do when you really want to delete a file forever so that it cannot be recovered? The answer lies in what happens to a deleted file after it is overwritten with something else (file).
As soon as the new file uses up some of the disk space used to store the old file, the chances of deleting the old file are reduced. Some file recovery software can reconstruct files even if some data has been overwritten.
How to Permanently Delete Files
So, all you need to do is download and install Alternate File Shredder (available for free). You can download this software from the download button below:
Now, after you have finished installing, you will see that the interface of the software is quite simple. It has a simple toolbar at the top of the window with some colorful icons. Now to use the software, follow the steps below:
Click the Plus icon”+” to add files or folders in queue. You can also drag and drop files or folders in the UI.
You can see file details like extension, creation date and file size on the right side of the window.
If you add a file or folder that you don’t want to delete, simply select the file by clicking on it and then click on the minus icon “–” blue from the toolbar to remove files from the list.
Now, at the bottom, you can set the number of times the shredder should be “destroy (shred)“data.
You can also allow the program to write random data on that hard drive after wipe. You can choose what the system should do after the demolition process is complete.
When you are completely ready and absolutely sure about deleting the selected file, just hit the combination “CTRL + D” to delete files in the queue.
Once you confirm for the destruction process, the program will completely destroy the files without leaving any traces. The progress bar will show the status of the process. When the process is complete, you can see the time it will take to permanently delete the file.
This software works like a physical shredder in the office to shred important physical documents. This software just works. This means that no recovery tool or software can recover deleted files.
This Alternate File Shredder is quite useful for those who use portable drives to store important and sensitive documents. So, when it comes to securely deleting files from USB drives and hard drives, this software can be of great help.
