When you delete a file in Windows, it goes to the Recycle Bin first, allowing you to restore it later. However, there are times—such as when you’re freeing up space or removing sensitive data—when you may want to bypass the Recycle Bin and permanently delete files. Here are a few ways you can do that.
Warning: Permanently deleted files are hard to get back
Before we dive into the methods for permanently deleting files, it’s important to understand that permanent truly means permanent. Once deleted this way, the file is completely removed from your system. Recovering it later can be extremely difficult—even with third-party recovery tools—and in some cases, entirely impossible.
That’s why you should only permanently delete files you’re sure you won’t need again. If there’s even a slight chance you might, delete them as usual and keep them in the Recycle Bin.
Delete files quickly with a shortcut key
The simplest and most direct way to permanently delete files or folders is by using the Shift + Delete keyboard shortcut. This instantly removes the selected items, making it the fastest way to delete files from your internal drive, external drives, or network locations. Just select the files or folders you want to remove and press Shift+Delete.
A confirmation box will appear asking if you’re sure you want to delete them permanently. If you’re certain, click “Yes” to delete the files immediately.
If you prefer using the mouse, you can also permanently delete files directly from File Explorer. Simply select the file(s), hold down the Shift key, and click the Delete (trash can) icon.
Delete files using the Command Prompt and PowerShell
If you’ve remapped the Shift+Delete shortcut for another function or simply prefer not to use keyboard shortcuts, you can permanently delete files using a simple command in Command Prompt or PowerShell. First, type Command Prompt or PowerShell in Windows Search, right-click the result, and select “Run as Administrator.”
To delete a single file, use:
To delete multiple files in a folder, use:
Make sure to replace the paths with the actual location of your files or folders.
Change Recycle Bin properties for a specific drive
Windows offers a handy option that lets you adjust Recycle Bin settings to permanently delete files from a specific drive—even when using the usual Delete method. This means files from that drive will no longer go to the Recycle Bin. However, use this option carefully, as once enabled, there’s no undo—accidentally deleted files can’t be recovered.
To turn this on, right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and select “Properties.” Choose the drive you want to modify, then check the box next to “Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted.” Click “Apply,” then “OK.” From now on, any files deleted from that drive will be permanently removed right away.
Set a custom time interval to empty the Recycle Bin
If you’re hesitant about permanently deleting specific files because you might need them again soon—but still want to keep the Recycle Bin clean—Windows offers a smarter option. You can delete files normally so they remain restorable from the Recycle Bin, and also set it to empty automatically on a schedule—daily, every few days, or weekly.
This way, you retain access to deleted files for a limited time before they’re automatically removed for good. To set this up, open the Settings app, go to System > Storage, and turn on “Storage Sense.” Next, click “Storage Sense” and choose your preferred schedule under “Delete files in my recycle bin if they have been there for over.”
Make sensitive data unrecoverable
Regardless of which of the above methods you use to delete files, they can be recovered using data recovery tools. So, if the nature of the data you’re deleting is too sensitive and you don’t want it to be recoverable, you can use sdelete, Microsoft’s Sysinternals command-line tool that overwrites the file’s data a few times before deleting, making it impossible to recover.
To securely delete sensitive data, type Command Prompt in Windows Search, right-click it, and choose “Run as Administrator.” Then, enter the following command:
sdelete -p 3 "C:\path\to\file.txt"Here, sdelete is the tool, -p 3 specifies overwriting the file’s data three times, and the rest is the path to the file you want to delete permanently.
To securely delete multiple files or an entire folder, use:
sdelete -p 3 -s "C:\path\to\folder"
From quick keyboard shortcuts to adjusting Recycle Bin settings, there are several ways to delete files permanently. However, you should always proceed with caution—once they’re gone, recovery isn’t possible. So, always pause for a moment before hitting that final delete key—your future self may be grateful you did.