There are several ways to permanently delete a file, depending on the device on which it is stored. This tutorial describes in detail the best solutions to permanently delete your data from mobile devices, laptops and computers that use the most popular operating systems on the market (Windows, iOS, Android and Linux). Thanks to the use of specific software and simple and intuitive procedures, deleting sensitive information or simply freeing up memory space will be easier than ever.
Steps
Method 1 of 10: Using iPhone Data Eraser (iPhone / iPad / iPod)
Step 1. Download the iPhone Data Eraser software to your laptop or desktop
This method requires the use of a computer to which the iOS device will be connected via USB cable. You can download and install the iPhone Data Eraser program by accessing the site "https://www.recover-iphone-ios-8.com/iphone-data-eraser.html". Depending on the operating system installed on your computer, be sure to select the correct radio button: "Windows" or "Mac", relative to the "Supported OS:" field. The next step is to choose whether you want to download the free trial version or buy the full one.
iPhone Data Eraser is compatible with iPhone (versions 6s, 6, 5s, 5c, 5, 4s, 4, 3GS), iPad (first, second, third and fourth generation, Mini, Air and Pro) and iPod (Classic, Touch, Nano, Shuffle)
Step 2. Install iPhone Data Eraser
To do this, simply double-click the file you just downloaded, then wait for its window to open. At this point, drag the "Wondershare SafeEraser" icon to the "Applications" folder that appears in the installation window (only for OS X systems). The program will be installed with the name "Wondershare SafeEraser" and will be visible inside the "Applications" folder, unless you choose to move it to another place on the system.
Step 3. Launch iPhone Data Eraser
Locate the relevant file in the "Applications" folder (or where you have chosen to place it), then click to open it.
Step 4. Connect your iOS mobile device to the computer
You can do this using the supplied USB data cable. Once the connection is complete, iPhone Data Eraser will detect the device by displaying an interface that shows the memory space occupied and what is still free.
Step 5. Choose the cancellation option you prefer
Within the welcome screen of the program (called "Hello iPhone"), there are 4 predefined options. Each of these items offers a different way of deleting data.
Step 6. Choose the "Express Cleanup" option
This feature deletes unnecessary files on your iOS device. After selecting this item, press the "Start Scan" button so that the program can start searching for possible files to delete. When the scan is complete, the list of detected files will be displayed, allowing you to choose whether to actually remove them or keep them. There may be additional information relating to the identified files, you can consult them by pressing the blue icon that specifies the size, located on the right of each category of elements. After reviewing the list of files, select the check buttons for the ones you want to erase, then press the "Erase now" button.
Step 7. Choose the "Erase Private Data" option
This feature deletes your search history, cookies and other personal information. After selecting this item, press the "Start Scan" button so that the program can start searching for the files to be deleted. When the scan is complete, a list of detected personal data will be displayed, allowing you to choose whether to actually remove or keep it. There may be additional information relating to the identified files, which you can consult by pressing the blue icon that specifies their size, located on the right of each category of items. After reviewing the list of files, select the check buttons for the ones you want to erase, then press the "Erase now" button. You will be asked to confirm your action by typing the word "delete".
Step 8. Choose the "Erase Deleted Files" option
This function deletes all files that have already been moved to the system recycle bin. After selecting this item, press the "Start Scan" button so that the program can start searching for the files to be deleted. When the scan is complete, the list of deleted files detected will be displayed allowing you to choose whether to permanently remove them or keep them. There may be additional information relating to the identified files, which you can consult by pressing the blue icon that specifies their size, located on the right of each category of items. By default, all check buttons for categories of detected files are automatically selected, giving you the option to deselect those related to the content you want to keep. When you have finished making your selection, press the "Erase now" button. You will be asked to confirm your action by typing the word "delete".
Step 9. Choose the "Erase All Data" option
This function deletes all files on the device, restoring the factory settings. By choosing this item you will be offered three levels of security associated with three different elimination procedures. Read the instructions for each carefully, then choose the one that best suits your needs. You will be asked to confirm your action by typing the word "delete".
Method 2 of 10: Using Secure Delete (Android)
Step 1. Install the Secure Delete application on your Android device
It is a free program, compatible with any version of the operating system starting from 2.3.3. You can install this app by performing a simple search in the Google Play Store or by using this link:
Step 2. Launch the Secure Delete app
At the end of the installation procedure, the application icon will be displayed in the "Applications" panel, together with all those present on your device, allowing you to move it to the place you prefer. To start Secure Delete, simply tap on its icon.
Step 3. Choose the file formats you want to delete
Secure Delete's GUI displays a drop-down menu at the top of the screen, which you can use to select what to search for. Here are the options available: "Photo", "App folder", "SDCard" or "Download files". When the scan is complete, the program will show a list of all the files found within the device.
Step 4. Select the specific files you want to delete
On the right of each element found, there is a check button. Simply select the ones related to the files you want to be permanently deleted.
Step 5. Delete the selected files permanently
Once you have finished selecting the items you want to delete, press the green "Secure delete" button at the bottom of the screen. You will be asked to confirm your wish to proceed with the deletion of the selected files, then press the "Yes" and "OK" buttons in succession. The erasing process may take some time, but all the items indicated will be permanently removed from your Android device.
Method 3 of 10: Use the System Recycle Bin (Windows)
Step 1. Delete the files from their original destination folder
Navigate to the relative path to the file or directory you want to delete. Select the relative icon with the right mouse button, then choose the "Delete" option from the context menu that appeared. Alternatively, select the desired item with a single click of the left mouse button, then press the Delete key on your keyboard.
If you need to permanently delete the chosen item, without moving it to the trash first, after selecting it, press the key combination ⇧ Shift + Del
Step 2. Access the system "Recycle Bin"
To do this, double-click the "Trash" icon on your computer desktop.
Step 3. Select the file, then press the Delete key
Locate and select the file or folder you have already deleted. Do this with a single click of the left mouse button, then press the Delete key on your keyboard.
Step 4. Alternatively, press the "Empty Trash" button
If you need to delete the entire contents of the system recycle bin, instead of a single item, you can choose the "Empty recycle bin" option located on the toolbar of the relevant window.
- You can also perform the same operation without necessarily having to access the "Trash" window. Select the trash can icon with the right mouse button, then choose the "Empty trash" option from the context menu that appeared.
- Note: Using this method, your chosen items will not be permanently deleted from your computer's hard drive. In this case the elements will be deleted "logically", ie the relative reference or link will be simply deleted, freeing up the space occupied and making them inaccessible. However, they will still be present on your computer's hard drive.
- To delete these items more safely, you will need to use one of the following methods using dedicated software.
Method 4 of 10: Use Eraser (Windows Systems)
Step 1. Download and install Eraser
It is one of the most used free programs for permanent data deletion. Unlike the insecure deletion option provided by the Windows recycle bin, this program allows you to permanently delete data, making it effectively unrecoverable. You can download the Eraser installation file from the following link:
The principle behind the Eraser program is to overwrite information using random data in order to make it unrecoverable for anyone
Step 2. Locate the file you want to delete and select it with the right mouse button
Navigate to the path where the file or folder you want to delete is stored, then select it with the right mouse button to open its context menu.
Look carefully at the items on the menu. It might look like the usual Windows context menu, but upon closer inspection and after installing Eraser, you should notice an additional submenu named "Eraser", located before the "Open With" menu
Step 3. Choose the "Erase" option from the "Eraser" submenu
Move the mouse pointer over the "Eraser" item of the contextual menu that appears so that the relative submenu appears. At this point you just have to choose the "Erase" option to permanently delete the selected element.
- The deletion procedure will start immediately. When finished, a pop-up window will appear informing you that the chosen task has been successfully completed and that the selected file has been permanently deleted from the system.
- Alternatively you can choose the "Erase on Restart" option. In this case the deletion of the chosen item will not take place immediately, but only at the next restart of the computer.
Method 5 of 10: Use SDelete (Windows Systems)
Step 1. Install SDelete
This is a command line tool, created directly by Microsoft for use via the Windows command prompt. You can download it via this link:
This tool is an application that can permanently delete data. Just like Eraser, it overwrites information stored on your hard drive so that it cannot be recovered. This utility does not simply delete the file name from the hard drive allocation table to free up the occupied space, it also physically deletes all associated data securely and permanently
Step 2. Open the Windows Command Prompt window
To do this, go to the "Start" menu, then choose "Run". In the "Open" field of the appeared window, type the command "cmd", then press the "OK" button or the Enter key on the keyboard.
Step 3. Access the SDelete installation path
From the command prompt window, use the command CD to move inside the SDelete installation folder.
- For example, assuming the program installation path is C: / cmdtools, within the command prompt window, you will have to type cd C: / cmdtools. Similarly, if the program is installed in the C: / downloads folder, you will need to type the command cd C: / downloads.
- After typing the correct path, press the Enter key to access it directly via the command prompt.
Step 4. Indicate which file or folder you would like to delete
In order to use Sdelete, you need to type the correct command respecting its syntax: sdelete.
- In the context of our example, the parameter represents the Windows path that must be followed to reach the location where the file or folder in question is stored.
- For example, use the path to navigate to the text file named securedata.txt stored in your computer's Public Documents folder.
Step 5. Press the Enter key
As soon as you press the Enter key on the keyboard, the program immediately deletes the indicated file or folder.
When the command is finished running, you will receive a confirmation message within the Command Prompt window, notifying you that your information has been permanently deleted. At this point, you can close the command prompt window, the work is done
Method 6 of 10: Use the Recycle Bin (OS X Systems)
Step 1. Delete the files you want to remove from the system
Go to the directory where the files you want to delete are stored. Select an item with a single click of the left mouse button, then press the Delete key on your keyboard. Alternatively, drag it to the trash can icon on the dock.
Step 2. Select the trash can icon without releasing the mouse button
This will bring up the context menu of the system recycle bin. Normally, this menu consists of two options: "Open" and "Empty Trash".
The "Empty the Recycle Bin" option simply deletes the link to the data in the system recycle bin. This step frees up the space occupied by this information without physically erasing it from your computer's hard drive. Therefore, using this deletion procedure, it will still be possible to restore the data at a later time
Step 3. Press and hold the ⌘ Command key
While opening the trash context menu, hold down the ⌘ Command key. The "Empty Trash" option should change to "Safely Empty".
Step 4. Select the "Empty Safely" option
Choose this option with a single click of the mouse to permanently delete all items contained in the recycle bin on your computer.
- Note that this functionality only applies to the entire contents of the system recycle bin. It is not possible to permanently delete only a specific selection of elements while leaving out others.
- This option is only available from OS X version 10.3 onwards.
Step 5. Troubleshoot emptying the recycle bin
Some users have reported problems related to deleting the data in the recycle bin due to a message like "I cannot complete the operation because the item '(item name)' is locked". If this happens, first, try holding down the ⌥ Option key while selecting the "Empty Trash" item in the "Finder" menu. If this solution does not have the desired effect, the problem may lie in some other element that interferes with the procedure of emptying the recycle bin.
- Check if one or more of the files in the recycle bin are locked by some running program. Mac OS X 10.1 (or earlier) users should first try selecting the "Empty Trash" option while holding down the ⇧ Shift + ⌥ Option key combination. Users who use Mac OS X 10.0 to 10.0.4 systems can instead try to select the file in question with the right mouse button and choose "Get Info" from the context menu that appeared to make sure that the "Blocked "is not selected. If this solution doesn't work, check out this official Apple support page:
- Check if you have the necessary permissions to modify the items contained in the system recycle bin. If not, you should see a message on the screen indicating that your privileges or permissions are insufficient to perform the requested operation. Mac OS X 10.2 (or earlier) users can access the "Applications" folder, choose the "Utilities" item and select the "Disk Utility" icon. At this point, you need to press the "Repair disk permissions" button. If this solution does not work or if you are using an older version of the OS X operating system, see this article from the official Apple support:
Method 7 of 10: Use Permanent Eraser (OS X Systems)
Step 1. Download and install Permanent Eraser
It is a free program, available for Mac, related to the safe and definitive deletion of data. Permanent Eraser is able to permanently delete any file, folder or data stored on your Mac. It can be used to delete the entire contents of the system recycle bin or a selection of items in it. You can download Permanent Eraser from the link:
This program is able to erase data more securely than the "Securely Empty" recycle bin function. This last option of the OS X operating system overwrites the information to be erased 7 times, but Permanent Eraser performs the same operation 35 times. Also, before deleting an element from the system permanently, it encodes its original name and changes its size to a value close to zero
Step 2. Drag the desired files onto the Permanent Eraser program icon
Keeping the program icon visible on the screen (by opening the window for the installation folder, using the one on the dock or in the Finder), access the directory where the item you want to delete is present. Select its icon and drag it over the Permanent Eraser icon, then release the mouse button.
- After doing this, the program will immediately begin removing the chosen item from your computer's hard drive.
- Place the Permanent Eraser icon on the Dock. To do this, go to the "Applications" folder and drag the program icon to a free space in the Dock.
- To place the Permanent Eraser icon in the Finder window sidebar, drag it to an empty space, then release the mouse button.
Step 3. To delete the contents of the system recycle bin, start Permanent Eraser
To do this, select the program icon located in the installation directory, on the Dock or in the Finder window. After the program asks for confirmation to proceed, all the contents of the recycle bin will be permanently deleted. Remember that this function deletes all the items in the recycle bin and not a single file or a single folder.
Method 8 of 10: Use the Recycle Bin (Linux Systems)
Step 1. Choose the file you want to delete
Access the folder where the item you want to permanently delete from the system is stored. Select its name or icon with a single click of the left mouse button. Note that this option is only available on GNOME and some Linux distributions.
Step 2. Press the Ctrl key combination + Canc or ⇧ Shift + Canc.
Using the first key combination Ctrl + Del, the selected file will be temporarily deleted and moved to the system recycle bin from where it can be easily recovered. This is usually the preferred option for users.
Step 3. If you want the chosen file to be deleted directly, without being moved to the recycle bin, use the key combination ⇧ Shift + Canc.
Proceed by holding down the ⇧ Shift key, then press the Delete key. You will be asked to confirm your action and, once done, the chosen item will be permanently deleted from your computer without being moved to the trash.
Step 4. If necessary, select the trash can icon with the right mouse button, then empty it
If you have chosen the traditional method to delete the elements of your interest, you will find them in the system recycle bin pending final deletion. Select, with the right mouse button, the trash icon placed in the sidebar of the desktop, then choose the item "Empty Trash" from the context menu that appeared.
Depending on the Linux distribution you are using, this procedure may or may not securely and permanently delete the chosen item. If this does not happen, this procedure will only remove the connection to the memory area where the data is stored without physically erasing it
Method 9 of 10: Use the Shred Command (Linux Systems)
Step 1. Open a Terminal window
To do this, press the hotkey combination Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard. Alternatively you can select the "Applications" item and choose the "Accessories" option. Inside this folder, locate the "Terminal" icon, then double click on it.
The Shred command is available for Ubuntu systems and most Linux distributions, but not all platforms using that operating system
Step 2. Run the Shred command
Inside the Terminal window, type the basic syntax of the Shred command: shred [parameters] [filename]. The key word shred indicates the basic program to run. The part [parameters], according to the user's needs, it must be replaced with all the options that the command makes available:
- - n [N] it allows you to overwrite the data that make up the indicated file for a number [N] of times. For example, if you want the specified file to be overwritten 15 times, you will need to use the parameter - n 15.
- - u instructs the program to remove the file only after it has been overwritten.
- - z instructs the program to overwrite the contents of the file with zeros after having previously overwritten it following the normal procedure. The result of this operation serves to hide the data destruction process.
- For example, if you need to delete a file named "secret.txt" by overwriting it 20 times, you will need to use the following command shred -u -z -n 20 secret.txt.
Step 3. Press the Enter key, then wait for the execution to complete
By pressing the Enter key, the entered command will be executed. At this point, you just have to wait for him to finish his job. When the execution is complete, you should receive a confirmation message from the operating system indicating that the chosen item has been successfully deleted.
Method 10 of 10: Using Secure-Delete (Linux Systems)
Step 1. Open a Terminal window
To do this, press the hotkey combination Ctrl + Alt + T on your keyboard. Alternatively you can select the "Applications" item and choose the "Accessories" option. Inside this folder, locate the "Terminal" icon, then double click on it.
The Secure-Delete toolset is available for Ubuntu systems and several other Linux distributions, but may not be available for all platforms running a Linux operating system
Step 2. Install the Secure-Delete package
Inside the Terminal window, type the command apt-get install secure-delete. When finished, press the Enter key to instruct the operating system to proceed with the installation of the indicated package. The Secure-Delete suite consists of 4 different commands:
- What serves our purpose, which is to permanently delete a file or folder, is srm ("secure remove").
- The other commands that make up the Secure-Delete package are: dismem ("secure memory wiper"), whose task is to eliminate residual data from the computer's memory; sfill ("secure free space wiper"), whose function is to eliminate any trace of data still present in the portion of the hard disk occupied by free space and sswap ("secure swap wiper"), whose job is to wipe all traces of data from the system's swap partition.
Step 3. Run the Secure-Delete command
To proceed with deleting a file using this tool, type the command srm [filename] inside the Terminal window. Replace the [filename] parameter with the name of the item you want to delete.
Step 4. Type the command srm -r [directory_name] to delete an entire folder
Replace the [directory_name] parameter with the name of the folder you want to remove. This command deletes the entire specified directory rather than a single file. The Secure-Delete suite also includes the following commands:
- Inside the Terminal window, type dismem.
- Inside the Terminal window, type sfill mountpoint /.
- Inside the Terminal window, type cat / proc / swaps.
Step 5. Press the Enter key, then wait for the execution to complete
After typing the desired command, press the Enter key to execute it. The program should begin its execution by proceeding with the safe and permanent deletion of the directory or file indicated.
