How to Secure Delete Files in Windows 10, 8, 7?

Need to secure delete files Windows 10

Generally speaking, when Windows users plan to dispose of, resell or donate their storage device, they will want to ensure no one can access or view their sensitive information. So, most of them choose to delete all files in Windows File Explorer. However, does simply deleting via the “Delete” option really remove them completely from the hard drive? Actually, the deleted files are stored in the Recycle Bin and can be easily recovered. Even if they empty the Recycle Bin, the file’s cluster is still on the disk and someone else can get them back with a professional program.

Therefore, to completely and securely delete a file if it contains sensitive information, you have to use a third-party file deletion or shredding tool that can fully delete data by overwriting them multiple times so that nobody can recover them.

How to permanently and securely delete files in Windows 10?

To securely and fully remove or shred files on Windows 10 computer, we strongly recommend the secure file delete freeware: AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard. It comes with “Shred Files” feature, able to shred files and overwrite them with zeros in Windows 10/8/7 and Windows XP/Vista (32-bit and 64-bit). So, you can delete a file or a folder completely and protect yourself against any identity thefts. Besides, it can even erase a whole partition or wipe an entire hard disk.

Now, you can free download the file shredder software and take the following steps to secure delete files in Windows 10 and other Windows operating systems.

Step 1. Install and run AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard. Click “Wipe” on in the top toolbar, and choose “Shred Files”.

Step 2. Choose “Add Files” or “Add Folder” option to add the target files or folders according to your requirements.

Step 3. Pick the target item, or you can directly drag and drop them into this window.

Step 4. Under the “Name” list, you can check all selected files or folder. If you want to remove one or more of them from the list, just untick it.

Step 5. Choose the shredding method: “Write Zero”. Click on the “Shred” button, click “Yes” in the pop-out window to confirm this operation and start to delete files.

Step 6. When this task is completed, the message saying “All files/folders have been shredded completely” will appear on the top.

✬Note:
The Standard free edition supports only “Write Zero” method. If you want to adopt 3 other advanced file erasure methods “Pseudorandom data, DoD 5220.22-M and Gutmann”, please upgrade to Professional edition.

Summary

So, to secure delete files in Windows 10, 8, 7, the AOMEI Partition Assistant Standard is a great choice. Apart from the file or folder deletion, it also has many other amazing functions to help you conveniently manage your hard disk partition. For example, you can use it to clone partition, merge partition, move partition, clone SSD/HDD/SD card/USB flash drive, convert MBR to GPT, GPT to MBR without deleting partitions, migrate OS to SSD without reinstalling Windows and more.