How to permanently delete files without sending them to the Recycle Bin on Windows 11

Published Nov 11, 2025

Shan Abdul is a Senior Writer at HTG andMUO. Having used Windows for over a decade, he's accumulated plenty of experience with the OS. He's been writing on a variety of Windows topics for over three years, incorporating his expertise to teach readers how to get the most out of their Windows devices and resolve issues with the operating system.

He has been writing professionally since 2016. He joined MUO in 2021, and his work has been viewed over 20 million times since then. Outside of writing, he spends his time exploring the cryptocurrency market and gaining insights into general trading.

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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.

Permanentally deleting files using keyboard shortcut in Windows.

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 permanentlydelete files using a simple command in Command Prompt or PowerShell. First, typeCommand Prompt orPowerShell in Windows Search, right-click the result, and select “Run as Administrator.”

To delete a single file, use:

Command Prompt:
```
del "C:\path\to\file.txt"
```

PowerShell:

Remove-Item "C:\path\to\file.txt" -Force

Deleting a file using the Command Prompt in Windows.

To delete multiple files in a folder, use:

Command Prompt:
```
del /s /q "C:\path\to\folder\*.*"
```

PowerShell:

Remove-Item "C:\path\to\folder\*" -Recurse -Force

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 youadjust 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.

Changing properties of Recycle Bin for a drive in Windows.

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 remainrestorable 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.”

Changing the schedule of data deletion in Recycle Bin in the Storage settings.

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.

Tosecurely delete sensitive data, typeCommand 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.

Securely deleting a file and a directory using the Sdelete utility in Windows.

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.