Explorer Plug-In: Delete Data Securely

Some data is sufficiently sensitive in nature that you will want to delete it so as to render it unrecoverable. Examples of this may include personally identifiable information (PII), or sensitive corporate data. The Windows Explorer Plug-in lets you securely delete data on local drives on your computer. This form of deletion overwrites the files you choose with random bits so that data deleted this way is truly unrecoverable.

Deleting Data Securely

To delete data so that it is unrecoverable, follow these steps:

  1. Open Windows Explorer and browse to locate the files or folders you want to delete. Multi-select using the SHIFT and CTRL keys is supported.

  2. Right-click the file or folder name, then click Edge > Secure Delete.

  3. Confirm your request by clicking Yes. The file is immediately overwritten at the binary level with random bits.

Limitations

Secure data deletion through the Windows Explorer Plug-in has these limitations:

  • It deletes files and folders only from local drives. It does not support any form of network storage deletion.

  • It cannot be used to delete backed-up files or folders from your My Data, Shares or Edge drives.

  • Data deleted using this feature can still be restored from a backup.

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