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PAGE CONTENT:
- How to permanently delete existing files from USB
- How to permanently remove files that have been deleted from USB
- How to permanently clear and erase all data on USB without recovery
Have you ever met this problem that when you deleted all files from your USB drive, part of the storage was still occupied by no reason, not displaying the full size on your computer?
This page will offer you three handy tricks to effortlessly resolve this issue and permanently delete files from your USB drive, USB flash drive, USB 3.0 external hard drive. See how to bring the full size back to your USB now.
- Notice:
- Before you start deleting files from the USB drive, please make sure that you’ve moved or backed up essential data to another storage device.
If you haven’t, do it now.
How to permanently delete existing files from USB on PC
Speaking of permanently deleting the existing files from USB or USB flash drive, what comes to your mind first?
To format the USB drive?
No, formatting is a way to remove all existing files on storage device completely.
But when it comes to deleting some specific files only, an ideal way is to delete files on a computer and clear the whole Recycle Bin with the following steps:
- 1. Connect the USB drive to your computer.
- Wait till the USB shows up in your PC.
- 2. Open the USB flash drive in File Explorer and select the existing files which you want to delete.
- 3. Right-click on them and select "Delete".
- 4. Next, open the Recycle Bin on your Desktop, right-click on a blank spot and choose "Empty Recycle Bin".
Question: Is it possible to recover the permanently deleted files?
Sure! If you mistakenly deleted wrong files after emptying the Recycle Bin, refer to: Recover Files Deleted from the Recycle Bin after Empty for help.
How to permanently remove files that have been deleted from USB
(To regain full storage capacity on USB)
How to permanently remove files that have been deleted from USB may become your next concern since most deleted files are not fully removed from the disk.
The method to release your concern is also very easy. It is to format the USB drive.
It is the best way to thoroughly remove all existing and hidden files from your storage devices under most circumstances.
And usually, it is also an ideal way for you to regain the full capacity of your USB when it’s not showing right size:
- 1. Connect your USB to a healthy computer.
- 2. Open This PC or My Computer, find the USB drive.
- 3. Right-click on the USB drive and select "Format".
- 4. Set the file system as "NTFS" or "FAT32" and click "OK".
- 5. Then click "Start" to begin the formatting process.
Just wait, and you can permanently remove files that have been deleted from your USB.
How to permanently clear and erase all data on USB without recovery
If you search online and you’ll find that most deleted or formatted files can be restored from USB or other storage devices.
Is there a way that can help erase and clear all data on USB or USB external hard drive without a recovery possibility? Sure!
Mostly, a low-level format can do.
But we do not suggest you take this method.
- Warning
- Low-level format can erase all existing data, but also may result in storage device logical structure destroyed.
- That is to say that when you commit a low-level format on USB, the existing or deleted data indeed will be removed. But the device will also corrupt, failing to function again.
Any other method can do this job? EaseUS free partition manager software - Partition Master Free Edition can do.
With its Wipe Partition feature, you can permanently erase USB, SD card or other devices and wipe all data without a recovery chance in only a few easy clicks:
Step 1: Connect the external devices to the PC.
Before you wipe the SD card, USB drive or the external hard drive, you must connect them to the computer first. Then, launch EaseUS Partition Master and right-click the external device, and choose "Wipe Data".
Step 2: Set the number of times to wipe data.
You can set to 10 at most. Then Click "OK".
Step 3: Check the message.
A message tells you that the computer would restart after disk erase is recommended. Then click "OK".
Step 4: Apply the changes.
Click "Execute the operation" and then click "Apply" to start wiping data. All of the data on the external device will be deleted permanently.
After this, wait for the wiping process to complete, and then you’ll get an empty USB with full capacity again
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Frequently Asked Questions
- Why Choose EaseUS Partition Master?
-
"I've used Partition Master Professional many times to create, delete, format, move, rename, and resize partitions." —PCWorld
"Partitioning tools have come a very long since the days of complicated command line utilities and EASEUS Partition Master is one of the most advanced programs available." —TECH ADVISOR
"I love that the changes you make with EaseUS Partition Master Free aren't immediately applied to the disks. It makes it way easier to play out what will happen after you've made all the changes." —Lifewire
- Will the "Migrate OS" feature transfer the Windows system files only or the whole C drive?
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To ensure that the migrated system will boot normally, the Migrate OS feature will transfer all the files in the system and the boot partitions. Generally, the boot partition is the C drive so the transfer will include all the files in C.
- Does EaseUS Partition Master license apply to multiple computers?
-
The license of Partition Master Professional and Server editions can be used on 1 computer only, while that for for the Technician and Unlimited editions can be used on multiple machines.
- What is the difference between EaseUS Partition Master Trial version and the Free version?
-
Free is for home users only, with most basic functions available such as partition resize and clone. While trial can help you understand how this product works and test what a full license can do on a business or server OS machine.
- Will it cause any data loss after resizing the partition in EaseUS Partition Master?
-
Generally, it will not cause any data loss or boot issue by resizing a partition. However, in order to protect your data, we suggest that you backup the partition before resizing, in case of any unexpected situations such as power outages, computer hardware failures, etc. You can use EaseUS Todo Backup to backup the partition and its trial version is fully functioned for 30 days.
- What should I prepare before resizing the partition?
-
On the partition that is going to be operated, there might be some files being occupied by other programs. To ensure a successful operation, we suggest that you close all the unnecessary software before resizing that partition. Otherwise, EaseUS Partition Master will detect the partition being locked by the other software and require a reboot to resize the partition under boot mode.
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About EaseUS Partition Master
All-round disk & partition management software for personal and commercial use. Let it manage your storage drive: resize, format, delete, clone, convert, etc.