This guide will show you how to overwrite (securely erase) deleted data on a drive so that it cannot be recovered or accessed in Windows 10 and Windows 11 .
When you delete a file or folder, the original data is not erased from the hard drive. Instead, the space on the drive that was occupied by the deleted data is de-allocated. Once de-allocated, the space becomes available for use when new data is written to the drive. Until the space is overwritten, you can recover the deleted data using a low-level disk editor or data recovery software .
When you encrypt a plain text file, the Encrypting File System (EFS) creates a backup copy of the file. This way, your data won't be lost if something goes wrong during the encryption process. Once the encryption is complete, the backup copy is deleted. Like any other deleted file, the data won't be deleted until it's overwritten.
The Cipher.exe command will delete data from available unused disk space on the entire volume. Data not allocated to a file or directory will be overwritten. The data will be deleted permanently. It may take a long time if you are overwriting a large amount of space.
You can use the Cipher.exe command to manually overwrite (securely erase) deleted data on the drive on demand.
Note : You must be logged in with admin rights to use the cipher command .
How to Overwrite Deleted Data on a Drive in Windows 11/10
How to do it:
1. Open Windows Terminal (Admin) and select Windows PowerShell or Command Prompt .
2. Type the command below into Windows Terminal (Admin) and press Enter.
cipher /w:Replace in the above command with the actual letter (e.g. "C") of the drive on which you want to overwrite all the freed space.
For example:cipher /w:C
This guide will show you how to overwrite (securely erase) deleted data on a drive so that it cannot be recovered or accessed in Windows 10 and Windows 11.
If you regularly use Copilot on Windows 11, there is a very simple way to quickly access Copilot, which is to add Copilot to the right-click menu.
Adding a printer to Windows 10 is simple, although the process for wired devices will be different than for wireless devices.
A new utility is being developed that will help remove the strict system requirements of Windows 11.
PC maintenance is essential for long-term, efficient performance. However, there are some mistakes you can make that can do more harm than good to your PC.
Smart App Control (SAC) is a security feature included in the Windows Security application that locks down the system, allowing only trusted applications to run.
Your computer needs a way to communicate with other devices, and that's where TCP/IP comes in. TCP/IP ensures that data moves smoothly across the network, whether you're browsing the web or sharing files.
Uncompressed files can silently take up gigabytes of space on your Windows PC—slowing things down and cluttering your drive without you even realizing it.
Bluetooth options have disappeared on your Windows 111 computer? This can happen for a number of reasons, including temporary glitches, corrupted Bluetooth drivers, and issues with the Windows operating system.
This guide will show you how to use the Quick Assist app to get help or help someone over a remote connection in Windows 11.
One of the world's most popular VPN services - ExpressVPN - has officially launched an app version for Windows PCs running on ARM-based processors.
Few modern Windows apps are as difficult to uninstall as the Adobe Creative Cloud (Adobe CC) suite. However, with the right approach, you can remove Adobe CC and all traces of it in about 10 minutes.
Do you want to speed up Windows 10, improve Windows 10 speed or speed up Windows 10 startup? All ways to speed up Windows 10 are in this article, please read and apply to make your Windows 10 computer run faster!
If your PC doesn't meet Microsoft's hardware requirements, don't give up. It's possible to install Windows 11 on unsupported PCs.
Incorrect or improperly changed Display Settings in Windows 11 can cause problems. Here's how to restore Display Settings in Windows 11.
