The best way to permanently delete files from a usb flash drive

To permanently delete files from flash drive on a Windows computer, you can use several methods to ensure the data is unrecoverable. Here are some of the best ways:

Method 1: Simply Delete Files (for quick removal)

1. Connect your USB flash drive to the computer.
2. Open File Explorer (Windows + E).
3. Navigate to your USB drive.
4. Select the files or folders you want to delete.
5. Press Delete on your keyboard or right-click and choose Delete.
6. Empty the Recycle Bin to permanently remove the files:
7. Right-click on the Recycle Bin and select Empty Recycle Bin.
Note: This method doesn't securely delete files; they can be recovered with recovery software.

Method 2: Use Built-in "Format" with Full Format Option

Note: This method deletes all data but may not securely erase it, so for sensitive data, consider the other methods below.

    Plug in your USB flash drive.
    Open File Explorer and right-click on the USB drive.
    Select Format.
    Choose File system (e.g., NTFS or FAT32).
    Uncheck "Quick Format" to perform a full format.
    Click Start.

This method overwrites the data, making recovery much harder. In this way, you can permanently delete files from flash drive on Windows computer.