How to delete files off a flash drive safely from computer?

So, you're thinking about using those commands to delete files off a flash drive on Mac, huh? Well, here’s the deal—while it’s super thorough and makes sure everything’s gone. If you pick the wrong disk (say, you accidentally target your internal hard drive instead of the USB), you could wipe out your OS or important files. It’s pretty much a one-way street, so double-check everything before hitting Enter. Zero-filling a drive, especially large ones, can take a good chunk of time. Like, it might be hours if you’re dealing with a big capacity. So, don’t expect this to be quick and easy.

Once you run these commands to delete files off a flash drive, the data is essentially gone—very hard to recover unless you’re a data recovery expert with special tools. So, if there’s anything you want to keep, back it up first. Repeatedly writing zeros to a drive isn’t ideal if you’re trying to preserve its lifespan. Flash drives have limited write cycles, and heavy zero-filling might speed up their aging process. This method wipes everything at once. If you just want to delete some files and keep others, this is overkill. You’d be better off just deleting files normally or formatting the drive. If you’re not comfortable with Terminal commands, it can be intimidating. A typo or mistake can cause unintended damage. Always double-check your commands!