How to Securely Delete Sensitive Documents and Files on Your Mac

How to securely erase files on Mac OS X

1. Control-click on the Trash icon in your Dock, at the bottom of your screen.
2. Press the Command button.
3. Click Secure Empty Trash.
4. And again, select Secure Empty Trash.

1. How do I permanently remove sensitive files and data from my computer?
2. How do you securely delete a file on a Mac?
3. How do you permanently erase data so that it Cannot be recovered?
4. How do you permanently delete something from your computer?
5. How do you shred files on a Mac?
6. How do I permanently delete files from my Mac SSD?
7. How do I permanently delete downloads from my Mac?
8. Why won't my files delete on my Mac?
9. How do I get rid of ghost files on Mac?
10. How do I force delete a folder on a Mac?
11. Where does the permanently deleted files go?
12. How do I wipe my laptop before recycling?
13. How do I wipe my laptop before selling it?

How do I permanently remove sensitive files and data from my computer?

Right-click the file(s), then select "Eraser > Erase". This will wipe the files from your computer completely, bypassing the recycle bin. This can take several minutes, depending computer speed and file size. You can also delete entire folders this way.

How do you securely delete a file on a Mac?

On OS X 10.4 to 10.10, you can securely delete files by moving them to the Trash and then selecting Finder > Secure Empty Trash. The Secure Empty Trash feature was removed in OS X 10.11 because Apple felt that it could not guarantee secure deletion on the fast flash (SSD) drives that most of its modern models now use.

How do you permanently erase data so that it Cannot be recovered?

When you delete a file from your Android phone, it actually remains in your device's storage until it's overwritten with new data.
...
5 Best Ways to Permanently Delete Android Data

1. Delete Items Using a File Manager. ...
2. Erase Data With a File Shredder. ...
3. Delete Android Files From Your PC. ...
4. Erase Sensitive Files From SD Cards.

How do you permanently delete something from your computer?

On an Android device, open Settings and head to System, Advanced, and then Reset options. In there, you'll find Erase all data (factory reset).

How do you shred files on a Mac?

Open the app and click Shredder at the bottom of the list on the left, under Utilities. Navigate to the folder containing the files you want to delete and select them. Then, click Open. You can also add files to the Shredder in CleanMyMac 3 from Finder.

How do I permanently delete files from my Mac SSD?

How to Permanently Delete files on SSD-Based Mac? It's quite simple. Just drag the files to Trash or right-click and select Move to Trash, then open the Trash app and select Delete Permanently or Empty Trash. That's it!

How do I permanently delete downloads from my Mac?

The Downloads folder is located on the right side of the Dock next to Trash. To delete downloaded files, go to Downloads > press Command+A > expand the File menu > Move to Trash. To permanently delete the trash, go to Finder > Empty Trash.

Why won't my files delete on my Mac?

If you cannot delete an item in Mac OS X, try the following: Check to see if the file (or a file within the folder) is being used by an application. Quit all open applications, and then try to empty the Trash. ... Note that you won't be able to delete a folder if even one file in it is locked.

How do I get rid of ghost files on Mac?

Question: Q: Deleting ghost files

1. Select one of the items in the Finder and open the Info window. ...
2. Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C.
3. ☞ In the Finder, select Go ▹ Utilities from the menu bar, or press the key combination shift-command-U.

How do I force delete a folder on a Mac?

It deletes files and folders.

1. Launch the Terminal.
2. Type "sudo*rm*-R*"
3. Drag the files you want to delete files after this command.
4. Confirm.
5. Give an Administrator password.
6. Confirm.

Where does the permanently deleted files go?

When you delete a file from your computer, it moves to the Windows Recycle Bin. You empty the Recycle Bin and the file is permanently erased from the hard drive. ... Instead, the space on the disk that was occupied by the deleted data is "deallocated."

How do I wipe my laptop before recycling?

The following major steps must be kept in mind before getting rid of old computers:

1. Create A Backup. ...
2. Clean The Hard Drive. ...
3. Wipe External Drives. ...
4. Delete Browsing History. ...
5. Uninstall Programs. ...
6. Encrypt All Files. ...
7. Put Yourself To Test. ...
8. Destroy drives.

How do I wipe my laptop before selling it?

Erasing everything

1. Open Settings.
2. Click on Update & Security.
3. Click on Recovery.
4. Under the Reset this PC section, click the Get started button.
5. Click the Remove everything button.
6. Click the Change settings option.
7. Turn on the Data erasure toggle switch. ...
8. Click the Confirm button.