Deleting everything on your computer at once
You can delete all files in a folder by selecting them together, but the method depends on whether you want to empty a single folder or wipe your entire drive. On Windows, open the folder, press Ctrl+A to select everything inside it, then press Delete. On Mac, use Command+A then press Delete. Both systems move files to Trash or the Recycle Bin first — you must empty that separately to remove them permanently. If you want to delete everything on your hard drive itself (not just one folder), you need to reinstall your operating system, which is a different process covered below.
Before you delete anything, understand what you are about to lose. Selecting all files in your Documents folder deletes your Documents folder's contents. Selecting all files on your C: drive deletes nearly everything Windows needs to run. The difference matters enormously. Start with a single folder you know you want empty, not your entire drive.
Key Takeaways
- Ctrl+A (Windows) or Command+A (Mac) selects all files in the current folder, then Delete removes them to Trash or Recycle Bin.
- Files in Trash or Recycle Bin still exist on your drive until you empty that folder — deleting from Trash is the step that actually removes them.
- Deleting all files from your entire drive requires reinstalling Windows or macOS, not just pressing Delete in a folder.
- External drives and USB sticks can be wiped the same way as folders: select all, delete, then empty Trash or Recycle Bin.
- Once you empty Trash or Recycle Bin, recovery is difficult and requires specialized software — do not delete everything unless you are certain.
How to select and delete all files in a folder on Windows
Open File Explorer and navigate to the folder you want to empty. Click inside the folder (not on a file) to make sure the folder itself is active. Press Ctrl+A. Every file and subfolder inside will highlight in blue. Press Delete. Windows moves them to the Recycle Bin.
The files are not gone yet — they are sitting in Recycle Bin waiting. To permanently remove them, open Recycle Bin (search for it in the Start menu), right-click in the empty space, and select Empty Recycle Bin. Confirm the action. Now the files are actually deleted from your drive.
If you want to delete a folder and everything inside it without selecting individual files, right-click the folder itself and choose Delete. This is faster when you want the whole folder gone, not just its contents.
How to select and delete all files on a Mac
Open Finder and navigate to the folder. Press Command+A to select all files and folders inside. Press Delete (or Command+Delete). Files move to Trash. To permanently remove them, click the Trash icon in the Dock, then click Empty Trash in the menu bar. Confirm the action.
On Mac, you can also drag files directly to Trash in the Dock, but selecting all and deleting is faster for large folders. The result is the same — files sit in Trash until you empty it.
Emptying Trash and Recycle Bin permanently
On Windows, Recycle Bin is usually on your desktop or accessible through File Explorer. Double-click it to open. Right-click in the empty space and select Empty Recycle Bin. A confirmation dialog appears. Click Yes. The files are now deleted from your drive.
On Mac, click the Trash icon in the Dock (it looks like a trash can). The Trash window opens showing everything inside. Click Empty Trash in the menu bar at the top of the screen. Confirm. Files are deleted.
Once you empty Trash or Recycle Bin, the files are gone from your computer's view. Recovering them requires specialized data recovery software and is not always possible, especially if your drive has been used since the deletion. This is why you should never empty Trash or Recycle Bin unless you are absolutely certain you do not need the files.
Deleting all files from an external drive or USB stick
The process is identical to deleting from a folder on your main drive. Plug in the external drive or USB stick. Open it in File Explorer (Windows) or Finder (Mac). Press Ctrl+A or Command+A. Press Delete. Empty Trash or Recycle Bin.
External drives and USB sticks work the same way as internal folders — files go to Trash first, then are permanently deleted when you empty Trash. The only difference is that some external drives may have a separate eject step after deletion. On Windows, right-click the drive in File Explorer and select Eject. On Mac, click the eject icon next to the drive name in Finder.
Wiping your entire drive and reinstalling your operating system
If you want to delete everything on your computer — all files, all programs, all settings — you need to reinstall Windows or macOS. This is different from deleting a folder. Reinstalling your operating system erases the entire drive and puts a fresh copy of Windows or macOS back on it.
On Windows, go to Settings > System > Recovery and click Reset this PC. Choose Remove everything. Windows will ask whether you want to remove files only or also wipe the drive sectors (the second option is more thorough but takes longer). Follow the prompts. Your computer will restart and reinstall Windows.
On Mac, restart your computer and hold Command+R while it boots. This opens Recovery Mode. Click Erase Mac in Disk Utility, select your drive, and confirm. macOS will erase the drive and reinstall itself.
Both processes take 30 minutes to several hours depending on your drive size and computer speed. You will need your Windows or Apple password to complete the process. After reinstalling, your computer will be blank and ready to set up again, as if it were brand new.
What happens to deleted files and whether you can recover them
When you delete a file and empty Trash or Recycle Bin, the file is marked as deleted but the actual data may still exist on your drive. Specialized recovery software can sometimes read that data and restore the file. However, the longer your drive is used after deletion, the more likely that data gets overwritten and becomes unrecoverable.
If you delete something by accident, stop using your computer when ready and consider recovery software like Recuva (Windows) or Data Rescue (Mac). The sooner you attempt recovery, the better your chances. If you have been using your computer normally since the deletion, recovery becomes much harder.
If you are selling or giving away your computer, wiping the entire drive and reinstalling the operating system is the safest approach. This removes your personal files and makes recovery much more difficult for someone else. For maximum security, use the Remove everything and clean the drive option in Windows Recovery, which overwrites deleted data.
Frequently Asked Questions
Can I undo a deletion after I empty Trash or Recycle Bin?
No. Once you empty Trash or Recycle Bin, the files are deleted from your computer's file system. Undo (Ctrl+Z or Command+Z) only works if you have not emptied Trash or Recycle Bin yet. After that, recovery requires specialized software and is not may provide to work.
What is the difference between Delete and Shift+Delete on Windows?
Pressing Delete moves files to Recycle Bin. Pressing Shift+Delete skips Recycle Bin and deletes files when ready. Use Shift+Delete only when you are certain you want the files gone permanently, because there is no Recycle Bin safety net.
Will deleting files free up space on my hard drive?
Yes, but only after you empty Trash or Recycle Bin. Files sitting in Trash still take up drive space. Once you empty Trash, that space becomes available for new files. On a full drive, emptying Trash can free up several gigabytes.
Can I delete all files without losing my operating system?
Not easily. Your operating system (Windows or macOS) is made of files too. If you select all files on your C: drive (Windows) or Macintosh HD (Mac) and delete them, your computer will not start. You would need to reinstall the operating system to use it again. Always delete from a specific folder, not from the root of your drive.
How do I delete all files from a specific date or type?
In File Explorer (Windows), click the search box at the top and type the date range or file type (like "*.jpg" for all photos). Select all results with Ctrl+A and delete. On Mac, use Finder's search with similar filters. This is safer than selecting all files in a folder because you only delete what matches your criteria.