Permanently Deleting Specific Files From SSD in Windows

Solid-state drives, or SSDs, are really catching on because they fetch data fast and are tougher than the old-school hard drives. But when it comes to making sure a file you delete from an SSD is gone for good, it’s not so simple.

Why SSDs make deleting files tricky

First off, it’s important to know why deleting files on an SSD isn’t as easy as on old drives. SSDs don’t just overwrite old files with new ones. They have this thing called “wear leveling” to make sure they last longer. This means when you save new data, it might not go back in the same spot. The old data could stick around, making it hard to get rid of it for sure.

Also see: Partition New, Existing or External SSD in Windows 11/10

How to really delete files from an SSD

1. Tools for wiping files

There are programs out there, like Eraser (https://eraser.heidi.ie/download/) and File Shredder (https://www.fileshredder.org/), designed to really scrub your files away by overwriting them a bunch of times. They use smart ways to make sure the data is super hard to get back.

These tools are pretty good with old hard drives, but SSDs are a different story because of that wear leveling thing. Even if the tool says it’s overwritten the data, you can’t be totally sure it’s gone for good with an SSD.

Relevant guide: How to Password Protect a Folder in Windows 11 or 10

2. The TRIM command

The TRIM command helps keep your SSD running smooth by telling it which bits of data it can wipe out. When you get rid of a file, it doesn’t vanish right away. The system just marks it as up for grabs. Over time, if the SSD doesn’t know which parts are free, it can slow down. TRIM helps by pointing out the spots that don’t have important data anymore.

But here’s the thing about TRIM:

• It works on its own in most modern systems, so you usually don’t need to do anything.
• Even with TRIM, your deleted files might not be gone right away.
• And, some older SSDs might not even use TRIM, so check if yours does.

To see if TRIM is working on your Windows, you can check with some command line magic:

1. Open up a “Command Prompt” with admin rights.
2. Type “fsutil behavior query DisableDeleteNotify” and hit Enter.
3. If it says “0”, you’re good with TRIM. If it says “1”, it’s not working.

3. Lock it all up with encryption

Encrypting your whole drive is a great way to keep your files safe. This way, even if someone gets to your deleted files, all they see is gibberish unless they have the key to decrypt it.

Here’s the deal with encryption:

• Your data stays put but in a scrambled form that no one can read without the right key.
• Keeping your encryption key safe is super important. If it gets out, so does your data.

Setting up encryption is different depending on your system:

• For Windows, go to “Control Panel” and turn on “BitLocker Drive Encryption”. Just make sure to keep the recovery key safe.
• On a Mac, check out “Security & Privacy” in “System Preferences” and turn on “FileVault”. Don’t lose that recovery key!
• Linux folks can use LUKS during setup for encryption, or get into the nitty-gritty with cryptsetup if needed.

But remember, losing your password or key means saying goodbye to your data. And while encryption is tough, it’s not impossible to crack, so it’s not a 100% guarantee against all threats.

Related resource: How to Lock Drive in Windows 11 Without BitLocker

4. SSD secure erase

If you care a lot about keeping your data safe and sound, you might want to know about the “Secure Erase” feature many SSDs have. It’s not like just deleting files or formatting your drive. “Secure Erase” tells your SSD’s brain to reset all the memory spots, making it as good as new.

Here’s what you need to know about “Secure Erase”:

• It really cleans up. Unlike just hitting delete, which might leave some data hiding, “Secure Erase” gets rid of everything. It even cleans out spots in the SSD that you normally can’t touch.
• It’s quick. Since the SSD itself does the job, it’s way faster than trying to scribble over the drive with other programs.
• Be ready. Make sure you’ve saved anything important somewhere else because once you “Secure Erase,” there’s no going back. Everything on the SSD will be gone.

Executing a Secure Erase:

1. First up, you need a way to tell your SSD to do a “Secure Erase.” SSD makers like Samsung and Crucial have their own tools, or you can use something like “Parted Magic” from someone else.
2. Open the software and look for the “Secure Erase” option.
3. Pick the SSD you want to clean. The program might ask you to make a bootable USB or CD because you can’t erase the drive while it’s being used.
4. Restart your computer using the USB or CD, and follow the steps to wipe your SSD clean.

Be careful with “Secure Erase.” It’s great for getting rid of everything on an SSD, but that means you can’t pick and choose what to keep.

5. Keeping the SSD full

It might sound weird, but filling up your SSD can actually help with getting rid of files securely. It has to do with how SSDs organize and delete files.

Here’s the gist of it:

• Less room, less problem. If your SSD is almost full, new stuff has less space to go. This means old “deleted” data is more likely to get overwritten, really deleting it.
• Find the balance. While filling the SSD helps with security, you don’t want it too full all the time. This could slow things down and wear out the SSD quicker. Some free space helps the SSD stay healthy.

Steps to keep the SSD full:

1. Keep moving big files that you don’t worry too much about to the SSD to keep it filled up. Things like movies or dummy files work.
2. Check now and then to see how full the SSD is. Your computer has tools that show you how much space is left.
3. There’s software out there that can make fake files to fill space. You can delete these whenever you need space for real files.

Useful tip: How to Create Large Test Files in Windows 11 or 10

While this trick might help sometimes, don’t rely on it alone for keeping your data safe, especially if it’s really sensitive.

6. Limit write access and use hardware encryption

To stop trouble before it starts, try controlling who can add data to the SSD and encrypting the data at the hardware level. This makes it super hard for anyone to get at your data without permission.

Limiting write access:

• Who does what. Set up your computer so only certain people can save data to the SSD. This helps prevent accidents or sneaky peeks.
• Keeping an eye out. Some programs can watch over your SSD, only letting save what you want where you want.

Hardware encryption:

• Built tough. Some SSDs can automatically scramble your data, making it safer than using regular software encryption.
• The good stuff. A lot of these SSDs use AES encryption, which is super strong and trusted.
• Turn it on. You might need to activate this feature through your SSD’s settings or software. Once it’s on, you’ll need a password or key to get to your data.

Steps to implement:

1. Check if your SSD can do hardware encryption. This info is usually on the box or the manufacturer’s website.
2. Go into the SSD’s software or settings to find the hardware encryption or security options.
3. Set it up by following the steps. Make sure to keep your password or key safe. If you lose it, you might lose access to everything on the SSD.
4. To limit who can save stuff to the SSD, check out your computer’s settings. Windows users, for example, can use the “Group Policy Editor.”

Even though these steps are good at keeping your data safe, no method is perfect. It’s smart to use more than one way to protect your important stuff.

Final thoughts

We live in a world where we keep a lot of our lives on drives like SSDs because they’re fast and reliable. But, making sure our deleted files are really gone can be tricky with SSDs. While there’s no foolproof way to erase data completely due to how SSDs work, using a mix of the strategies we talked about can make your data a lot safer. Always use more than one security method, especially for very private information.