Windows 8 Bible

Deleting Files

In computers, the term delete is synonymous with “throw in the trash.” That’s important to know because you wouldn’t want to throw important paper documents from your filing cabinet into the trash. Likewise, you don’t want to delete anything important that’s on your computer.

It’s easy to delete files and folders. Perhaps it’s too easy because it’s a leading cause of headaches and disasters, especially among beginners and casual computer users who try to learn by guessing and figuring things out. Deleting and “moving to the Recycle Bin” are basically the same thing. So let’s start with a couple of good rules of thumb. Before you delete an item or move it to the Recycle Bin, ask yourself two questions:

• Do I know exactly what this file (or folder) is?
• Am I 100 percent certain that neither I nor my computer will need it in the future, ever?

If the answer to both questions is “Yes,” go ahead and delete the file. If the answer to either question is “No,” don’t delete the file or move it to the Recycle Bin.

Caution

When you delete a folder, you delete all of the files and subfolders inside that folder! That means one small delete can lead to many lost files. Never delete a folder unless you’re absolutely sure that the folder and its subfolders contain only files that you’ll never need again.

Deleting is a simple process. If you want to delete a single file or folder, first select its icon. Optionally, if you want to delete multiple items in one fell swoop, select ...