Computer Basics · Files & Folders · Lesson 4 of 5

Deleting & the Recycle Bin

Delete files safely, and bring them back when you change your mind.

Deleting, and getting it back

To delete a file means to remove it. On Windows, click the file once and press the Delete key. Or right-click it and choose the trash can icon.

The file is not gone yet. It moves to the Recycle Bin, a holding place for deleted files. You can find it on the desktop. Its icon looks like a waste basket.

This is your safety net. If you delete something by mistake, you can bring it back:

1. Double-click the Recycle Bin to open it.
2. Find the file you want back.
3. Right-click it and choose Restore.

The file goes back to the exact folder it came from.

Deleting a folder also deletes everything inside it. So open a folder and check what is in it first.

On a Mac, deleted files go to the Trash, at the end of the Dock. To delete, click the file and press Command and Delete. To bring a file back, open the Trash and drag it out. Or click it and choose File, then Put Back.

On the practice computer, delete Old notes, then open the Recycle Bin and restore it. Then delete it again and empty the Recycle Bin.

Emptying the bin, and Shift+Delete

Files in the Recycle Bin still take up space. To clear it, right-click the Recycle Bin and choose Empty Recycle Bin. Windows asks if you are sure.

Once you empty it, the files are gone for normal use. There is no Restore button for them anymore. So think before you empty:

• Open the bin and look at what is inside.
• Ask yourself if any photo or letter might be the only copy.
• If you are not sure, leave it. There is no rush.

There is also a shortcut that skips the bin. Holding Shift and pressing Delete removes a file right away. Windows asks first, but the file never goes to the Recycle Bin. You can't restore it from there. Only use this when you are very sure.

Files on a flash drive usually skip the Recycle Bin too. A flash drive is a small stick you plug into the computer to carry files. Windows warns you before it deletes them for good.

On a Mac, click Finder in the menu bar and choose Empty Trash. The menu bar is the strip of words along the top of a Mac screen. Emptied items are deleted for good.