How to Force Delete Files or Folders in Windows 11

This post will show how to force delete files or folders in Windows 11. Although Windows 11 comes with lots of useful features and a newly designed interface, it also has a few downsides in terms of security and privacy. It is true that restrictions can at times prove to be beneficial, but they can also be problematic. To maintain free storage space on our Windows PC, we need to regularly delete unnecessary files. We can keep our relevant documents and files on free storage, which makes the program run better.

It is quite common for us to run into problems when removing files or folders. In that case, we’ll have to manually delete the file to remove it from storage. There have been many complaints about the file which has been dropped quite a few times. Let’s take a look at how you can delete the system files or folders in Windows 11.

Why can’t I delete a file or folder in Windows 11?

You may not be able to remove system files from Windows 11 due to many reasons, but the most common ones are the following:

The file is currently in use.
Disk space is limited or the disk is write-protected.
The file is only read-only.
Corrupted system file.
Corrupted Recycle Bin.
Recycle Bin is full.
Malware infected the file or folder.
Files or folders are being used by a program or background process.

Let’s now look at how you can forcefully delete files or folders in Windows 11.

How to Force Delete Files or Folders in Windows 11

To force delete files or folders in Windows 11, you can use the following methods:

1] Through Command Prompt

This method allows you to force-delete any unnecessary files or folders in Windows 11 using a command prompt. To do so, follow these steps:

Run the Command Prompt with admin access.
Now copy and paste the below command line:

DEL /F /Q /A “File path”

Note: In the above command, the File Path refers to the path of the file you wish to delete.

Press the Enter key to delete the file on your computer.

Tips: Don’t forget to include the file extension, e.g., .txt, .docx, .xls, in the command line. If you want to confirm the full path of a file or folder, simply right-click on the file and select the Properties option.

If you would like to delete a folder forcefully in Windows 11, you can do so by running the following command:

RD /S /Q “Folder path”

Note: In the above command, the Folder Path refers to the path of the file you wish to delete.

2] Use the Shift shortcut key

If you’re familiar with Windows, you know that it saves files and folders in the Recycle bin when we delete them, so we can retrieve them whenever we want. If you don’t have any space left in the Recycle Bin, then you cannot delete any files and folders.

When this happens, you will need to select the file you want to remove. Then, press the Shift+Delete key combination to delete the file right away without having to go through the recycle bin.