Deleting files and folders is a process that requires users to access the file manager or command line interface of an operating system. In most cases, files and folders are deleted by using a combination of the mouse or touchpad and keyboard in order to select the item(s) to be deleted and then pressing the delete key on the keyboard once the item has been selected or highlighted.
Using File Manager:
1. Open the File Manager application on your computer. On some operating systems, it may be called a File Explorer.
2. On the left side of the application, navigate through the folders until you find the file or folder that you want to delete.
3. Select the file or folder by clicking on it once.
4. Right click on the item you have selected and choose “Delete” from the menu that appears.
5. If you don’t see the menu, press the Delete key on the keyboard.
6. Confirm the deletion by clicking “Yes” or “OK” when prompted.
Using Command Line Interface:
1. Open the Command Line Interface application on your computer. On some operating systems, this is known as the Command Prompt or Terminal.
2. Use the “cd” command to navigate to the directory or folder that contains the file or folder you want to delete.
3. Type “dir” to see a list of the files and folders in the current location.
4. Type “del [filename]” to delete a single file. Replace “[filename]” with the name of the file you want to delete.
5. Type “rd [foldername]” to delete a folder. Replace “[foldername]” with the name of the folder you want to delete.
6. Confirm the deletion by typing “y” and pressing Enter when prompted.
Tips For Deleting Files and Folders:
• If you are deleting a number of files or folders, you can select them all at once by pressing and holding the Control key and then clicking each item to be deleted. Then, press the Delete key on the keyboard to delete all the selected items.
• To delete a file or folder that won’t be deleted normally, you can use the “rm” command in the Command Line Interface application. It will delete the file or folder regardless of permissions.
• If you are trying to delete an entire folder on a Windows operating system, you may have to delete each file and subfolder separately.
• After deleting a file or folder, it is usually recommended to empty the Recycle Bin or Trash Can. This will make sure that the item is permanently deleted and cannot be recovered.