If you used to store many large files on your computer, it could result in a large size of Windows 11. This means processing takes a lot of time and makes your PC slow. Computer performance is based on system performance, and clearing files and folders also takes time.
To quickly delete large folders and files on Windows 11, you must be familiar with the Command Prompt. This is also known as Force Delete, which allows users to delete files or folders. Today, in this article, we will share an in-depth guide on quickly deleting large files on Windows 11. Without further ado, let’s take a closer look at this.
Noteworthy
While working with CMD (Command Prompt), you double-check the path of the folder or file you want to delete. Deleting or using the wrong path could cause serious issues.
Windows Force Delete?
Deleting a large folder and files using Windows Explorer generally takes time. This is because Windows calculates and analyses files and folders as they are deleted. This is where Force Delete comes in. It allows you to force delete, where Windows will override any conflicting processes that might prevent you from deleting files or folders on your PC.
Delete a large folder using CMD (Command Prompt).
This method is quite straightforward. Using CMD will offer faster results, depending on your command, as it takes some time.
- Open Windows Start, then search for the Command Prompt to run as an administrator.
- After that, execute %USERPROFILE%\path\to\folder.
- Here, you need to enter the path of your folder or files to select the path of the folder.
- Next, use the command del /f/q/s . > null to delete the folder or path.
- To better understand the code:
- /f is an optional force allowing the deletion of read-only files.
- /q enables quiet mode.
- /s executes the command for all.
- Del removes every file.
- Null turns off the console output to improve deletion performance.
- Now, hit Cd to go back, and then use this command to delete the folder and its subfolders with the following rmdir: /q/s FOLDER-NAME.
- Here, you must understand that /q enables Quiet Mode and /s executes the command on all folders. Don’t forget to replace the folder name with delete a specific folder.
- That’s it! This is how you can delete all the files and folders at the location where they will be deleted from your computer.
Large folders contain many files, and using File Explorer normally takes time. It takes some time during the delete process, and sometimes it takes time before deleting a large folder with thousands of files and subfolders.
Quickly delete a large folder from the context menu.
This is another quick way to delete large folders and files. You can do this by creating a script and modifying the registry to add a new entry to the right-click context menu to delete folders with many files quickly.
- Open the Start menu and search for Notepad. Run it as an administrator by right-clicking on it and selecting “Run as an Administrator.”
- Now paste the following code into the Notepad window: @ECHO OFF ECHO Delete Folder: %CD%? PAUSE SET FOLDER=%CD% CD/DDEL /F/Q/S “%FOLDER%” > NUL RMDIR /Q/S “%FOLDER%” EXIT
- Save this file on your C:\Windows as quick_delete.bat.
- Open the Registry Editor by searching for “regedit” in the Start menu.
- Navigate to HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\ and then right-click on the Shell folder. Select “New” and click on “Key.”.
- Give it a name, “Fast Delete,” and hit enter.
- Next, right-click on this key, select “New,” and click “Key.”
- Enter the command and press Enter. Double-click the “Command” key and the default string on the right side.
- Change the value key with the following line: cmd /c “cd %1 && quick_delete.bat”.
- Click “OK” and that’s it!
From now on, head over to the file or folder you want to delete. Select the file or folder, hit Shift + Right-Click, and then select the “Fast Delete” option. This will be a legacy context menu that will be removed from the system.
With this method, you can also prevent accidental deletion and proceed by pressing any key using the Ctrl + C keyboard shortcut or clicking on the X button to cancel the operation. This is how you can delete large folders quickly on Windows 11. This comes in handy when users need to remove Windows files or folders.