Delete
1. In general, delete or remove refers to removing a file, text, or other object from the computer hard drive or other media. Files deleted in Microsoft Windows are sent to the Recycling Bin, with other operating systems it may be called the Trash. With most computers, including Windows, when files are deleted they are only marked as deleted, but will still exist on the hard drive until they are overwritten by other data. This is what makes data recovery sometimes possible when a file has been deleted.
- How do I delete a file, directory, or folder?
- How to help make sure all data is erased on hard drive.
2. A command that is used to delete or remove data or files. Below is a listing of different methods of deleting a file.
- MS-DOS users can delete files using the del, deltree, or erase commands.
- Linux and Unix users can delete files using the rm command.
- Microsoft Windows users, Apple Macintosh users, and other users using other GUI Operating Systems can delete files by highlighting a file and pressing the delete or del key on the keyboard.
- See the how to use ftp help page for information about delete and other FTP commands.
3. DEL is also a common abbreviation for delete and is a description of a keyboard key commonly used when describing shortcut keys. For example, ALT + CTRL + DEL indicates press the alt, control, and delete key all at once.
Also see: Backspace, Clear, Control keys, Discard, Erase, Expunge, Kill, Mdelete, Negate, Purge, Terminate, Uninstall