Hi everyone,

I’ve been trying to free up some space on my Windows 10 laptop and want to make sure that when I delete files, they’re gone for good — especially sensitive stuff like old tax documents and personal photos. However, I’m also worried because I’ve heard that files can be recovered even after being deleted, which kinda defeats the purpose. I’ve used the Recycle Bin and the regular delete function, but is that really enough for permanent deletion?

While looking into this, I came across a detailed step-by-step guide on safely deleting and recovering files on Windows 10 and 11, which I found really useful. The article goes over both methods to securely erase files and ways to recover accidentally deleted ones. You can check it out here: https://dtptips.com/how-to-safely-delete-and-recover-files-on-windows-10-11-step-by-step-guide/

My question is, for everyday use, is enabling Windows’ built-in features like storage sense or just emptying the recycle bin sufficient? Or should I consider third-party tools that overwrite data? Also, are there any risks in using these third-party apps that I should be aware of?

Thanks in advance for any advice or personal experiences you can share!