Secure & Easy: Wipe Free Space on Windows 11 in Top 3 Ways
User case
How do I clean up free space?
I have a slow-running computer and have been following all recommended fixes. I have deleted temporary files, closed programs running in the background, checked for corrupted files, ran virus scans Malware bytes and c cleaner and now just want to try freeing up space. Any suggestions?
- Question from Microsoft Community
Why need to wipe free space on Windows 11?
What is wiping free space? Wiping free space is actually deleting data, and this deletion is not a simple deletion, it is a complete deletion. When a user uses the Windows delete function, it actually only removes the surface identifier of the file, the actual content of the file remains in the system.
Securely erasing free space on the file system can prevent the recovery of deleted sensitive data. If someone goes through professional data recovery methods, professionals or some hackers etc. may recover deleted data from your computer, which will cause severe personal data leakage.
If you want to securely and permanently erase sensitive files and be sure that no one can access or recover the files, read the following contents carefully.
How to wipe free space on Windows 11 in 3 simple ways
Moving on, you can grab the top 3 solutions to simply free disk space on Windows 11. After you have successfully wiped it, you will no longer worry about data loss due to malicious attacks on your computer and computer loss. Try the following three methods on your own to see which one fits your needs better.
- #1. Erase Windows 11 free space with best free space wiper
- #2. Clean Windows 11 free disk space with CCleaner
- #3. Overwrite free space using Command Prompt
#1. Erase Windows 11 free space with best free space wiper
For privacy and security reasons, we can use the best free space wiper to set up free clean hard disk so that no one else will ever be able to recover those deleted files. Here, I highly recommend the best disk wipe tool for you – Qiling Disk Master Professional, due to its user-friendly interface and various powerful features. You can have a preview of its prominent functions below.
✪ You can choose to wipe partitions or unallocated space on the disk or delete all data on the disk. All data you delete with this software cannot be recovered after erasure.
✪ It can wipe any internal/external hard drive, partition, USB flash drive, etc.
✪ It offers you four wiping methods: Fill sectors with Zero, Fill sectors with random data, DoD 5220.22-M, and Gutmann, you can choose as you need.
Learn how to wipe free space on Windows 11 via Qiling Disk Master in the following tutorial. You can download and install the best wipe free space tool on your PC to have a try.
Step 1. Run Qiling Disk Master. Click Tools and choose Disk Wipe.
Step 2. Choose the unallocated space of any disk to wipe on this page.
Step 3. Choose the wiping method you need and Proceed disk wiping. Safer wiping methods come with more passes and lower wiping speed.
Step 4. Then you will enter the wiping process page. You can click Cancel in the right corner if you want to stop this process. When the operation is completed, click Finish.
Notes:
◆This feature doesn't support wiping dynamic disks.
◆The wiped data can no longer be restored. It is recommended to backup important data in advance.
◆If you want to wipe the current system disk or C drive where Windows is installed, the software will restart to WinPE to perform the operation. You will not be able to enter the system after completion.
#2. Clean Windows 11 free disk space with CCleaner
Moreover, there's a free utility called CCleaner that allows you to wipe the free space on your hard drive securely. it is a free system optimization and privacy protection tool (not open source) that is designed to clean up the junk files of your Windows system such as temporary folders, history, recycle bin, etc. in order to free up more space on your hard disk.
1. Once you've downloaded CCleaner and installed it, open the program and select Tools > Drive Wiper. Choose the type of wipe you require: Free Space Only and Entire Drive erases all of the files on the drive.
Tip: Make sure you DO NOT select Entire Drive for it will wipe all the available space in the system at once. So it is generally not recommended for users to use this feature by CCleaner unless you are willing to do so.
2. CCleaner warns you before proceeding. You will need to type in ERASE as a confirmation that you do indeed want to erase all data on the selected drive(s).
#3. Overwrite free space using Command Prompt
Administrators can use Cipher.exe to encrypt and decrypt data on drives that use the NTFS file system. They can also use it to view the encryption status of files and folders from a command prompt. Cipher utility is designed to prevent unauthorized recovery of such data. when you use it, make sure you type the command correctly to avoid any unintended consequences.
1. Press Start button in Windows taskbar, type command prompt into the search box and select it from the list.
2. Type cipher /w:C into the dialog box and press Enter. (Simply substitute C for the drive letter that you want to wipe).
3. Wait for the process to complete. Data that isn't allocated to files or folders is overwritten. The data is permanently removed.
Tip: It can take a long time if you overwrite a large amount of space. This is one of those tasks you should run when you're not using your PC. Consider running it overnight or during downtime on the weekend.
Wrapping up
To settle the task – wipe free space on Windows 11, you are provided top 3 effective ways in this article. You can rely on the best wipe free space software – Qiling Disk Master, use CCleaner, or via the Windows 11 built-in tool. But sincerely, I suggest you choose Qiling Disk Master, for it can help you securely and permanently erase sensitive files that cannot be recovered. And while you encounter 100% disk usage on Windows 11, it can also assist you to speed up your PC.
In addition, it is not only an all-in-one backup and restore tool, but also it offers you clone feature that you can easily clone SSD to SSD on Windows 11. Qiling Disk Master plays an indispensable role in securing your data, so download and use it now!
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