How to Delete Archive Files? – [SOLVED]

Summary- This article will provide a comprehensive guide on “How to delete archive files?”. It will cover the different ways to delete archive files and their benefits.

Archive files are composed of compressed folders which are the package of multiple files. Usually, this is done to save storage as it is easier to handle files for users. They are often used to share files, distribute software, or store data for a long period of time. Archive files require special tools like WinRAR and WinZip to open and extract the content.

Though it is a useful method to store data, users sometimes seek ways to delete archive files. When you simply delete an archive file, data fragments and traces of the files are left behind, leaving the possibility of potential recovery. To skip this, follow this write-up to master the art of managing and deleting archive files.

In the upcoming sections, we will dive into the depths of erasing archive files and discuss the different ways of doing so. But before that, let’s take a look at the reasons/benefits of doing so.

Why Erase Archive Files? – Reasons

There are several reasons why one may need to delete archive files, some of them are as follows

• Free Up Space- Archive files, which carry old and unnecessary data and when left undeleted for some time, can accumulate ending up using too much space. You can save a lot of space by deleting those files.
• Data Security- Erasing old archive files that contain sensitive data can help in data security as there are fewer chances of data breaches.
• Organization- Deleting unnecessary archive files can make it easy to organize the data you need more frequently and will keep you away from cluttering.
• Data Retention Policies- Many companies follow data retention policies in which employees delete the archived data over a certain period and hence, users may need to erase archive files.

How to Delete Archive Files? – Methods

Two basic methods come into play when erasing archive files from your computer. We will look into them briefly in the next sections.

Method 1- Erasing Archive Files Using File Explorer

Users can simply delete the archive files by going to the location of the file. Follow the steps to proceed.

Step 1. On your laptop, open File Explorer.

Step 2. Navigate to the archive folder.

Step 3. Right-click on it and press Delete.

Method 2- Delete Archive Files Using Command Line

Using the Command line to erase archive files can be done by writing the write commands. Follow the steps very carefully.

Step 1. Press Win + R to open Run Command, type cmd and press Enter.

Step 2. Now, to navigate to the directory containing the archive file, use the cd command followed by the path of the directory.

cd Downloads (If the archive file is stored in the “Downloads” directory)

Step 3. Now, use the del command followed by the name of the archive file to delete it.

del archive.zip (Where archive.zip is the name of the file)

Extra Tip – If you just want to delete a file inside the Archive file, just open the file using WinRAR or the 7-zip tool depending on the format of the file, and right-click on the folder to delete it.

By following the above-written steps, you will be able to delete your archive files. These methods complete the task significantly but they do come with certain limitations. Let’s take a closer look.

Drawbacks of The Above Methods

The above-mentioned method comes with the following limitations-

• There are chances that partitions and leftovers are left in your device that can be further used to recover it easily using professional tools.
• Using the Command Prompt to erase archive files can be difficult and error-prone at the same time. One slight mistake can lead to severe data loss.
• The procedure can be complicated and a bit time-consuming for non-technical users.
• These methods don’t apply multiple overwriting and alteration of data, which still makes the data recoverable and unsafe.

Delete Archive Files With Ease!

Users can use SysTools Data Wipe Software to completely and efficiently erase archive files using many methods. This powerful utility goes beyond simple deletion and has several powerful capabilities that allow it to alter the data and overwrite it in such a way that it becomes impossible to recover. This software uses various wiping algorithms, and each of them offers a different level of security. Down below are some quality features of the data wipe software.

Quality Features of The Smart Utility

• The tool smartly overwrites the deleted data in passes.
• It eliminates any chances of recovery of the deleted data.
• Offers a Quick selection feature to help burn out traces, ensuring targeted data erasure.
• It follows strict data protection regulations and more than 20 international standards—including NIST, ISO/IEC 27701, DoD, and others.
• The powerful utility can easily delete your archive files from any type of storage space like Hard drives, SSDs, laptops, HP laptops, etc.
• Enhances the wiping methods to erase beyond recovery.

Conclusion

To conclude, we have mentioned the easiest and most workable ways to delete archive files. Users can go with the manual methods but they do come with some limitations. Therefore, we suggest you use our professional data wipe software to completely erase archive files.