How to delete a file being used by another program Here are some practical ways to dodge the pop-up and delete files that are in use by a program on your Windows PC.

To make sure a deleted file can't be recovered, you'll need to use a third-party shredding tool. Here's a look at three such free programs: Eraser, File Shredder, and Freeraser.

There are files and folders on your personal computer that you genuinely don't need. Here's how to clean out unnecessary junk and free up storage.

How to delete files and be sure they're really gone Regardless of whether it's an SSD storage device (pictured) or a classic hard drive, data is only properly deleted if it has been overwritten.