Icon of program: DeleteOnClick

DeleteOnClick for Windows

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Used DeleteOnClick for Windows?

Editors’ Review

Download.com staff

Deleted files aren't completely deleted when you send them to the Recycle Bin. Even when you empty the Recycle Bin, deleted files aren't wiped from the disk. A secure file deletion tool can scrub every trace of a deleted file from your disk drive, but that means more steps and opening another piece of software. We looked at DeleteOnClick, a secure file deletion utility that integrates with context menus in Windows. DeleteOnClick lets you right-click files and delete them securely with a single click. It overwrites files to destroy them on the disk so they can't be recovered. DeleteOnClick also automatically renames files and wipes file attributes before deletion to thwart undelete attempts.

Since DeleteOnClick integrates itself with context menus in Windows Explorer, we had to reboot our system to finish up the installation. Since we had a test folder of extracted files on our desktop, we opted to test DeleteOnClick on it. We right-clicked the file, and then selected Securely Delete 64-Bit on the context menu. A pop-up asked us if we were sure we wanted to delete the file. We were, but it's worth mentioning that it pays to be sure you want to delete the selected files because they'll be gone when DeleteOnClick does its thing. We clicked OK, and a progress bar and file name display tracked the process. We clicked Abort, and the program stopped deleting files, but those that had already been processed were already gone, of course. Uninstalling DeleteOnClick also required a reboot, and we also opted to remove shared files installed along with the program that merely linked to the developer, 2brightsparks.

While DeleteOnClick's download includes a Web-based Help file, there are no options to set, and no real interface, either, just the context menu entry. That's the key to the program's simplicity, apparently, and we can't complain since there's nothing really to set and the program's warnings are more than adequate to keep users from accidentally deleting the wrong file. However, it will thoroughly zap any file you point it at, so remember to use it with care.

What’s new in version 2.3

Version 2.3 adds extra confirmation if wiping everything on a drive.
Icon of program: DeleteOnClick

DeleteOnClick for Windows

Download now

Used DeleteOnClick for Windows?

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Full Specifications

GENERAL
Release
Latest update
Version
2.3
OPERATING SYSTEMS
Platform
Windows
Operating System
  • Windows 7
  • Windows Vista
  • Windows 2000
  • Windows XP
  • Windows 10
Additional Requirements
None
POPULARITY
Total Downloads
23,694
Downloads Last Week
1
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User Reviews

4.1/5

9 User Votes

Developer’s Description

By 2BrightSparks
Erase files without the possibility of recovery.
DeleteOnClick is a very simple to use program that securely deletes files so they cannot be undeleted or recovered. It's implemented as a Windows Explorer extension so you just need to right-click on the files then choose Securely Delete to wipe the files. When you delete a file or folder using Windows, it is usual for the file or folder to be moved to the Recycle Bin (Trash). When the Recycle Bin is emptied, the data you have deleted is not actually removed from your computer. Instead, Windows makes the space occupied by the file available for writing. In other words, every file you delete using Windows is potentially recoverable in the short term. If you create a new file after deleting using Windows, or save a changed file, it may write over the deleted file's space, thus destroying it permanently. Likewise, defragmenting will possibly overwrite the deleted files. DeleteOnClick completely deletes files in one click rather than sending the file to the recycle bin.
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