What if I permanently delete a file in Windows 10 or 11? If you permanently delete a file (press Shift+Del to do so) or empty the entire Recycle Bin, recovering a file is trickier but still doable.

Windows won't let you delete, move, or rename a file if a program is using it. Frustratingly, it also won't tell you which program is using the file so that you can solve the problem.

Wondering what really happens when you delete a file on Windows? Learn how deletion works, where files go, and if you can recover them.