Frequently Asked Questions (FAQs)
These FAQs aim to help you understand DeleteOnClick better, and quickly solve any difficulties that you might encounter.
Q: If I use this program to delete a file can I undelete it?
A: No. Once a file has been securely deleted it cannot be recovered using any method. The file will have been permanently and irretrievably deleted.
Q: What type of files can be securely deleted?
A: Any file can be securely deleted, except files that are being used by other programs.
Q: I'm getting the error "The file cannot be opened" whenever I try and securely delete a file.
A: The most probable reason for this error is that you don't have access rights to the file.
Q: I'm getting the error "The read-only attribute could not be removed" when trying to securely delete a file.
A: If a file has the read-only attribute enabled it cannot be securely deleted until the attribute is removed. An attempt was made to remove the read-only attribute but it failed. The most probable reason for this error is that you don't have access rights to the file.
Q: I'm getting the error "The file is being used by another program and so cannot be deleted" when trying to securely delete a file.
A: If a file is being used by another program, process, or Windows itself then it cannot be deleted. You need to close the program that is using the file.
Q: I'm getting the error "The folder may be the currently selected folder in Explorer" when trying to securely delete a folder.
A: You cannot delete the folder that is the currently selected folder in Explorer. All the files and sub-folders will have been deleted. You can delete the folder itself in Explorer by right-clicking on it and selecting Delete from the pop-up menu, or by pressing the Delete key. Note that files (and not folders) are securely deleted, so there is no problem deleting the empty folder manually using Explorer.
Q: Why is DeleteOnClick so slow when wiping free disk space?
A: The "Quickly Wipe Free Disk Space" option will wipe the free disk space three times faster than "Securely Wipe Free Disk Space", but it will still take time to process.