SSD TRIM: Delete files permanently without using the Recycle Bin

TRIM is a command that enhances the efficiency and longevity of solid-state drives (SSDs). It does this by enabling the operating system to communicate directly with the drive regarding unused or obsolete data blocks. In this article, we shall discuss “SSD TRIM: Delete files permanently without using the Recycle Bin”. Here is how to Fix insufficient access rights to perform this operation when trying to enable Active Directory Recycle Bin, and “Restore AD Objects: How to restore deleted user accounts in Active Directory with Microsoft LDP and PowerShell“.

Essentially, TRIM ensures that the SSD knows which data blocks are no longer in use and can be safely erased or marked for reuse. Unlike traditional hard drives, SSDs store data in flash memory cells, organized into pages and blocks.

Writing new data to an SSD requires erasing existing data in these cells, a process that can slow down performance over time. TRIM optimizes this process by proactively managing unused data blocks. Please see the steps below on how Trim works:

1. When data is deleted or moved, the operating system sends a TRIM command to the SSD. Specifying exactly which blocks of data are no longer needed (Precise Identification of Data Location). This eliminates guesswork and allows the drive to focus on relevant areas.
2. Upon receiving a TRIM command, the SSD promptly clears the designated blocks. Thereby, making them available for new data (immediate erasure of unused blocks). This step prevents delays that might occur if the drive had to perform an erase operation during a write process.
3. Since the drive doesn’t need to erase old data before writing new information, write operations become faster. This is important for maintaining consistent performance as the SSD fills up over time. Thereby, improving write performance.
4. By managing data efficiently, TRIM minimizes unnecessary write and erase cycles, reducing wear on the flash memory cells. This extends the overall lifespan of the SSD.

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Recycle Bin Behavior for Windows 11

When you delete files on Windows 11. By default, they aren’t immediately erased from your drive. Instead, they are marked for deletion and moved to the Recycle Bin. This provides a safety net in case you need to recover them later. This process ensures that accidental deletions are not permanent, offering users an additional layer of security for their files.

However, the Recycle Bin does not retain files indefinitely. The operating system allocates a small percentage of each drive’s storage to the Recycle Bin, with the exact amount varying based on the size of the partition. As this reserved space fills up, the system automatically deletes the oldest files to make room for new deletions. This effectively limiting the number of files you can restore at any given time.

Interestingly, Windows 11 allows users to customize the behavior of the Recycle Bin to better suit their preferences and storage needs. You can adjust the allocated storage to allow the Recycle Bin to hold more or fewer deleted files, ensuring it aligns with your usage patterns.

Additionally, you can bypass the Recycle Bin entirely by enabling an option to permanently delete files when removed, a setting ideal for users who prefer not to retain deleted items.

if you are concerned about accidental deletions, enabling a confirmation prompt adds an extra step to the process, minimizing unintended file removals. These customization options give users greater control over how Windows 11 handles deleted files, balancing convenience and data safety.

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Delete files permanently without using the Recycle Bin

To do this, Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on your desktop and select Properties. In the Properties window, select the location/drive C for example you want to change the setting.

Then, choose the option Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted.

Click Apply and then OK to save the changes. Here is a guide from Microsoft for more information.

Note: if you have the delete confirmation selected, every time you delete a file, a confirmation dialog will appear asking if you’re sure you want to delete it, helping to prevent accidental deletions

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Delete One or More Files Immediately

To delete a file, folder, or multiple files and folders immediately, select them in File Explorer and press Shift+Delete on your keyboard.

You can also right-click the files, press and hold the Shift key, and click the “Delete” option in the context menu.

Alternatively, since you do not want deleted data ending up in the recycle bin for files located in Drive C for example. Please ensure you select “Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted” as shown below.

As you can see, the deleted file does not appear in the recycle bin anymore.

Note: You can effectively empty the Recycle Bin from the command line by permanently deleting the Recycle Bin directory on the drive containing the system files. This is the C: drive, but avoid hardcoding the value, as it may vary. Instead, use the %systemdrive% environment variable to identify the correct drive.

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Determine if SSD Trim is Enabled or Disabled

To re-emphasize, when you delete files through Windows Explorer, they are sent to the Recycle Bin for potential recovery. But for SSDs, the TRIM command ensures that once files are permanently deleted (that is when the Recycle Bin is emptied), the associated storage blocks are marked as reusable, optimizing SSD performance and longevity.

Please run the command below to see if the TRIM operation is enabled or not on your Windows PC. To see if this command has already been enabled, please run the command below.

fsutil behavior query disabledeletenotify

To enable the TRIM operation, please run the command below.

fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 0

As you can see in the image above, the TRIM operation is disabled. While, the image below, shows the TRIM operation is enabled.

Press Enter on your keyboard and, after a short while, Command Prompt displays a message that contains one of these two options:

• “NTFS DisableDeleteNotify = 0” – means that the TRIM feature is enabled on your SSD.
• “NTFS DisableDeleteNotify = 1” – means that the TRIM feature is disabled on your SSD.

NTFS DisableDeleteNotify = 0: For NTFS file systems, a value of 0 indicates that TRIM notifications are enabled. This means Windows will send TRIM commands to SSDs when files are deleted, ensuring efficient space reuse.

ReFS DisableDeleteNotify = 0: For ReFS (Resilient File System), a value of 0 similarly indicates that TRIM notifications are enabled, allowing the storage device to optimize space after deletions.

Disable SSD TRIM in Windows

Disabling TRIM simply prevents efficient space reclamation on SSDs but does not influence the Recycle Bin’s behavior.

If you ever wish to disable the TRIM function on your Windows PC, this will lead to poor performance as discussed above. This is because, the SSD will do a lot of erasing and rewriting.

You can easily do so by opening Command Prompt with administrative privileges. Type the command fsutil behavior set disabledeletenotify 1, and pressing Enter. This mean, Windows will no longer send TRIM commands to the SSD when files are deleted.

As you can see below.

Files will still go to the Recycle Bin by default when deleted through Windows Explorer, as the command does not change this feature.

Whether TRIM is enabled or disabled doesn’t affect the Recycle Bin. The Recycle Bin’s functionality is independent of TRIM, and files deleted through Explorer will still be recoverable from the Recycle Bin unless you have configured the Recycle Bin to immediately delete files (as discussed earlier).

Summary

The TRIM command acts as a critical intermediary between the operating system and the SSD. It ensures that the drive operates at peak efficiency by preemptively clearing obsolete data blocks and enabling seamless write operations.

As a result, TRIM not only enhances performance but also contributes to the durability and reliability of modern SSDs.

I hope you found this article very useful on ‘SSD TRIM: Delete files permanently without using the Recycle Bin”. Please feel to leave a comment below.