How to Delete Files

How to Delete Files

Over time you'll create document files you no longer need. The following activity will lead you through creating a file you can then delete (or get rid of).

Note that this lesson builds on earlier lessons or knowledge you may have. If you need a refresher I provide links to help with some of these lessons. Clicking on these links will cause another browser window to open. Read through / practice that and then close that window and you'll be back here.

Activity 1: Creating a delete-able file

1) Open a program which you can use to create a file.

For Windows Open the WordPad program (click here if you don't know how to do that).

For Macintosh use the SimpleText program (click here if you don't know how to do that).

2) Within that program, create a file and type a few words in a document window. Then save that document to the desktop. (Click here if you're not sure how to save a document to the desktop. Then quit that program (under the File menu). Go to the desktop in order to see the icon of your document.

Activity 2: Deleting a file, Method 1: Using the Mouse

1) Arrange or close or minimize any open windows so that you can see all of the desktop.

2) Using the mouse, move the point of the arrow within the picture part of the document icon you just created.

3) Press and drag the icon of the document over the icon of the Trash (Macintosh) or Recycle Bin (Windows). Then release the mouse button: the icon of the document will go into the Trash / Recycle Bin. (This is called a Drag and Drop. Click here for a bit more on drag and drop.)

Activity 3: Deleting a File, Method 2: Using the Pop Up Menu

(If you did Activity 2 above, open the Trash / Recycle Bin and drag that file back onto the desktop and then close the Trash / Recycle Bin.)

1) Using the mouse, move the point of the arrow within the picture part of the document icon you just created.

2) On Windows, do a Right Click; On Macintosh do a Control-click. These actions will being up a menu of different possibilities.

3) One of those possibilities on this menu is to Delete / Move to Trash. Select that menu item by moving the mouse and then execute that menu item with a left click (Windows) or a click (Macintosh). The system will move that file into the Trash / Recycle Bin.

Here's what that menu looks like on Mac and Windows:

Macintosh: Control-Click on that document icon on the desktop:

Windows: Right-Click on that document icon on the desktop:

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