Updated: 05/01/2023 by Computer Hope
Delete may refer to any of the following:
1. In general, delete or remove refers to eliminating a file, text, or another object from the computer hard drive or other media. For example, if you had a picture on the computer you no longer wanted, it could be deleted.
What happens when you delete?
In Microsoft Windows, deleted files are sent to the Recycle Bin. On Apple computers, deleted files are sent to the Trash. In most operating systems, when files are deleted, they are only marked as such, but still exist on the hard drive until they are overwritten by other data. This condition is what makes data recovery possible.
When deleting text, the deleted text is not sent anywhere. However, it can be recovered with the undo feature.
What is the difference between deleting and uninstalling?
The delete feature removes documents, pictures, and other files used by programs on your computer. Uninstall is used to remove a program installed on a computer.
When a program is installed on a computer, several files are copied to a computer and often in multiple locations. Some programs may also make changes to system files like the registry. When a program is uninstalled, all files are removed, and any system changes are removed or reverted to the default settings. When you delete a folder, you delete one or more files in one location. A program could be removed by deleting its folder, but if files were copied elsewhere during the installation, they become orphan files and remain on the computer. Further information about uninstalling is on our uninstall page.
- How to delete a file, directory, or folder.
- Delete files without getting a prompt.
- How to make sure all data is erased on a computer hard drive.
- How to recover missing, lost, or deleted files.
- How to delete text in a document.
- Unable to delete file: being used by another person or program.
- Create, delete, rename, copy, and move a worksheet in Excel.
2. Del is a common abbreviation for delete and a key on a computer keyboard. It is sometimes used with other keys to perform certain actions on a computer, also known as keyboard shortcuts. For example, Ctrl+Alt+Del indicates pressing the Ctrl, Alt, and Del keys at the same time. The picture shows the delete key found on an Apple computer.
Note
With some keyboards, the delete key may be labeled as a clear key.
- Where is the Del or Delete key on the keyboard?
- Practice using the Del key
- How many delete keys are on the keyboard?
- Where is the delete key on a Chromebook?
- Where is the delete on a smartphone or tablet?
- Does the delete key remove text from the left or right of the cursor?
- What happens if you hold down the delete key?
- Related information
Where is the Del or Delete key on the keyboard?
Below is a keyboard with the Delete keys highlighted in blue on the main keyboard and the numeric keypad.
Note
Apple computer keyboards have a "delete" key instead of a Backspace key and no Del key on the numeric keypad. On Apple keyboards with a numeric keypad, there is a clear button instead of a Del key. If you have a Chromebook, see where is the delete key on a Chromebook section below.
Practice using the Del key
Click the middle of the text in the below box and press the Del key to practice using the key.
Tip
Press and hold Ctrl and press Del (Ctrl+Del) to delete one full word at a time instead of deleting one character at a time.
How many delete keys are on the keyboard?
On desktop computer keyboards with a numeric keypad, there are two delete keys. On laptop computers and compact keyboards with no numeric keypad, there's only one delete key. If you have a Chromebook, there are no delete keys.
Where is the delete key on a Chromebook?
There's no delete key on Chromebooks. However, if you need the functionality of a delete key, press the keyboard shortcut Alt+backspace to delete on a Chromebook.
Where is the delete on a smartphone or tablet?
On an Android and Apple iPhone smartphone and iPad tablet, there are no delete keys that delete text to the right of the cursor. However, there is a backspace that deletes text to the left of the cursor.
Does the delete key remove text from the left or right of the cursor?
On a PC keyboard, the Backspace key deletes the character to the left of the cursor and moves the cursor back one space. On these keyboards, pressing the Delete key removes the character to the right of the cursor, and the cursor does not change position.
On an Apple keyboard, the Delete key behaves like the Backspace key on a PC keyboard. Pressing the Delete key on an Apple keyboard removes the character to the left of the cursor and moves the cursor back one space.
What happens if you hold down the delete key?
Holding down the delete key deletes text until there's no more text to the right or below the cursor, or you let go of the key.
Tip
People often hold down the delete key to delete a lot of text. However, selecting all the text and pressing the delete key once is faster. For further information about selecting text, see: How to highlight or select text.
3. Delete is a command line command that removes data or files. Below are different methods for deleting a file or directory from a command line.
- MS-DOS and Windows command line users can delete files using the del, deltree, or erase commands.
- Linux and Unix users can delete files using the rm command.
- How to use FTP from a command line.
4. When writing HTML (HyperText Markup Language), the <del> tag indicates that a block of text was deleted from a web page. Sometimes, the <ins> tag would then be used to indicate the new text being added in place of the deleted text.
Backspace, Bitbucket, Clear, Control keys, CRUD, Data loss, Discard, Erase, Format, Keyboard terms, Kill, Mdelete, Negate, Purge, Scratch, Software terms, Terminate, Uninstall, Wipe
