Deleting a folder or file in File Explorer is quite easy. Select the folder you want to delete and press the Delete key and you are good to go. However, depending on the folder size and files in it, it can take quite a long time for the system to delete a large folder. The trick in this tutorial helps you delete large folders quickly.
For instance, I have a folder with over 100 GB of data and after archiving the content in the cloud, I deleted it. If I did it in a traditional way. i.e., via File Explorer, it would take a long time due to the number of small files and subfolders in it. The good thing is that you can speed up the process and delete any large folder on Windows in just a couple of seconds using the del command.
This tutorial shows you how to use the del command to delete large folders with files and subfolders.
Delete large folders quickly
Follow the steps provided below to delete large files quickly and easily on Windows:
Step 1: Right-click on the Start icon on the taskbar.
Step 2: Choose the Windows Terminal (Admin) option.
Step 3: Click on the Down Arrow icon on the Terminal title bar and select Command Prompt.
Step 4: Type the below command to open the folder you want to delete in Command Prompt. Update the folder path as needed.
cd "C:\path\to\LargeFolder"
Note: If the folder you want to delete is in a different drive, then run the above command after running the DriveLetter: command. You need to substitute DriveLetter with the actual drive letter where the folder is saved. For example, if the folder is stored in D drive, you need to run D: to navigate to that drive first and then run the cd command shown above.
Step 5: Paste the below command and press Enter. This will delete all the files in that folder without any confirmation or progress update.
del /f/q/s *.* > nul
Step 6: After that, run the below command. It takes you to the parent folder of the large folder you are trying to delete.
cd..
Step 6: Run the below command. It will delete all the subfolders in the target folder and delete the folder itself. Replace the dummy LargeFolderName with the actual folder name you want to delete.
-rmdir /q/s "LargeFolderName"
Step 7: Close the Terminal window after deleting the folder.
That is all. I hope this tutorial helped you delete large folders quickly and fast on Windows.
If you are stuck or need help, send an email, and I will try to help as much as possible.
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