Windows 11 takes a long time to delete files? 🚀 Here's how to fix it.

While the latest versions of Windows 11 are quite stable, users are still facing some issues while using it. One of the issues that is causing concern is the slow deletion of files. 🐢 Many users have reported that their Windows 11 takes too long to delete files, regardless of the size. If you are a Windows 11 user and are having this problem, keep reading this article. 📄

There are several factors that can affect the speed at which files are deleted in Windows 11In this article, we are going to share with you some Simple and effective methods to speed up this processLet's get to it! 💪

1. Restart your Windows 11 computer 🔄

Sometimes, a bug or glitch can trigger the file deletion issue in Windows 11. If you notice that Windows 11 is taking longer than usual to delete certain files, it is best to restart your computer. 💻

Restarting your computer or laptop regularly is a best practice. This helps cool down hardware components and frees up background processes. Additionally, some Windows 11 updates require a restart to complete their installation. 🔄

Before trying other methods, click on the Windows 11 power menu and select “Resume“. After the reboot, take the opportunity to delete the files you no longer need. 🗑️

2. Optimize your hard drive 💾

Optimizing your hard drive for better performance is a great way to speed up file deletion on Windows 11 computers. Here's how to do it effectively on Windows 11.

1. Click on Windows 11 Search 🔍 and type defragment. Then, select Defragment and optimize drives of the best results that appear to you. ⚡

2. Press the CONTROL Type on your keyboard and select all the drives. Once selected, click on the Analyze everything button.

3. Now look at the fragment percentage under the Current status column.

4. If any disk is fragmented by more than 10%, select it and click Optimize button.

This will optimize the fragmented drive for better performance and fix slow file deletion speed on Windows 11 computers.

3. ⚙️ Run the disk check utility

Both Windows 10 and 11 feature a tool to check and repair disk errors, which helps keep your file system healthy. 📂 This utility will scan your drive for file system errors and automatically fix them. Running this disk check utility can resolve issues that cause Windows 11 files to slowly deleting. 🚀

1. Open File Explorer on your Windows 11 computer. 🖥️
2. Right-click on the drive where Windows 11 is installed and select “Properties.” You also need to do the same for the drive where you are experiencing the problem. 🔍

3. In Disk Properties, change to Tools eyelash.

4. Then click on Check button below the Error checking section.

5. In the Error Checking message, click the Scan drive.

4. Find and repair corrupted system files 💻🔧

Corrupted system files are a key reason why Windows 11 can become slower when moving or deleting files. Fortunately, detecting and repairing these corrupt files is a simple process. Here's how to do it:

1. Type Command Prompt in Windows 11 search. Now, right-click on Command Prompt and select Run as administrator.

2. When the command prompt opens, run the command:

sfc /scannow

3. The above command will find the corrupted system files and restore them with a new one.

4. If the above commands yield an error, run these two DISM commands:

DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

After running the command, restart your Windows 11 computer. This should fix the Windows 11 slow file deletion issue.

5. Run a full antivirus scan 🛡️

Malware and viruses are often one of the causes of high CPU/RAM usage. 🖥️

Some types of malware are designed to run silently and affect your PC's performance. These threats usually operate in the background and slow down your computer.

Therefore, the speed of moving or deleting files is likely to be slow due to hidden malware or viruses.

Therefore, we recommend you run a full antivirus scan to detect and remove hidden threats in Windows 11. 🚀

You can use the Windows Security application to perform a full scan of your PC.

1. Type Windows Security in Windows 11 Search. Then open the Windows Security application of the list of best match results.

2. When the Windows Security app opens, switch to the Protection against viruses and threats.

3. Under Virus & threat protection, click the Scanning options.

4. In the scan options, select Full Scan.

5. Finally, click on the Scan Now button.

This will run a full scan on your Windows 11 computer. The Windows Security app is powerful enough to detect all the hidden threats on your computer.

6. Turn off remote differential compression 🚫

Many Windows 11 users have found that disabling remote differential compression can be very useful. If you want to improve your system's performance, you can try it yourself! 💻✨ Here's how to do it.

1. Type Windows Features in Windows Search. Then open the Turn Windows features on or off from the list.

2. In the message that appears, look for the Remote Differential Compression AI Support.

3. Simply uncheck that option and click OK.

After making the change, restart your PC. This should speed up the file deletion process.

7. Check if your HDD/SSD is failing 🚨

If your HDD or SSD is giving you problems, you may notice that the speed when deleting or moving files is slow. Although SSDs tend to last longer than HDDs, it is important to regularly check if your drives are about to die or if they are failing. 🔍

In Windows 11, you can use CMD to access SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) information and determine if your drive is healthy or has hardware issues. 📊

To access SMART (Self-Monitoring, Analysis, and Reporting Technology) information in Windows 11 using Command Prompt (CMD), follow these detailed steps:

1. Open Command Prompt

Quick Access: Press the keys Win + X and select Windows Terminal either Command PromptAlternatively, you can search for “cmd” in the start menu and click Run as administrator to open it with elevated privileges. 🖥️

2. Check SMART Information

Once you have the command prompt open, you can use the tool wmic to get information about the status of your hard drive. Here are the commands you need to enter:

wmic diskdrive get status

This command will show you the overall status of your hard drives. If you see “OK”, it means there are no issues detected. ✅

This guide focuses on how to fix Windows taking too long to delete files. If after following all the methods your HDD/SSD is still working fine, then the slow deleting or moving files issue in Windows 11 is probably now resolved. 🚀

Leave us a comment if you need further help to fix slow speed when deleting files in Windows 11. We are here to help! 📩