How to Delete All Files from a Rewritable CD

Wisheret

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posted on 13 years ago — updated on 1 second ago

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Do you want to delete all of the files from a rewritable CD? As long as your PC or Mac has a CD-ROM or DVD-ROM drive, it's easy to erase a CD-RW. This wikiHow teaches you how to erase a readable and writable CD—or "CD-RW"—using your Windows or Mac computer. You cannot erase a read-only CD (CD-R).

Things You Should Know

On Windows, open File Explorer, select your CD drive, and go to Manage > Erase this disc.
On a Mac, open Disk Utility, select your CD, and then click Erase.

On Windows

Insert the CD into your computer. It should go into your computer's disc tray label side-up.

Open File Explorer Windows Start Explorer. Click the folder-shaped icon in the lower-left side of the Start menu, or press Windows key + E.

Click This PC. This computer-shaped option is on the left side of the File Explorer window, though you may have to scroll up or down in the left-hand sidebar to see it.

Select the CD drive. Click the CD drive icon, which looks like a grey hard drive with a CD behind it.

Click the Manage tab. It's in the upper-left side of the window. A toolbar will appear below it.

Click Erase this disc. This option is in the "Media" section of the Manage toolbar. A window will appear.

Click Next. It's in the bottom-right corner of the window. Doing so will prompt your CD to begin erasing. You can track the erasing progress by watching the bar in the middle of the window.Erase a CD RW Step 9 Version 3.jpg

Click Finish when prompted. It's at the bottom of the window. Your CD has now been erased.

On Mac

Insert the CD into your Mac's external CD drive. Unless you have a pre-2012 Mac that has a built-in CD drive, you will need to use an external CD reader to erase your CD.

Click Go. It's a menu item in the upper-left side of your Mac's screen. A drop-down menu will appear. If you don't see Go in the menu bar, click Finder or the desktop first to make it appear.

Click Utilities. This option is near the bottom of the drop-down menu. Doing so opens a folder.

Double-click Disk Utility. You'll find this grey, hard drive-shaped app in the Utilities folder.

Select your CD's name. Click the CD's name on the left side of the window under the "Devices" heading.

Click the Erase tab. It's at the top of the Disk Utility window. The CD's properties window will open.

Click Completely. This option lets you completely erase the CD.

Click Erase. Doing so begins erasing your CD. This may take several minutes depending on how large the CD is. Once the process is complete, you'll receive a pop-up that says "You have inserted a blank CD", signifying that the CD is erased.