If you have ever used Microsoft Word, you know how easy it is to create and edit documents. But what if you want to delete a doc in Word? Maybe you have a lot of unwanted files cluttering your folders, or maybe you want to get rid of some sensitive information. Whatever the reason, deleting a doc in Word is not as straightforward as you might think.
In this article, we will show you how to delete a doc in Word in different ways, depending on your needs and preferences.
Method 1: Delete a doc from the file menu
The simplest way to delete a doc in Word is to use the File menu. Here are the steps to follow:
Step 1: Open the doc you want to delete in Word and then click on the File tab in the upper-left corner of the screen.
Step 2: Select Save As from the drop-down menu.
Step 3: In the Save As dialog box, click the Browse button next to the File name field and then navigate to the folder where the doc is located.
Step 4: Right-click on the doc and select Delete from the context menu.
Also read: How to add a watermark in Microsoft Word?
Method 2: Delete a doc from Windows Explorer
Another way to delete a doc in Word is to use Windows Explorer. Here are the steps to follow:
Note: Before moving on to the instructions, close the doc you want to delete in Word if it is open.
Open Windows Explorer by pressing the Windows key + E on your keyboard or clicking on the folder icon in the taskbar. After that, navigate to the folder where the doc is located. Once you have found the document, right-click on the doc and select Delete from the context menu.
Note: Both methods above will delete the document from your hard drive, not the cloud storage. Move to the next method to delete a doc from OneDrive.
Also read: How to change the Text Orientation in Microsoft Word?
Method 3: Delete a doc from OneDrive
Here are the steps to do so:
Step 1: Open your web browser and go to https://onedrive.live.com/. After that, sign in with your Microsoft account if prompted and locate the doc you want to delete in your OneDrive folders.
Step 2: Right-click on the doc and select Delete from the context menu. Click on Yes to confirm that you want to delete the doc.
Also read: How to insert a Non-Breaking Space in Microsoft Word?
Frequently answered questions (FAQs)
Let us dive into some FAQs on the topic:
How do I permanently delete a document?
To permanently delete a document, first locate it, right-click on it, and select Delete. Afterwards, go to Recycle Bin > right-click on the document > click on the Bin icon.
Alternatively, you can select the said document and press Shift + Delete on your keyboard.
Why can’t I delete my documents?
You can’t delete your documents because they may be opened. Try closing the document first before deleting it.
How do I delete all of my documents?
Press Ctrl + A to select all the files in the folder, then press Delete or Shift + Delete. If you want to delete a document of a certain type of extension, for instance, .doc extension, then go to the drive where the documents are located and then search .doc to see all the documents with this extension.
Now, you can easily delete them.
Also read: How to insert a Bullet in Microsoft Word?
