Windows 7 - Permanently Delete - Add to Context Menu

   Information

This will allow you to add or remove Permanently Delete from the context menu of files and folders in XP, Vista, and Windows 7 to either delete or secure delete them to bypass the Recycle Bin.

This could also be handy if you did not want to set the Recycle Bin to permanently delete files so that you can Delete some files to the Recycle Bin, and others Permanently Delete with this context menu item.

You must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this tutorial.

   Note

If you click on Permanently Delete for a blocked file that you downloaded or copied over from an external location, then you will need to click on Run in the Open File Security Warning dialog box before it will actually be deleted.

   Tip

If you select more than 15 items to permanently delete, this context menu will not be displayed unless you set the context menu to show items when more than 15 items are selected.

Sometimes if you permanently delete a folder with subfolders, you may need to refresh (F5) or permanently delete the folder more than once. First time deletes the contents of all subfolders, and second time deletes the folders.

   Warning

When you right click on a shortcut and click on "Permanently Delete", it's the target (source file) of the shortcut that gets deleted, and not the shortcut itself. Deleting the shortcut a second time will also delete the shortcut itself.

   Note

The first time that you click on Permanently Delete you will need to click on the EULA Agree button. Once this is done, you will not have to do so again.



When used this will immediately permanently secure delete the file or folder that you right clicked on bypassing the Recycle Bin, and does 1 or 7 overwrite passes to help make sure the current version of the deleted file or folder is unrecoverable.

1. To Add "Permanently Delete" to Context Menu

A) Download SDelete, save it to your Desktop, open the downloaded SDelete.zip file, extract (drag and drop) the sdelete.exe to your desktop.

B) Right click on the extracted sdelete.exe file, click on Properties, General tab, and on the Unblock button.
NOTE: If you do not have a Unblock button under the General tab, then the file is already unblocked and you can continue on to step 1C.

C) Copy and paste the unblocked sdelete.exe file into the C:\Windows\System32 folder, then click on Continue and Yes to approve copying it there.

D) Click on either Download button below to download the file below for how many overwrite passes you want with secure delete.
NOTE: Either download option will automatically replace the other.

Add_1_Pass_Permanently_Delete_to_Context_Menu.reg

OR

Add_7_Pass_Permanently_Delete_to_Context_Menu.reg

E) Go to step 3.

2. To Remove "Permanently Delete" from Context Menu
NOTE: This is the default setting.

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Remove_Permanently_Delete_from_Context_Menu.reg

3. Click on Save, and save the REG file to the desktop.

4. Double click on the REG file to merge it, and click on Run, Yes, Yes, and OK when prompted to approve the merge.

5. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

   Note

Special thanks to our member etb for providing the .vbs script for this option in his post here so as not to have to use a 3rd party program to do this.

When used this will immediately permanently delete the file or folder that you right clicked on bypassing the Recycle Bin.

Normally, you could select the files and/or folders that you want to permanently delete without them going into the Recycle Bin, press the Shift+Delete keys, and click on Yes when prompted to do so. This does not secure erase them like in OPTION ONE above though.

1. Add "Permanently Delete" to Context Menu with/without Confirmation

A) Click on the Download button below to download the option you want, and save it to your desktop.

Permantly-Delete.zip

OR

Permantly-Delete_with_Confirmation.zip

B) Open the downloaded ZIP file, and extract (drag and drop) the Permantly-Delete.reg and Permantly-Delete.vbs file to your desktop.

C) Right click on the extracted Permantly-Delete.vbs file, click on Properties, General tab, and on the Unblock button.
NOTE: If you do not have a Unblock button under the General tab, then the file is already unblocked and you can continue on to step 1D.

D) Copy and paste the unblocked Permantly-Delete.vbs file into the C:\Windows\System32 folder, then click on Continue and Yes to approve copying it there.

E) Double click on the extracted Permantly-Delete.reg file to merge it, and click on Run, Yes, Yes, and OK when prompted to approve the merge.

F) Go to step 3.

4. To Remove "Permanently Delete" from Context Menu
NOTE: This is the default setting.

A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below.

Remove_Permanently_Delete_from_Context_Menu.reg

B) Click on Save, and save the REG file to the desktop.

C) Double click on the REG file to merge it, and click on Run, Yes, Yes, and OK when prompted to approve the merge.

D) In Windows Explorer, navigate to the C:\Windows\System32 folder, delete the Permantly-Delete.vbs file, and approve to delete.

3. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg and/or .zip files if you like.