Permanently Delete - Add to Context Menu

How to Add 'Permanently Delete' to Send To Context Menu in Windows​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove Permanently Delete from the Send To context menu in XP, Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

When you use the added Permanently Delete, it will give you a confirmation prompt to secure erase the selected file(s), and will not be placed in 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.

While you must be logged in as an administrator to be able to add or remove this context menu, all users will be able to use the context menu.

   Note

How to use Permanently Delete when added:

1) Select one or more files.

2) Right click or press and hold on selected files.

3) Click/tap on Send to and Permanently Delete.js.

4) If this is the first time you used Permanently Delete, then click on Agree for the SDelete license agreement. You will not see this anymore afterwards.

5) Click/tap on Yes to confirm.

6) Click/tap on OK in the confirmation dialog.

CONTENTS:

• Option One: To Add Permanently Delete to Send To Context Menu
• Option Two: To Remove Permanently Delete from Send To Context Menu

OPTION ONE

To Add Permanently Delete to Send To Context Menu

1. Click/tap on the Download button below to go the Windows Sysinternals website, and then download SDelete to your desktop.

Download


2. Unblock the downloaded SDelete.zip file.

3. Open the SDelete.zip file, and extract (drag and drop) the SDelete.exe file to your desktop.

4. Move the SDelete.exe file into the C:\Windows\System32 folder. (see screenshot below)

5. Click/tap on Continue to confirm. (see screenshot below)

6. Click/tap on the Download button below to download the Permanently_Delete.zip file to your desktop.

Download


7. Unblock the downloaded Permanently_Delete.zip file.

8. Open the Permanently_Delete.zip file, and extract (drag and drop) the Permanently Delete.js file to your desktop.

   Note

Special thanks to our valued member Pyprohly for writing this javascript file for us.

9. Move the Permanently Delete.js file into the shell:sendto (type in address bar of explorer and press Enter) folder. (see screenshot below)

   Note

If you like, you can create a shortcut of the Permanently Delete.js file, change the shortcut's icon to what you like, and place the shortcut into the shell:sendto folder instead.

OPTION TWO

To Remove Permanently Delete from Send To Context Menu

1. Open the C:\Windows\System32 folder, and delete the SDelete.exe file. (see screenshot below)

2. Open the shell:sendto (type in address bar of explorer and press Enter) folder, and delete the Permanently Delete.js file. (see screenshot below)



That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Add a Delete Button to the Vista Windows Explorer Toolbar
• How to Add a Delete Button to the Windows 7 Explorer Toolbar
• How to Set the Windows 7 Recycle Bin to Permanently Delete Items Immediately
• Add "Delete Files in Folder" and "Empty Folder" to Context Menu of Folders in Windows

 

[seth500]

Very nice Brink and very handy.

 

[Hogtowner]

As per usual, I am much obliged.

Well done, Shawn.

 

[Brink]

Hello Hogtowner,

Good to hear from you. Thank you.

 

[prukeyhi]

Cool one , i like it
thanks shawn

 

[Britton30]

Hmm on any file if I choose Permanently Delete a window opens asking what program I want to use to open the file.

 

[derekimo]

Hmm on any file if I choose Permanently Delete a window opens asking what program I want to use to open the file.

Did you put this SDelete in your system32 folder?

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 shortcut 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.

 

[Britton30]

Did you put this SDelete in your system32 folder?

Well....nope. I just skipped to the reg downloads without reading. <whistles innocently>

Thanks Derek!

 

[derekimo]

Did you put this SDelete in your system32 folder?

Well....nope. I just skipped to the reg downloads without reading. <whistles innocently>

Thanks Derek!

No Prob, Shawn usually makes them so easy I thought that might be it.

 

[Brink]

LOL, I'm happy to hear that you guys got it sorted.

 

[grindage]

is there anyway to have it remove the folder as well.
i click delete perm on a folder and it just deletes everything in the folder but leaves directory there.

 

[Britton30]

is there anyway to have it remove the folder as well.
i click delete perm on a folder and it just deletes everything in the folder but leaves directory there.

Same happens to me, it may be a bug. I can delete the folder one of two ways, run Permanently Delete again or by using Refresh. One will always work.

 

[Brink]

Yeah, it seems to be either a bug or by design of SDelete.

 

[etb]

my fix, feel free to use, re-post or re-package

this doesn't use 3rd party tools, and deletes folders or files.

What it does:adds silent delete function that bypasses the recycle bin to the right click menu for any file or folder under the name "Erase"

tested on windows 7 ultimate 64bit

1) create a folder named c:/erase

2) create a file in notepad named erase.vbs inside c:/erase folder, input contents below and save:

on error resume next
sFileSpec = Wscript.Arguments.Item(0)
DeleteAFolder(sFileSpec)
DeleteAFile(sFileSpec)

Sub DeleteAFile(filespec)
Dim fso
Set fso = CreateObject( "Scripting.FileSystemObject" )
If (fso.FileExists(fileSpec)) Then fso.DeleteFile(filespec)
End Sub

Sub DeleteAFolder(filespec)
Dim fso
Set fso = CreateObject( "Scripting.FileSystemObject" )
If (fso.FolderExists(filespec)) Then fso.DeleteFolder(filespec)
End Sub

3) create a file in notepad named erase_install.reg, input contents below and save:

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\Shell\Erase\Command]
@="wscript C:\\erase\\erase.vbs \"%1\" "

[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell\Erase\Command]
@="wscript C:\\erase\\erase.vbs \"%1\" "

4) double click on the file erase_install.reg that you created, confirm to add to the registry.

5) right click any file or folder then click Erase.

 

[Brink]

Hello etb, and welcome to Seven Forums.

Thank you for providing this alternative option. I have modified it just a bit for the name and icon, then added it as OPTION TWO in the tutorial.

 

[emarell]

re: OPTION TWO
Excellent! Keyboard-phobic and so very tired of Shift-Delete-ing, I went looking for a way to do exactly this, delete one file permanently without using a shredder. Though I have Vista, this method works perfectly. Thanks.

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Emarell, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[drkh]

When the "Permanently delete" item of the context menu of a shortcut is clicked on, it's the target of the shortcut that gets deleted, not the shortcut itself.

Is that normal?

 

[Brink]

Hello Drkh,

Yes, that would be normal.

 

[tomaskucinskas]

Hello,

I am using this (without a Secure Erase) with Classic Shell (custom command) and its working well with single file, but no way with multiple files selected. What I am doing wrong?

Command: wscript.exe "G:\....\Delete.vbs" "%2"

 

[Brink]

Hello Tomas,

How many items do you have selected when you are trying to permanently delete them?

If over 15 items, then see the yellow TIP box at the top of the tutorial to see if that may be the issue.

I also used %1 instead of %2 in the command.