# How to Permanently Delete Files in Windows with One Click: A Step-by-Step Guide
If you're used to deleting files and having them land in the Recycle Bin, know that these can easily be recovered by others using data recovery software. To ensure your files are permanently deleted, follow this guide to add a "Permanently Delete" option directly to your right-click context menu. This method works for both Windows 10 and Windows 11, making it a simple and efficient solution.
## Step 1: Open the Registry Editor
To begin, open the Registry Editor by typing `regedit` in the search box. Before making any changes, it's crucial to back up your registry. Go to **File** > **Export** and save a copy of your registry to restore if needed.
## Step 2: Navigate to the Appropriate Registry Location
Once you've backed up your registry, navigate to the following location:
```
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Back\AllFileSystemObjects\Sl\Shell
```
Here, you'll add new registry keys to implement the permanent delete functionality.
## Step 3: Create a New Key for Permanent Delete
Right-click on the **Shell** folder and select **New** > **Key**. Name this key `Windows Permanently Delete`. Make sure it's spelled as one word with a dot, exactly as shown in the video.
## Step 4: Add String Values to Customize the Context Menu
Inside the new `Windows Permanently Delete` folder, create two string values:
1. **Command**: Name this string value "Explorer command Handler". Double-click it and set its value data to:
```
%windir%\System32\shell32.dll,-404
```
2. **Icon**: Right-click in the right-hand pane, select **New** > **String Value**, and name it `Icon`. Double-click it and enter the following value data:
```
shell32.dll, -240
```
## Step 5: Ensure the Option Appears at the Top of the Context Menu
To make sure the "Permanently Delete" option appears at the top of your right-click menu, create another string value named `Top`. Double-click it and set its value data to `top`.
## Step 6: Test Your New Permanent Delete Functionality
After completing these steps, test your new feature. Open File Explorer, navigate to a folder on your desktop, right-click on a file or folder, and select **Show more options**. You should now see the "Permanently Delete" option at the top of the context menu. Clicking it will delete the file permanently without sending it to the Recycle Bin.
This modification works seamlessly with both Windows 10 and Windows 11, providing a user-friendly way to securely delete files. Remember that while this method bypasses the Recycle Bin, accidental deletions are still recoverable through other means unless the file is too large.
If you enjoyed this guide, don't forget to like the video, leave a comment, and subscribe for more helpful tips. Catch you in the next video or on the Discord server!
---
*Note: Editing the registry can potentially cause system issues if not done carefully. Always back up your registry before making changes.*
"WEBVTTKind: captionsLanguage: enwhat you guys got another video for you delete your windows files like this if you are used to deleting files and then it go into the recycle bin these can be easily recovered by people by using data recovery software by having a permanently delete fixture set to your rightclick context menu this is going to be a lot easier just to permanently delete files that you want to delete and a couple of simple clicks so open the registry editor by typing reg edit in the search box here now you might want to go to file and Export your registry at this stage to make a backup of it before you continue and once you've madej your backup of your registry you can go to hkey classes root back/ all file system objects back SL shell and once you're in this location we'll be able to add some registry keys so let's go ahead and click on that location there open this one up and we need to go to Shell here once you click on on shell what we're going to do is open this up here and we're going to right click on shell and we're going to create a new key so let's go ahead and create a new key so right click go new and then key and you need to give the key a name so we're going to call this Windows do permanent delete all one word like that with a little dot there and you can see it there I'll leave these in the video description for you now once we've done this we can click on that actual folder here called windows. permanent delete and we're going to create a new string value on the right hand pane so go new string value and then you need to give that string value the command State sync just like you see here again I'll leave all of these instructions in the video description for you create another new string and we're going to call this one Explorer command Handler and once we've done that we will be able to give this a value because we need to change the value of this particular string so let's click on this one here now you can double click on this and we're going to give this a value it's going to have some braces and a number in it so let's go ahead and click on this I'll leave this also in the video description for you so we're going to paste this one in for time there we go now that's done click okay here and that string value is now been completed we need to create a couple of more string values so let's go ahead and right click on this little area here and we'll create another string value so let's go ahead and do that right now so this one needs to be called icon so we're going to call this one icon so once we've created the icon string value we do need to edit this one and give this some information the value data as well so let's go ahead and double click on this and we need to uh type out this one here which is shell32.dll comma d240 so type that out like so and we just need to create one more string value and this one is called top and this is because we want to put it up the top of the menu so let's go ahead and do that right there and call it top double click on this and we can give this a value data number or name called top there we go and that's now done and that means it's going to be top of the rightclick context menu so now that's all the editing done inside the registry and we can now drop that down and I'll show you exactly what this actually does it's quite useful so I've got a folder on the desktop here and we can right click and go show more options and you should now see permanently delete right here we can click on this one and say yes and this will permanently delete that it will skip the actual recycle bin and permanently delete that file so let me show you that again I've emptied the recycle bin this time create a new folder here and we'll right click on it go to show more more options and uh we're going to go permanently delete and it will completely delete this permanently off the computer without going straight to the recycle bin like that very simple and easy to do now if you had a rightclick context menu with the Windows 10 on it which I prefer it will just have one right click rather than having to do two clicks here so let me just create one more folder here I've already edited the registry for the Windows 10 right click context menu and you can see it's right there with one click click and we can do the same thing so if you're on Windows 10 that's what it's going to look like and this is Windows 11 as well so it works on both Windows 10 and windows 11 and this is how you should be deleting your files it's a lot easier and safer now obviously there is a safety net value with the recycle bin which means if you accidentally delete something it will be in the recycle bin unless the file is too large and it will automatically permanently delete that file anyway anyway but that said I think that's going to be about it if you enjoy this sort of content then give the video a fumb up and leave a comment it does help with a YouTube algorithm my name is B Brian from britech computers. co.uk and I should catch you in the very next video or I'll see you on the Discord server for chat bye for nowwhat you guys got another video for you delete your windows files like this if you are used to deleting files and then it go into the recycle bin these can be easily recovered by people by using data recovery software by having a permanently delete fixture set to your rightclick context menu this is going to be a lot easier just to permanently delete files that you want to delete and a couple of simple clicks so open the registry editor by typing reg edit in the search box here now you might want to go to file and Export your registry at this stage to make a backup of it before you continue and once you've madej your backup of your registry you can go to hkey classes root back/ all file system objects back SL shell and once you're in this location we'll be able to add some registry keys so let's go ahead and click on that location there open this one up and we need to go to Shell here once you click on on shell what we're going to do is open this up here and we're going to right click on shell and we're going to create a new key so let's go ahead and create a new key so right click go new and then key and you need to give the key a name so we're going to call this Windows do permanent delete all one word like that with a little dot there and you can see it there I'll leave these in the video description for you now once we've done this we can click on that actual folder here called windows. permanent delete and we're going to create a new string value on the right hand pane so go new string value and then you need to give that string value the command State sync just like you see here again I'll leave all of these instructions in the video description for you create another new string and we're going to call this one Explorer command Handler and once we've done that we will be able to give this a value because we need to change the value of this particular string so let's click on this one here now you can double click on this and we're going to give this a value it's going to have some braces and a number in it so let's go ahead and click on this I'll leave this also in the video description for you so we're going to paste this one in for time there we go now that's done click okay here and that string value is now been completed we need to create a couple of more string values so let's go ahead and right click on this little area here and we'll create another string value so let's go ahead and do that right now so this one needs to be called icon so we're going to call this one icon so once we've created the icon string value we do need to edit this one and give this some information the value data as well so let's go ahead and double click on this and we need to uh type out this one here which is shell32.dll comma d240 so type that out like so and we just need to create one more string value and this one is called top and this is because we want to put it up the top of the menu so let's go ahead and do that right there and call it top double click on this and we can give this a value data number or name called top there we go and that's now done and that means it's going to be top of the rightclick context menu so now that's all the editing done inside the registry and we can now drop that down and I'll show you exactly what this actually does it's quite useful so I've got a folder on the desktop here and we can right click and go show more options and you should now see permanently delete right here we can click on this one and say yes and this will permanently delete that it will skip the actual recycle bin and permanently delete that file so let me show you that again I've emptied the recycle bin this time create a new folder here and we'll right click on it go to show more more options and uh we're going to go permanently delete and it will completely delete this permanently off the computer without going straight to the recycle bin like that very simple and easy to do now if you had a rightclick context menu with the Windows 10 on it which I prefer it will just have one right click rather than having to do two clicks here so let me just create one more folder here I've already edited the registry for the Windows 10 right click context menu and you can see it's right there with one click click and we can do the same thing so if you're on Windows 10 that's what it's going to look like and this is Windows 11 as well so it works on both Windows 10 and windows 11 and this is how you should be deleting your files it's a lot easier and safer now obviously there is a safety net value with the recycle bin which means if you accidentally delete something it will be in the recycle bin unless the file is too large and it will automatically permanently delete that file anyway anyway but that said I think that's going to be about it if you enjoy this sort of content then give the video a fumb up and leave a comment it does help with a YouTube algorithm my name is B Brian from britech computers. co.uk and I should catch you in the very next video or I'll see you on the Discord server for chat bye for now\n"
