How to add Secure Delete to the context menu in Windows 10

By using our systems in everyday life, we end up creating and deleting files. Since adding or creating new files and deleting them is the natural flow, recycling or permanently deleting files is all we know. Have you ever wondered why disk space continued to decrease during the period? What if I tell you that even permanently deleted files are recoverable? But there is a way to use the Sysinternals SDelete , which guarantees that the files will never return. In this article, we will explain how to add Secure deletion to the Contextual menu on Windows 10.

Secure deletion ensures that the file or folder is overwritten when deleted. The method ensures that all unallocated parts belonging to the file are freed and available for use.

It is true that Secure Delete can delete everything, but there is something that it cannot. Some folders that help run the Windows system are excluded from the list. The list includes files like:

C: Program Files,

C: Program Files (x86),

C: ProgramData,

C: Users,

C: Windows and

C: Windows.old.

The program will still work as it should in the above mentioned folders. The above folders are marked as exceptions as deleting them may result in a fresh installation of Windows.

Add Secure Delete to the Windows 10 context menu

To be able to permanently delete files, download SDelete from Microsoft and these registry files from our servers.

First create a system restore point, then carefully follow the steps below:

1. Unzip the SDelete.zip file and open the unzipped folder.
2. Copy the sdelete.exe file to the C: Windows System32 folder.
3. Click Continue when prompted.
4. Unzip the ARSDCM.zip file in a folder and access it.
5. Double click on the Add_Secure_Delete_to_context_menu.reg file.
6. Click Yes when the UAC prompts you, and then click OK when the registry prompts you.

Restart your system once. Now navigate to any folder on your system, select the file / folder you want to delete.

Right click on it and click Secure deletion. It’s as simple as the usual removal process.

How to remove Secure Delete from the context menu

1. Navigate to the folder where the unzipped registers are stored.
2. Double click on the Remove_Secure_Delete_from_context_menu.reg file.
3. Click Yes when the UAC prompts you, and then click OK when the registry prompts you.

Restart your system again and the secure removal option is gone.

As soon as you delete the option and plan not to use it again in the near future, you can delete the sdelete.exe of C: Windows System32 folder.

Read more: How to delete non-deletable and locked files and folders.