Windows – Remove “Delete” option from Windows 7 Context Menu

context menuwindows 7

Well it ever so often happens that I want to click rename and I end up clicking delete.For delete I use the DEL key so I have no need for the context menu option.

I have tried several programs but unfortunately they only remove context menu items added by third party programs or some Windows´s own thing that I don't want to remove.

I found one program that potentially could do what I want it to(not 100% sure tho): here but for some reason I can't get it to work.

I made a small mockup how it looks now and how I want it to look:

enter image description here

Alternatively if this can't be removed then maybe there's a way to make it do nothing (without breaking the delete functionality globally) or make it greyed out?

Best Answer

For delete i use the DEL key so i have no need for the context menu option.

In that case, just get used to using F2 for Rename.

I looked into editing the registry to shorten context menus in Windows, but I only found ways to remove entries made by third-party programs (and possibly added Microsoft programs).

Related Solutions

Windows – How to remove items from the right click (context) menu in Windows

I've written a lengthy explanation of how to clean up a messy context menu, using either the registry editor:

If you want to clean things up the truly geeky way, you can open up regedit.exe through the start menu search or run box, and then browse down to one of the following keys…

Most of the menu items that used for all files and folders can be found by looking at one of these keys:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shell

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\*\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\AllFileSystemObjects\ShellEx
Items that are specific to folders can usually be found in one of these keys instead:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell

HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shellex\ContextMenuHandlers

You can read more at: How to Clean Up Your Messy Windows Context Menu

Or use some freeware NirSoft tools like ShellMenuView or ShellExView.

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Windows – Two Files Will Not Delete From HDD

To forcefully delete a folder that just won't delete no matter what

Run the below commands...

from an administrator elevated command prompt
or save as a batch script and set it to run as a startup script using Group Policy or Task Scheduler if #1 doesn't resolve on its own.

The Commands

These commands essentially...

Sets the folder path

Takes ownership of the folder and its contents recursively

Grants Everyone ACL Full level permissions to everything recursively

Forcefully and quietly deletes every file beneath the folder recursively

Removes the directory itself once all the above complete in that order

Commands and Batch Script

SET "Folder=C:\Delete Me"
takeown /a /r /d Y /f "%Folder%"
icacls "%Folder%" /grant everyone:F /t
DEL /Q /F /S "%Folder%\*"
RD /S /Q "%Folder%"

Supporting Resources

Further Notable Items

Other reasons why folders cannot be removed are...

Hidden files or something within the folders that has something "in use" so it cannot be removed until that process is stopped/killed

Start killing processes from memory, stopping services, disabling task scheduler jobs, etc. to stop a process from using a hidden file within the folder which you cannot see

File replication services or technologies attached to these folders within the file system such as DFS, mount points, etc.

Stop the replication of whatever replication technology is being used on the file system

File system level corruption

run chkdsk C: /F /R /X

If nothing is working to resolve still, I suggest you perform a full anti-malware scan as well as an offline full AV scan with fully updated definitions that detect malicious bugs and so forth.