Windows 11 does not show a delete confirmation message by default. That is, when you attempt to delete a file, the file is immediately moved to the Recycle Bin without asking for your confirmation.
Although deleting files with a click or press of a button without showing any confirmation dialog makes the whole process a lot faster, you might end up accidentally deleting files as you will not be asked for any confirmation before deleting the file.
If you are concerned about this, luckily, you can enable the delete confirmation dialog again. Yes, you can configure Windows 11 to show a delete confirmation message (in a dialog) before moving the selected file(s) to the Recycle Bin.
Enable delete confirmation dialog in Windows 11
Here is how to enable the delete confirmation dialog in Windows 11.
Step 1: Perform a right-click on the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop and then click Properties.
Step 2: In the General tab, select the Display delete confirmation dialog checkbox and then click the Apply button. That’s all! From now on, Windows 11 will display a delete confirmation dialog whenever you try to delete a file.
NOTE: As you can see in the picture above, the Recycle Bin Properties dialog also offers an option to permanently delete files without moving them to the Recycle Bin. Select the “Don’t move files to the Recycle Bin. Remove files immediately when deleted” checkbox and click Apply if you wish to delete files permanently without moving them to the Recycle Bin.
Tip 1: By default, Windows 11 moves all deleted files to the Recycle Bin. If you want to bypass the Recycle Bin and permanently delete files (without enabling the option mentioned above), use the Shift + Delete hotkey after selecting the file(s).
Tip 2: To restore a file deleted to the Recycle Bin, open the Recycle Bin, right-click on the file you want to restore to its original location, and click the Restore option.
Three easy ways to delete files in Windows 11
Method 1 of 3
Step 1: Right-click on the file you want to delete and click the Delete icon to delete the file. If you have enabled the delete confirmation dialog, you will see the same. Click the Yes button to delete the file.
Method 2 of 3
Step 1: Select the file that you want to delete and then press the Delete key.
Method 3 of 3
Step 1: Select the file you want to delete and then use Shift + Delete keys to delete the selected file immediately without moving it to the Recycle Bin.
