It is not rocket science to delete a folder in Windows 10. That’s why there is a delete button on almost every keyboard out there. Well, unless you specifically made a keyboard or got one custom-made for your taste. But still, there is no reason why there shouldn’t be a delete button. Anyways, that’s not our discussion topic. Windows, by default, puts all the deleted files and folders in a special section called Recycle Bin, which most of you might be already familiar with. It allows you to restore files and folders to their previous position if you accidentally delete some of them that you actually need.
In certain situations, you might want to force delete a folder without Windows putting it into the recycle bin. This article is for such situations. The steps below will allow you to simply remove the folder with a confirmation.
The built-in method
Windows have a built-in method to force deleting for both folders and files without putting them in the recycle bin. You can just press Shift + Delete keys together. Windows will still ask you for confirmation whether you want to delete the folder or not. Once you confirm that, the folder will not be put in the recycle bin. It will directly get removed from the OS. But just be careful with it. You may not be able to recover folders deleted by holding the Shift key without the help of data recovery software.
We do not recommend making this a habit. We agree that it is a much faster way of deleting files you do not need. However, if you always do it every single time, you might end up losing some files that you accidentally deleted. So, only use the shortcut after double-checking the folder is not required.
If the folder is in use
If the files inside the folder or the folder itself are in use by other programs on your computer, you may not be able to delete them without closing the program or stopping the process from the “Task Manager”. The deletion will be processed for other files inside the folder that are not in use. However, the files that are in use will not be deleted and left behind. So, if you want to delete an entire folder, make sure that you do not have any open program that utilizes its files.