~~Title: Deleting Files ~~
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To delete a file or folder, you can either:

  * Select the file and press the <kbd>Del</kbd> key on the keyboard 
  * Right-click the file and choose the **Delete** command from the context menu 
  * Select the file and click the **Delete** button on the toolbar. 

By default, Opus deletes files to the recycle bin when possible. Files that are deleted to the recycle bin can normally be recovered (via the [[..:tracking_and_undoing_file_operations|Undo]] command), until the recycle bin is emptied. The recycle bin is not supported on network drives or removable media, and files deleted from inside archives or on FTP sites also can not be recovered.

If you hold the <kbd>Shift</kbd> key down when pressing <kbd>Del</kbd> or clicking the toolbar button, you can bypass the recycle bin and permanently delete the file. 

The drop-down menu attached to the **Delete** button on the default toolbar contains several commands and options relating to deleting files:

==Delete menu==

{{ :media:13:delete_dropdown.png?nolink|}}
  * **Delete**: Delete selected files or folders, to the recycle bin by default 
  * **Secure Wipe**: [[~secure_delete|Securely deletes]] selected files or folders so they can't be recovered 
  * **Remove From Collection**: When viewing the contents of a [[:basic_concepts:virtual_file_system:file_collections|file collection]], this lets you remove an item from the collection without actually deleting it. If you use the regular Delete command in a file collection, the real file will be deleted. 
  * **Go to Recycle Bin**: Takes you to your recycle bin (trash) folder.
  * **Empty Recycle Bin**: Empties the recycle bin.
  * **Secure Empty Recycle Bin**: Empties the recycle bin securely (by overwriting the files within it before emptying it).
  * **Enable Recycle Bin**: Turns default use of the recycle bin on and off.
  * **Enable Recycle Confirmation**: Enable or disable the confirmation message when deleting to the recycle bin.
  * **Enable Delete Filter**: Activates the [[..:filtered_operations|recursive filter]] for the Delete function, which lets you selectively delete the contents of selected sub-folders.
  * **Delete Settings**: Opens the [[:preferences:preferences_categories:file_operations:deleting_files|Deleting Files]] Preferences page.

==Delete options==

The **[[:preferences:preferences_categories:file_operations:deleting_files|File Operations / Deleting Files]]** Preferences page contains several options that let you configure the Delete function in Opus. You can choose whether Opus asks you for confirmation before the delete (you can even have it ask you before each file if you like), and the use of the recycle bin can be configured. You can also choose whether files marked as read-only can be deleted without a special confirmation prompt.

More:
[[~secure_delete|Secure Delete]]\\