Policy
Do not move deleted files to the Recycle Bin
Microsoft Windows
Policy overview
Key metadata and intent for this policy.
Supported OS tags: Windows10, Windows10RT, Windows11, Windows7, Windows8, Windows81, WindowsRT, WindowsRT81, WindowsServer2003, WindowsServer2008, WindowsServer2012, WindowsServer2012R2, WindowsServer2016, WindowsVista, WindowsXP
When a file or folder is deleted in File Explorer, a copy of the file or folder is placed in the Recycle Bin. Using this setting, you can change this behavior. If you enable this setting, files and folders that are deleted using File Explorer will not be placed in the Recycle Bin and will therefore be permanently deleted. If you disable or do not configure this setting, files and folders deleted using File Explorer will be placed in the Recycle Bin.
Registry values
How enabled and disabled states update the registry.
| Scope | Registry location | Type | Enabled value | Disabled value | Copy |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| User | Path Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer Value name NoRecycleFiles | REG_DWORD | HKCU 1 | HKCU 0 |
Policy elements
Inputs and configuration options exposed by this policy.
This policy has no additional user input fields.