How To Enable Delete Confirmation In Windows 11

Windows 11, just like its predecessor Windows 10, does not ask for confirmation when you try to delete a file or folder. That is, when you select a file, right-click it and click the Delete icon, or select the file/folder and press the Delete key, the file/folder is deleted instantly. This might cause accidental deletions of file or folder.

Although the deleted files are present in the Recycle Bin and can be restored within 30 days, you might want to see a delete confirmation when you try to delete a file or folder. The delete confirmation prompt ensures you are not accidentally deleting files.

 

If you are not happy with the default behavior of the File Explorer in Windows 11, you can configure it to ask for confirmation when you delete a file or folder.

Once the delete confirmation dialog is enabled, you will see the delete confirmation prompt as soon as you try to delete a file/folder, where you need to click the Delete button to continue deleting the file.

Enable the Delete confirmation prompt in Windows 11

Here is how to configure Windows 11 to show a delete confirmation dialog.

Step 1: Right-click the Recycle Bin icon on the desktop and then click Properties to open its properties dialog. If the Recycle Bin icon is missing from the Desktop area, type Recycle Bin in the search bar and then hit the Enter key to open the same.

Tip: To restore the Recycle Bin icon, refer to our guide on how to add the Recycle Bin icon to the Windows 11 desktop.

Step 2: Here, check the Display delete confirmation dialog option before clicking the Apply button. That’s it! From now onwards, when you try to delete a file or folder, you will see a delete confirmation dialog on your screen.

Our guide on how to disable or turn off the Recycle Bin in Windows 11 might also interest you.