Yes, dammit I am sure I want to delete it. While you're at it, empty the trash, too! (idea)

Even with Recycle Bin disabled, and with the shift-del shortcuts etc, there's still the general annoyance of the "Are you SURE?" prompt. This is one way to avoid the dreaded question. Obviously, this only applies to Windows users.

In Win9x/Me, create a file, in say Notepad, containing only the line:

%windir%\command\deltree/y %1

Users of Windows NT, 2000, and XP - will benefit from something more advanced:

@echo off
:a
if !%1==! goto e

%systemroot%\system32\attrib /s -h -s -r %1

del/q %1
rd/s/q %1

shift
goto a
:e

See, in the big line there, the "-h -s -r" bit? This is to say it's ok to delete Hidden, System and Read-Only files, respectively. Take out one of the letters, and its minus-sign, and the batch file will no longer be capable of deleting files with that attribute, in case you don't trust yourself with this new destructive power. Example: taking out the -s will stop it eating system files. Take out the entire line if you wish to protect all three file types.

The command will work safely and happily on multiple highlighted files. Although, regardless of how you set it up, if used directly on a folder, it will eat ALL files in ANY such folder. So you could try it on a nice big folder with plenty of system files, oh say, c:\windows, for the unspeakable joy of reinstalling Windows. Can also be fun if you're trying to use SendTo to send an important file to Notepad, but miss, sending it to Oblivion instead.

Give this file the name of your choice (mine is OBLIVION.bat), just ensure it ends in .bat. To do this, you'll probably need to make sure 'Hide extensions for known file types' is OFF. It can be found either in View->Folder Options, or Tools->Folder Options, on the View tab.

Save this batch file somewhere out of your way - "C:\Program Files" would be a good choice. Create a shortcut to the file, and drop this shortcut in SendTo, setting it to Run Minimized (and Close On Exit, if given the option - they'll both be on the Program or Shortcut tab.) The SendTo folder is %windir%\SendTo in Win9x/ME (if not then it's c:\Windows\SendTo; my Win98 installation is down atm), or %homepath%\SendTo in NT/2000/XP.

Now you can just develop a new habit of sending files to OBLIVION - one command, no keyboard, no prompting, and you can leave the Recycle Bin enabled for those times when you aren't quite so sure you want something destroyed so thoroughly. Nice when the keyboard, and therefore the Shift key, is sitting on the floor across the room; you may now easily control file destruction using only a mouse.

Don't trust yourself to do away with the Recycle Bin concept completely? Good call. This alternative will give you the chance to retrieve your deleted files up until the next time you use it. Allow me to clarify.

The alternative to OBLIVION.bat is what I call VORTEX.bat. It is simply a batch file containing:

Win98:
(not sure! I will think up something...preferably when I have win98 to test it on)

WinNT:

@echo off

rd/s/q %temp%\Vortex
md %temp%\Vortex

:a
if !%1==! goto e

xcopy/q/h/e/c/k %1 %temp%\Vortex

%systemroot%\system32\attrib /s -h -s -r %1

del/q %1
rd/s/q %1

shift
goto a
:e

Running this program will empty the "vortex" (the program's own Recycle Bin, if you will). It then will move the files you feed it into this bin, without deleting them or changing their attributes at all.

If you wish to restore your files you will find them in your %temp%\Vortex folder. Their original pathnames must be remembered by you, their place will be lost if your memory fails you. If you care not for the fate of these files, well, ignore them, because they will be cleaned up next time Vortex is invoked.

Was just scanning the New Writeups. Sounds like mwundel.exe would be useful in these situations; it's an Undelete utility for Windows. Check it out.