How can I permanently delete a file or folder without it doing directly the the Recycle Bin in Windows Vista? First select the file or folder and then while holding down the Shift key press your Delete key and it will bypass the Recycle Bin and be permanently deleted. However, as you probably already know without holding the Shift key anything you delete will simply be stored in the Recycle Bin, and it will stay in your Recycle Bin until you decide to empty it. To empty your Recycle Bin you can either double-click and open up the Recycle Bin and click on Empty, or Right click the Bin to Empty. The Recycle Bin is like a last holding place to retrieve old files before you permanently delete them.

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