IDEA: TELL me how many objects I am deleting!

[Curt]

Yesterday I downloaded a video course, size 10GB (TEN GIGAbytes). It was extremely tiring because the download speed was between 40 to 80 KILObytes per sec. Then removing a couple of old files, I failed to notice that the downloaded 10GB zip container also was marked. And Yes, I used Shift+Delete = Totally Gone!

We know it, at least from giveawayoftheday and support fora, people forget to READ, before clicking. Me too. So my idea is to have a program say out loud the number of objects I am about to delete, when Windows' pop-up box is asking me if I am sure I want to delete these objects. TELL me "three", so I get one extra chance to wake up in time!

[Ath]

Hm, yes it's a nice idea, but that is not going to stop you, or me, from deleting just one too many, especially if it's yelling fifteen! or forty-five! at me

[JavaJones]

Why use Shift-delete at all in that case? I used to actually turn off the recycle bin altogether so everything just got deleted, but I lost one too many things that way (although there are tools that can help with deleted files of course, they're still a pain). Now I just use the recycle bin 99% of the time and it works just fine. Not sure what I was thinking previously.

- Oshyan

[wraith808]

Why use shift-delete?  If you use normal delete (and set your recycle bin to a reasonable amount of space) it will tell you if you delete something large unknowingly, and give you some time on smaller things.

[f0dder]

Grab Recuva, it can save your hide the next time you accidentally delete something. But you have to use it right after you delete the stuff, you should restore to a different partition (last I checked it couldn't do in-place restore, or perhaps I'm remembering wrongly), and you'll need to triple-check the recovered file content to see it isn't partial garbage.

In spite of all those warnings, it's a pretty nifty tool, and it's saved my ass a couple of times when fumble-fingered a shift-delete . For "serious" recovery, you'll need something like Runtime Systems GetDataBack, though.

[MilesAhead]

If you are running Vista or W7 edition less than Ultimate and don't have the Previous Versions built in, you can still access the functionality with this free utility:

http://www.shadowexplorer.com/

Depending on your restore point settings, large files like videos may be backed up when a restore point is created. If the file is present, it should be complete since it's not an undeleted recovery but the shadow copy of the file as it existed when the RP was made.

It's a handy tool esp. considering the price.
Also avoids clobbering other files as can happen when you do a restore.

Even if you have Ultimate edition it's probably a good idea to have this utility.
The UI is similar to an undeleter.  The dropdown lets you know the date of the shadow copy you are working with.  Avoids confusion.

[JavaJones]

Ooo, nice tool Miles!

- Oshyan

[Curt]

-yes, nice one, Miles :-)

I don't know why some people want to decide if I should use Shift+Delete or not  [beep!][/beep!].  If you Delete a 10GB file, Windows will use a really long time to delete it. If you Shift+Delete the same file, it will be gone within a second. Other than that, I don't need to delete 45 files very often, but I need on a daily base to remove a few files, quite often one by one. This was my polite answer.

[Ath]

but I need on a daily base to remove a few files, quite often one by one

Ok, that wasn't clear from the original idea, but maybe I compared to my own day to day file-handling, deleting bunches of files from 1 directory, or just 1 or 2 between really crucial stuff that should not be deleted, ever.
I'm using shift-delete lots of times, even though I really shouldn't, but I've been saved by the backup several times

[Curt]

-sorry, I wasn't really polite at all; but your reply is polite.  

I download maybe a hundred files a day, pictures, music files, articles, and programs. In order to keep oversight, I am used to delete right away, once a file is redundant. In these situations there are no backup to rely on; the files were still in the Downloads folder. Of course I use Delete, if I am messing with important stuff (edited: if the file is not too big), but sometimes (quite often) I think: "I am never going to want to keep this file", so I use Shift+Delete. This is where I was supposed to look at Windows' pop-up box and read "Do you really want to...", to see what and how much I am about to delete, but evidently I didn't read it. So, maybe if I hear it...

[Ath]

This is where I was supposed to look at Windows' pop-up box and read "Do you really want to...", to see what and how much I am about to delete, but evidently I didn't read it. So, maybe if I hear it...

That's exactly where the weak point is. Lots of people, both with and without experience, don't take enough time to read the messages applications pop up to ask both important and not-so-important questions. And because too often the question isn't that important, the messages that are important fade away in the blur, and people just go for the 'right' answer to get it over with now, asap. I do that all the time, when did you last read the EULA of a new piece of software you installed? Same issues there, IMHO.
So, even when adding sound to the important message, that is going to fade away into the blur, after some time.

I once tried to get a proper, thoughtful, response by generating a random letter that had to be entered before the (usually irreversible) action is proceeded, but even then users manage to do things the wrong way, even when they really meant to do something else. There is no 1 good way, but there is no better way either.
Maybe if all we did (on our computers, ofcourse ) was reversible, then this dilemma would be solved.

[Stoic Joker]

-yes, nice one, Miles :-)

I don't know why some people want to decide if I should use Shift+Delete or not  [beep!][/beep!].  If you Delete a 10GB file, Windows will use a really long time to delete it. If you Shift+Delete the same file, it will be gone within a second. Other than that, I don't need to delete 45 files very often, but I need on a daily base to remove a few files, quite often one by one. This was my polite answer.

In situations like that where scrolling can compound the chance of a miss click. I usually highlight the files I want to keep first, because they're a much smaller group. Then use:

Alt + E (Edit menu)
Alt + I (Invert selection)
Shift + Delete

With practice it's much faster than it sounds ... and helps cut down on the swearing.

[Curt]

Alt + E (Edit menu)
Alt + I (Invert selection)
Shift + Delete

-thanks for the reminder; I clearly had forgotten this feature!

(only, "E" in English is "R" in Danish.
Plus, I have to keep pressing the Alt-button, while shifting from "R" to "I")

[wraith808]

I don't know why some people want to decide if I should use Shift+Delete or not  [beep!][/beep!]. 

Sorry... I wasn't trying to decide if you should use Shift+Delete.  I was asking in curiousity and trying to help attempt to solve the problem that you had; since I didn't know your particular usage scenario (nor if you even knew about the fact that windows would warn you), I figured I'd ask.

[Curt]

I don't know why some people want to decide if I should use Shift+Delete or not  [beep!][/beep!]. 

Sorry...

-sorry, I wasn't really polite at all; but your reply is polite.

---------------
Apart from the huge video file, also the two files that I wanted to delete were BIG:

If you Delete a 10GB file, Windows will use a really long time to delete it. If you Shift+Delete the same file, it will be gone within a second.

I simply Shift+Delete big files to save time.

[Stoic Joker]

(only, "E" in English is "R" in Danish.
Plus, I have to keep pressing the Alt-button, while shifting from "R" to "I")

Hm... Shouldn't, I only press and hold Alt once while then hitting E, then I, then release. I should think the Danish R should behave much the same.

[Curt]

(only, "E" in English is "R" in Danish.
Plus, I have to keep pressing the Alt-button, while shifting from "R" to "I")

Hm... Shouldn't, I only press and hold Alt once while then hitting E, then I, then release. I should think the Danish R should behave much the same.

I think we were trying to say the same thing

[MilesAhead]

For some things the command line is just easier.  I can remember doing stuff like clicking on file type to get all the .srt files together so I could select and delete.  But once you have a command prompt in that folder it's just easier.

del *.srt

FreeCommander has a nice command line hanging in the status bar for stuff like that.  Also I wrote a small AHK that sits in the tray that opens a command prompt in a folder etc..

I have internal drives in docking stations with Recycle Bin disabled.  But I do have it prompt me when I delete using Explorer because it can be easy to forget it's a permanent delete. Esp. since I don't make restore points for my docking station drives.