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Shift+Del on my Windows computer is interpreted as cut to the clipboard. How can I make it no different than just Delete alone?

Oliver Salzburg
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Adam
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  • Odd, shift-del on normal windows computers is supposed to mean delete permanently (skip the recycle bin). – Joel Coehoorn Jan 20 '11 at 22:14
  • Not in Windows 7 (and similar versions). See http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Table_of_keyboard_shortcuts#Desktop_shortcuts – Adam Jan 20 '11 at 22:16
  • In Windows 7 Shift+Del is supposed to be permanent delete. I use it everyday to skip the recycle bin. http://support.microsoft.com/kb/126449 – Benjamin Anderson Jan 20 '11 at 22:21
  • Maybe just in Windows Server then? It is listed in other places ( http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut,_copy,_and_paste#Common_keyboard_shortcuts ) as meaning cut and that's definitely what it's doing here – Adam Jan 20 '11 at 22:25
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    I suspect the OP is talking about in a text or word processor, not Windows Explorer/Desktop. – martineau Jan 20 '11 at 22:26
  • the Wikipedia article has the shortcut listed under Desktop Shortcuts though... Which after doing some searching in Google, is apparently the old legacy behavior. I have a feeling that it's maybe the result of a Culture/Language setting – Benjamin Anderson Jan 20 '11 at 22:28
  • And no, Server 2008 and 2008 R2 don't make a difference, it has to bee something else. I permanently delete things from Explorer and the desktop all the time using Shift+Del – Benjamin Anderson Jan 20 '11 at 22:30
  • It's not just Windows 7. Shift+Del = Cut, Shift+Ins = Paste, Ctrl+Ins = Copy has been a standard since the DOS days. http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cut,_copy,_and_paste – Mikel Jan 20 '11 at 22:43
  • In Windows XP SHIFT+DELETE on the Destop & in Windows Explorer windows means "Delete the selected item permanently without placing the item in the Recycle Bin" -- see List of the keyboard shortcuts that are available in Windows XP. – martineau Jan 20 '11 at 22:49
  • Sure. Obviously it depends what program you are in. Shift+Del means Cut in most text editors and text editing fields. – Mikel Jan 20 '11 at 23:07
  • And as you already acknowledged, the OP wasn't talking about the Desktop or Windows Explorer. ;-) – Mikel Jan 20 '11 at 23:21

3 Answers3

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This AutoHotkey script works for me:

+Del::Send {Delete}

If it doesn't, try this:

+Del::
KeyWait Shift
Send {Delete}
return

According to AutoHotkey Tips and Remarks, you might need to use KeyWait so that the Shift doesn't get applied to the right hand side as well.

I suggest installing it like this:

  • Download and install AutoHotkey, allowing it to associate with .ahk files
  • Open Notepad and paste the script in
  • Save it anywhere and call it shortcuts.ahk
  • Open the folder where you saved it in Windows Explorer
  • Double click on shortcuts.ahk to open it and activate it immediately
  • Right click and drag shortcuts.ahk to Start->(All) Programs->Startup, then release the right button
  • Click on Create Shortcut
Mikel
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Regardless of what context you're referring to, and although I haven't done this exact thing, I'm fairly confident the free AutoHotKey utility could do it.

At a minimum, the AHK script would just need to be a single line containing this:

+Delete::Send {Delete}

This would be in effect globally (i.e. on the Desktop, in Explorer windows, and in all applications). If necessary, it could be made context-sensitive so that it only applied to specific situations (RTFM).

martineau
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AutoHotkey CAN`T do this. It is complicated to be explained but AutoHotkey send to focused window so you cant send command to desktop.

user688686
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