Trash & restore
Move items to Trash, restore them, or delete permanently when needed.
Trash, restore, delete permanently
By default, Explorer can move deleted items to Trash so you can recover from accidents.
Common actions
- Move to Trash → moves items to Trash (when enabled)
- Restore → returns an item to its original location
- Delete permanently → skips Trash (careful)
- Empty Trash → removes everything in Trash
You can find these actions in:
- the right‑click menu
- the File menu (Move to Trash / Restore / Delete Permanently)
Recommended defaults
- Keep “Delete to Trash” enabled.
- Keep delete confirmations enabled if you work fast.
Details that matter
- Restoring tries to return an item to its original folder. If that folder no longer exists, Explorer restores to a safe location.
- In the Trash view, delete is treated as permanent (you’re already “inside” Trash).
- macOS permissions still apply. If the original location is protected, you may need to grant folder access first.
Permissions: Explorer permissions