Extended Delete

 

If you've tried deleting files from multiple folders in one go using the Search tool in Windows XP, you'll know it's just about impossible: Windows can't keep track of what's deleted and what's not, or how many files it's displaying.

Extended Delete is a shell extension tool for users who want to give their disks a clear-out quickly and reliably, without thumping the keyboard in frustration every few seconds.

Just right-click the folder or drive you want to search (or start the utility from its shortcut on the Start menu) and enter a mask representing the files you want to search for, such as *.tmp;*.bak;*.~*, and click Find Files.

In the results list, remove the checkmark beside any files you want to keep, then click the Delete Files button. All checked files will be deleted to the Recycle Bin (letting you recover anything you deleted accidentally) unless you specifically choose immediate deletion.

If you're not sure what a particular file is, you can double-click it to open it, or right-click it to access its standard context menu. You can even drag and drop files from the list to a different folder or an application to copy/move/view them.