I recently downloaded a program from download.com to delete files ? it
?wipes them.?

I have removed the software from my computer.

However, when right click some files, I still have the option to ?Wipe
Beyond Recovery?

The program does not exist!!!

A window pops up saying
?This file does not have a program associated with it for performing
this action. Create an association in the Folder Options control
panel.?

How can I remove the option to ?Wipe Beyond Recovery?? (without
reinstalling windows)

I do not remember the exact program that put that option on my computer.

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Request for Question Clarification by livioflores-ga on 17 Jul 2005 20:20 PDT

Hi!!

Try with the following registry hack:
·Backup your registry.
·Run the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE). 
·Open it at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ Directory\ shell. 
·Double-click shell folder to see additional keys. Each key
corresponds to one command on the right-click menu for folders. You
won't see Windows' built-in commands for folders (you can't remove
those); but you should see folders for commands that have been added
by other applications.
·If you can identify the key related to the context menu to be deleted
highlight and delete it.
·Repeat the procedure at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell.
·Close the Registry Editor when finished. 

Let me know how it is work in order to continue researching or post
this comment as the official answer.

Regards.
livioflores-ga

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Clarification of Question by odulsmin-ga on 17 Jul 2005 21:10 PDT

Thanks for your advice.

When I went to the registry, I did what you said for the
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ Directory\ shell. I could not find it in the
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell, however. It did not work, even after
restarting.

However, in my process to try and back up my registry, I discovered
the system restore utility that allowed me to restore my system to
before I installed the program. So I'm good!

You've helped me, so post your comment as an answer. But for
refference, could you comment on what else I could have been tried and
perhaps why that didn't work when I tried it?

Hi odulsmin!!

Thank you for giving me the opportunity to answer your question.

At the article "Remove Unsolicited Junk From Your Context Menus" by
Scott Dunn and other pages I found the info and tips that would lead
to a solution in the most of the cases:
·Backup your registry.
·Run the Registry Editor (REGEDIT.EXE). 
·Open it at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\ Directory\ shell. 
·Double-click shell folder to see additional keys. Each key
corresponds to one command on the right-click menu for folders. You
won't see Windows' built-in commands for folders (you can't remove
those); but you should see folders for commands that have been added
by other applications.
·If you can identify the key related to the context menu to be deleted
highlight and delete it.
·Repeat the procedure at HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Folder\shell.
·Close the Registry Editor when finished. 

But unfortunately "Every application that customizes the context menu
does so in its own way. In some cases you may need to hunt through
dialog boxes, scour the application's help file, or scan the vendor's
Web site to find out how to remove context-menu entries. In other
cases you have to accept that some context menu commands are there to
stay. For example, though you can use the Registry editing tip above
to remove the 'Scan for Viruses' command added by McAfee VirusScan, I
have encountered no way to remove the context-menu commands added by
Norton AntiVirus. Your only option in these cases is to live with the
extra clutter and to contact the software manufacturer to voice your
opinion on this subject."
http://www.pcworld.com/howto/article/0,aid,118255,00.asp


The program that you installed probably hacked the context menu in a
different way than the usual (like Norton Antivirus) during its
installation. Probably the option to remove ?Wipe Beyond Recovery?
from the context menu was within the configuration options of the
program; since you uninstall it without remove the "Wipe" option you
have no well known way to remove it. Afortunately you have a
restoration point previous to tthe installation so you used to restore
your computer to that point. The moral of this story is that is a VERY
GOOD IDEA to save a good restoration point before the installation of
a new program. This restoration point could be the only solution to
unexpected troubles and misconfigurations.


Other places to search for the context menu hack can be found at: 
"Manage the context-menu entries for files, folders, drives and Namespace objects":
http://windowsxp.mvps.org/context_folders.htm


There are some free tools (that must be used carefully) that can help with this:
Mmm:
http://www.hace.us-inc.com/mmm.shtml

ShellExView:
http://www.nirsoft.net/utils/shexview.html


Hope that this helps you in the future.

Best regards.
livioflores-ga

Thanks!

It's always worthwhile searching through the registry for the actual
command string, especially if it's something quite distinctive like
odulsmin's "Wipe Beyond Recovery".