- What OS on that laptop?
- Is delete the default action (right click, and see if it's bold)? Normally that's open, but if it's delete then that's done, I assume.

If indeed it's an issue with the default action, see if the suggestion in http://www.tomshardware.co.uk/forum/79799-45-default-action-folder-click works. It's from 2005, but makes sense. It's my current setting here, and it works as it should. This is the registry patch they recommend:

If this problem is seen for Drive:
HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Drive\shell
Set (default) to "none" (without ")

If this problem is seen for folders:
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\shell]
Set (default) to "none" (without ")