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Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? - Computers - Nairaland

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Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by samina1230: 9:15am On Oct 23, 2011
Folders or files deleted from harddrive goto recycle bin right! My question here is when those files are deleted from recycle bin where do they go cos i know they not flushed out the system. Any comments are welcome. Thanks






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Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by koseepaaro(m): 10:24am On Oct 23, 2011
Any file or folder you delete on your hard drive goes to 'trash can' as you have said. But when you now delete the file or folder from 'trash can', you still have it on your hard drive (which make deleted files or folders recoverable) but only that your operating system will mark such file or folder as 'unviewable/unreadable' by user except special computer program like 'Recover My File' software. Hope this help?
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by samina1230: 11:02am On Oct 23, 2011
thank you brother i am trying
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by blackweaver(m): 9:55pm On Oct 27, 2011
like koseepaaro said, when you totally delete a file from the computer, what happens is that the os marks the location of that file free - which means that another file can be copied to that location. This also means that the more files you copy on your computer the lesser the chances of retrieve\ing a file you deleted earlier. Of course there are tools that can be used to retrieve files at almost any level of deletion - but i'm not sure you'd have access to such tools (or indeed you'd be able to use some of those tools even if you had them)
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by JameshKole: 10:36am On Nov 02, 2011
Kernel for Windows Data Recovery is the most effective and proficient utility that has got the ability to recover and restore the data lost from computer's hard disk or other storage media like PEN drive, ZIP drive, etc.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by wqmichelle: 7:25am On Nov 29, 2011
When you deleted files from recycle bin, the files just got erased, BUT not permanently. The first thing you should do is probably STOP immediately using the drive the file deleted, if you want to increase a little bit chances of recovery. Then find some tools from this sitehttp://www.easeus.com/resource/recover-deleted-recycle-bin-files.htm, Hope it can helps find missing items.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by arova: 2:55pm On Nov 29, 2011
PC Tools File Recover includes options to help you quickly find your lost files. Specify what drives you want to scan, the file types you want to scan for, the size of your files, and even the file names that you want to find and recover. It utilizes a rapid scan engine to scan and restore your documents from your hard drive, usually within minutes!
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Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by GWslim(f): 10:48am On Nov 30, 2011
If you delete direct from external disk, it goes off but on your hard drive, it remain in some hidden place.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by Nobody: 12:39pm On Nov 30, 2011
bold part is incorrect, it's the same procedure for both external or internal hard disk.
GWslim:

If you delete direct from external disk, it goes off but on your hard drive, it remain in some hidden place.

koseepaaro:

Any file or folder you delete on your hard drive goes to 'trash can' as you have said. But when you now delete the file or folder from 'trash can', you still have it on your hard drive (which make deleted files or folders recoverable) but only that your operating system will mark such file or folder as 'unviewable/unreadable' by user except special computer program like 'Recover My File' software. Hope this help?     
blackweaver:

like koseepaaro said, when you totally delete a file from the computer, what happens is that the os marks the location of that file free - which means that another file can be copied to that location. This also means that the more files you copy on your computer the lesser the chances of retrieve\ing a file you deleted earlier. Of course there are tools that can be used to retrieve files at almost any level of deletion - but i'm not sure you'd have access to such tools (or indeed you'd be able to use some of those tools even if you had them)
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by flori: 8:16am On Dec 02, 2011
Deleted files from your PC are present on your hard drive until they are overwritten.So, you can easily undelete files on vista using a reliable tool. You can preview recovered data when you download free demo version of the software and thereby can evaluate recovery chances of the tool.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by nevosys(m): 5:20pm On Dec 05, 2011
All file and folders deleted from your PC stays on your trash can in your Hard Drive until they are overwritten
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by tundysho(m): 5:28pm On Dec 05, 2011
These are the kind of educative posts we need on the front page
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by Nobody: 5:31pm On Dec 05, 2011
Files/folder deleted from a pc are still in the pc, just that your o.s can't see them. They can be recovered. But, if you want to remove a file/folder from your pc beyond recovery, then you'll have to destroy the file/folder by using any file shredder software.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by kcreal(f): 5:35pm On Dec 05, 2011
Interesting, I'm learning.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by Siga: 5:39pm On Dec 05, 2011
tundysho:

These are the kind of educative posts we need on the front page

I second u my very person, applaud to all that replied, more of these guys,
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by chinweub: 5:53pm On Dec 05, 2011
Try "Okija Shrine" you will be surprise how many "files" you will find there shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked shocked
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by primzi: 6:00pm On Dec 05, 2011
Hi everyone!
To the I.T literates who have enlightened us as to the possibility of retrieving a deleted file, please what happens if i have a 250gb hdd, i deleted (cnt+alt+del) files of about 150gb and i replace with files of about 200gb, is it still possible to recover my 150gb deleted files? angry angry undecided
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by Wallie(m): 6:08pm On Dec 05, 2011
You already got the answers. The address of the deleted files becomes available to be re-assigned. The file is still there but the OS does not know its location. There are tools to recover deleted files and also tools to completely delete files by writing on the same address a number of times.

For example, if your file occupied address 0x1 - 0x9 and you delete the file, that means that the OS can write new info to that location. If a new file is written to that location but you only used the first 2 adrresses, i.e., 0x1 and 0x2, then you can only retrieve part of the original file written to 0x3-0x9 fully intact.

I say fully intact because addresses are usually 32 or 64 bits and just because you write to a location do not mean that you're using all the bits available to you. For example, 1 is just going to occupy the first bit of address 0x1 while FFFF will occupy all the bits.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by Wallie(m): 6:10pm On Dec 05, 2011
p. rimzi:

Hi everyone!
To the I.T literates who have enlightened us as to the possibility of retrieving a deleted file, please what happens if i have a 250gb hdd, i deleted (cnt+alt+del) files of about 150gb and i replace with files of about 200gb, is it still possible to recover my 150gb deleted files? angry angry undecided

No. See the last paragraph of my last prior post.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by eros(m): 6:14pm On Dec 05, 2011
QUESTION: How can one delete a file completely, totally from the computer's hard drive, so that it cannot be recovered.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by Wallie(m): 6:22pm On Dec 05, 2011
eros:

QUESTION: How can one delete a file completely, totally from the computer's hard drive, so that it cannot be recovered.

Create a program that writes 0xFFFF followed by 0x0000 to the memory location (keep in mind that files are not usually stored contiguously in memory). OR you can get a program that does it for you if the OS does not have a tool to perform such function, for example “File Shredder” if you use Windows.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by eros(m): 6:28pm On Dec 05, 2011
Wallie:

Create a program that writes 0xFFFF followed by 0x0000 to the memory location (keep in mind that files are not usually stored contiguously in memory). OR you can get a program that does it for you if the OS does not have a tool to perform such function, for example “File Shredder” if you use Windows.


Thanks for your answer. I use Windows 7 home premium, please can you explain further in a lay man's language how i can get the program that will permanently delete files from my computer's hard drive?
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by IBILEOMO(m): 6:31pm On Dec 05, 2011
oju orun LOL grin
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by Wallie(m): 6:35pm On Dec 05, 2011
eros:


Thanks for your answer. I use Windows 7 home premium, please can you explain further in a lay man's language how i can get the program that will permanently delete files from my computer's hard drive?

OK. I don't want to get banned for posting a link. Go to download dot com and type in File Shredder in the search box to the left. Look through the list and find one that contains "File Shredder", then click on the respective Download button to the right. It is free.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by meteoric(m): 6:36pm On Dec 05, 2011
Hell,methinks. grin
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by primzi: 6:39pm On Dec 05, 2011
@ Wallie et all, thanks men! you guys sure sound. its one thing to know something and another thing to be able to articulate it to a point where others understand.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by razznaija(f): 6:45pm On Dec 05, 2011
They are left on the hard drive, you can only fully delete them by destroying the hard drive or over writting it.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by Wilfredng: 6:52pm On Dec 05, 2011
[size=18pt]The first answer got it all right. I have read this in a New York Tech magazine before.[/size]
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by Nobody: 7:06pm On Dec 05, 2011
They go to heaven.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by Trac: 7:06pm On Dec 05, 2011
You cannot delete anything from a PC.  Yo only loose the "pointers" associated with the file attributes.  On the other hand, you can securely wipe files and its attributes by some processes (erasure method).  This erasure method processes is done on the sectors of the hard drive itself.  At this point, I can only remember two and that is DoD and Gutmann.   Any of these coupled with Isaacson Random Generating Algor makes it even more secure.  Basically, what these erasure methods do is to overwrite the information in a way by physically altering the information per sector on the hard drive, thus leaving unreadable data.  It then scrambles the whole thing.  When you use a data-recovery software/hardware, you cannot retrieve anything.  Think about shredding a paper axially and laterally and then with all the bits, you throw it up in the air like a rice bouquet and you give it to your colleague to put the pieces together.  Gutmann is the best but slower.  No hardware would recover the information.  DoD (Department of Defense standard for permanent erasure) is also good but not as rock solid as Gutmann's approach.  Both of these cannot be recovered via hardware.  There are a few more secure delete approaches but they offer only software protection.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by icemann(m): 7:08pm On Dec 05, 2011
After a while new data is written on the hard drive  old sectors (areas you had old files), The rewriting  depends on how often you use your computer.
Re: Deleted Files On A PC: Where Do They Go? by alldone(m): 7:27pm On Dec 05, 2011
Wonderful post, Informative too.

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