2006-06-23 11:31:17 · 4 answers · asked by heels 1 in Computers & Internet ➔ Internet
YES, the actual files remain on your computer. When you delete a file the name of the file is transferred to the Trash Can. When you empty the Trash Can the file's name is erased from the File Allocation Table (FAT, which just tells the computer where to find the file). However, the file still exists on your computer. Other people can search the hard drive to find files that you could swear were long gone. The government is famous for scanning hard drives and recovering a wealth of data on the disk, even files that were thought to have been deleted. They have special software just to do this.
If you want to recover the file then there is some software, like Undelete that does just that. However, the longer you work with files on the machine increases the chance that some of the data may be over written by new data.
Undelete has a 5 day free trial period: http://www.winundelete.com/?rid=google&kid=wu0401
One good way to get rid of old files is to format the drive, that removes the FAT and wipes out any data on the hard drive. Of course you will lose the files you want to keep unless you back them up first.
If you want to truly delete all of a file, without losing the files you want to keep, then you need special software to do it. The Department of Defense uses a program that writes over the hard drive 50 times to make sure it killed all of the deleted files. It doesn't delete any files still in the FAT though, so it doesn't completely wipe your hard drive.
I have given you 3 links to where you can find such software. Check out Privacy Guardian first, they offer a free trial period.
2006-06-23 11:46:50 · answer #1 · answered by Dan S 7 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Try a search for files on your C drive. Start>search for files then type in temporary Internet files or try going into Internet explorer Internet options and view files.
2006-06-23 18:38:54 · answer #2 · answered by lainey lain 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Yes. You can either go to control panel & add or delete programs. Or you can get spybot and recover as many things as you want
2006-06-23 18:36:45 · answer #3 · answered by h-townguy 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Why would you? They are worthless.
2006-06-23 18:34:45 · answer #4 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋