i watched a program that said when you delete something on your computer, and even if you delte them out of the recylce bin, theyre still on the computer, but in a hidden file. WHERE on your computer is this? does anyone know the path?
2007-03-01 12:16:33 · 10 answers · asked by _CåЯißßєåи_Gєm_ 2 in Computers & Internet ➔ Software
When a file is 'deleted' in Windows, it first goes into the recycle bin, where it can be recovered for a certain amount of time and filespace. After that, the MFT (master file table) just removes the entry to that file. Until that 'place' on the drive is needed to put another file, the file is still there, but there is no path to it. Certain recovery programs can pull it off the drive until it is overwritten.
2007-03-01 12:22:20 · answer #1 · answered by Gene M 6 · 3⤊ 0⤋
They're not in a "hidden" file, the clusters on the harddrive that were used to store the information you deleted are simply marked as "writeable to". The clusters are not wiped clean. So, if you go and save some other file or info at a later time, it could be written to the same spot. A HD writes information by using space on a "first come, first used" basis. If some of the space used was where the old deleted information was, it gets overwritten, if not the old information is still there, just waiting in a "writeable to" state. There are programs available to recover this information,sometimes even it has been overwritten once. There are also programs available to truly erase a HD. they do this by writing all 0s to "writeable to" sectors, then all 1s, then repeat the process a few times depending upon the leel of deletion you choose.
2007-03-01 12:25:41 · answer #2 · answered by quntmphys238 6 · 1⤊ 0⤋
They are still on your system. When you list a directory, you think of the file system as a sort of filing cabinet for ease of use. But really a directory is just another file that has pointers to the locations where other files are located on your hard disk drive. When you "delete" a file, you remove that pointer, but not the file itself. However, that space that the file takes up is marked by the operating system as "free space" so it can be written over at any time. Recently deleted files can be recovered, older deleted files will likely have been overwrtitten with new information. You will need a shredder program to delete it permanently. If you can get the inode information then you may be able to find the physical location of the file and recover it if it has not been shredded or overwritten.
2007-03-01 12:25:24 · answer #3 · answered by Runa 7 · 0⤊ 0⤋
I could be wrong but I don't think they're in a hidden file. What I believe they're referring to is that whenever you delete something you would think that it goes to that section and overwrites the whole thing with 0s to make it as if nothing was there, right?
Wrong.
It does nothing like that. It just frees the space so it can be written over. There are programs that can find it still but it may be corrupted because part of the file may have already been written over.
2007-03-01 12:21:20 · answer #4 · answered by Doug B 2 · 3⤊ 0⤋
You can search for the file that was deleted unless the . SECTOR of your HARDDRIVE which the file was save or has been wrote in to.
you'll need a File Scavenger.
hard disk works like this.
like a single cd-rewriteable.
when you erase the data on the cd it is still there but your telling windows that the data can be overlap or replace because you have deleted it.
the data will still be there unless the sector or the section of the CD which the file was save will be rewrite or overlap with another data.
OK. gets? so if you format a hard disk unless you havent install anything there yet. everything in the harddisk is still available but not visible.
thats why you need a software like file scavenger.
Hope my info helps dude good luck.
2007-03-01 12:30:14 · answer #5 · answered by winston_lao 3 · 1⤊ 0⤋
Okay look lol.... When you delete something on your computer, you send them to the recycle bin, correct? Well in hope of deleting it forever you delete it from there as well but in fact you havent deleted it at all, you have only hiddin it in a concealed file... No truthfully the only real way to delete something from your computer is to delete the history as well and that can be done easily... But first my best advice I can offer is to do a search on what ever file you have erased to get the exsact location of its whereabouts... Then go to Internet Explorer and then to View and then Explorer Bar then History and Delete the correct site or file deletion that you have made... This is the only way I kno that there is and if you cant then it cant be deleted it has been perminantly put on your pc or computer...
2007-03-01 12:23:22 · answer #6 · answered by Byrd 1 · 2⤊ 1⤋
They don't go any where. The path to the file is changed and the file remains on your hard drive until it is over written by a new one.
The deleted file for instance is C:\My Documents\myjunque.txt becomes C:\My Documents\_yjunque.txt and can sometimes be accessed through the Command Prompt or with a forensic program.
The Menendez brothers know this answer.
2007-03-01 12:22:35 · answer #7 · answered by Anonymous · 2⤊ 0⤋
Not in a hidden file. The file is where it was before you deleted it. The computer just forgot its there. With the right software you can get it back if it has not been overwritten by another file.
2007-03-01 12:21:44 · answer #8 · answered by Catman 4 · 3⤊ 0⤋
They are still on your HDD. You can use a program like File Recovery Freeware to find them:
http://www.pcinspector.de/file_recovery/uk/welcome.htm
You can use Eraser Freeware to complete delete info from the free space on your HDD-do it only if you dont want the data to be recovered.
http://sourceforge.net/project/showfiles.php?group_id=37015&package_id=65323
2007-03-01 19:39:50 · answer #9 · answered by Ajeet M 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
once removed from the recycle bin files are completely gone just like erasing pencil writing and are not recoverable.
E
2007-03-01 12:21:06 · answer #10 · answered by Elaine B 6 · 0⤊ 4⤋