When you delete data off your hard drive, is it truly gone? Well, yes and no, depending on where it’s deleted from. Basically, the answer is a bit complicated but here’s the short version: you should assume that data is never truly deleted unless the device has had a complete wipe.
To understand why this is this case, you need to look at how data is generally “Deleted” (and those quotes are intentional) from devices. Generally speaking, when you delete a file from your computer (and subsequently empty it from the recycle bin), that doesn’t always mean the file is actually gone. What it means is that the reference to the file is gone. When you delete a file, the reference to that file in the master file table (MFT) is removed, which is a much quicker operation than actually erasing the data. It tells the system that “Hey, this part of the drive is available to store data” so the system can eventually overwrite that data, but it doesn’t actually erase the data.
Basically, it’s like if you removed a page of the table of contents of a reference book. The data is still in the book, it’s just difficult to find.
Eventually, the space will be overwritten by something else, but how/when that happens is anyone’s guess. This is what is file recovery software like recuva, DMDE, or Disk Drill or services like DriveSavers use to their advantage: They’ll search those bits of your hard drive that are supposedly empty to see if any lingering data is around.
So how do you make sure your deleted data is truly deleted and inaccessible? Here are a few things we recommend:
- Encrypt your Drive: If you use full disk encryption on your drive (which we recommend for everybody, whether you are in a regulated industry or not), your data will not be recoverable should the drive get pulled from the computer and recovery attempted using the tools above. All they’d be able to recover is encrypted gibberish. This is by far the easiest way to keep your deleted data from prying eyes.
- Wipe Free Space: As mentioned above, free space on your drive could still have potentially recoverable data on it. To wipe that free space of any old data, you basically need to write over it again. You could use a third-party tool or the Windows Cipher command line tool to accomplish this.
- Full Disk Wipe: When you decommission, recycle, or dispose of your computer, we recommend you remove the hard drive and do a full disk wipe (we do this as part of our recycling services). Basically, you take the drive out of the system and hook it up to a tool that will write gibberish data to every sector of the hard drive multiple times. When we wipe drives, we follow the three-pass Department of Defense DoD 5220.22-M wipe process, which wipes the data on the drive the following way, making it unrecoverable:
- Pass 1: Writes zeroes and verifies the write.
- Pass 2: Writes ones and verifies the write.
- Pass 3: Writes a random character and verifies the write.
Interested in learning more about how Weston can help secure your data (and our backup and disaster recovery solutions, in case you delete something you shouldn’t)? Contact your local IT professionals today.
FAQs
When you “delete” a file, it only removes the file name from the file directory. Basically, your operating system no longer knows where the file is, so it assumes it's gone. But it's not really gone. The deleted item is still on your hard drive, just in a different place.
When you delete data is it really gone? ›
When you permanently delete a file, the storage drive makes its space available for new data. However, the file is not deleted. It remains on the hard drive; only the file pointers get deleted. (The File pointer shows you where the file exists and keeps track of it being accessed.)
Does deleting data delete everything? ›
Clearing the data could lose all your stuff if you haven't backed up. Clearing the cache for apps however will free some storage.
Does deleting something actually delete it? ›
When you delete a file, it typically moves to the Recycle Bin or Trash, depending on your operating system. Emptying the Recycle Bin or Trash removes the reference to the file from the file system, but the actual data may still be recoverable until the space it occupies is overwritten by new data.
Are deleted files permanently gone? ›
When you delete a file or folder from your computer, it doesn't simply disappear from existence. Even if you immediately empty the Recycle Bin or the Trash folder, all your deletion does is mark the space that the file takes up on your hard drive as vacant.
Why are files not permanently deleted? ›
When a hard drive is formatted, the operating system loses its ability to reference the data on the disk. Until that drive sector is overwritten with new data, there is still a chance to recover the old data if the pointers leading to the data are recovered. In essence, “deleted” data remains on the drive.
Where does data go when you delete it? ›
Oddly enough, usually it goes nowhere. Most of the time, when computers delete data on a drive, they just mark the section of the drive containing the data as “free.” This means that the operating system is then free to write over it when it needs space for something later.
Where does deleted internet data go? ›
Is the myth that we can't delete anything permanently from the Internet once it's uploaded there really true? Where do deleted files go? Deleted files don't actually "go" anywhere. They are tagged in the operating system as deleted, and the space they occupy is made available.
What are the risks of deleting data? ›
This could lead to identity theft, financial fraud, or other serious consequences. Another danger of permanent file deletion is data loss due to accidental deletions or system errors. Imagine working on an important project for weeks only to delete it accidentally without any backup copy.
How do you truly delete something? ›
Use keyboard shortcuts
Select the file you want to permanently delete and press Shift + Delete together.
To delete file(s) without moving to the Recycle Bin first, select the folder or files and press SHIFT+Delete (at the same time) on your keyboard. Windows 10 asks for confirmation before it removes the files – when you are asked “Are you sure you want to permanently delete this file(s)?”, press Yes.
Why is deleted data recoverable? ›
Anytime you delete a file, Windows doesn't get rid of the file. It doesn't even alter the original data at all. Our Windows merely alters the corresponding record in the file system to label the file as being 'deleted'. Both the file system and data aren't erased.
Do police recover deleted files? ›
It depends on where the data is being stored and what type of data it is. However, with sophisticated software and equipment, it is possible for the police to retrieve deleted data from a phone.
When a file is deleted it can never be recovered? ›
When Windows deletes a file, it moves it to a specific hard drive sector and hides it from the operating system. Even after emptying the Recycle Bin, there is still a chance of data recovery if no new data is written on those specific sectors where the deleted files exist.
Is it possible to recover permanently deleted? ›
Yes, you can recover lost files. If files or data are deleted from trash or recycle bin it is considered permanently deleted. Files that are moved to the recycle bin or the trash can stay in those folders until the user empties the recycle bin or trash can i.e permanently deleted it.
Is anything ever really deleted from your iPhone? ›
It immediately and irretrievably gets rid of the data physically stored on the iPhone itself. Deletion on the iPhone also deletes any iCloud backups but images in Photos may be recoverable for several days.
Is data permanently deleted from iPhone? ›
Delete files on your iPhone or iPad
After 30 days, your files are permanently deleted. Files deleted from Recently Deleted are deleted immediately and are not recoverable.
Is permanently deleted really deleted on iPhone? ›
When you delete photos and videos, they go to your Recently Deleted album for 30 days. After 30 days, they'll be permanently deleted. If you use iCloud Photos, and delete photos and videos from one device, the photos and videos will be deleted on your other devices.
How do I get my data back after deleting it? ›
Check the Recycle Bin
On almost all computer systems, once a file has been deleted this is the place it will end up next. With a quick search in the Bin, your wayward file can easily be selected and restored to its original folder as long as you have not emptied it.
When you delete data off your hard drive, is it truly gone? Well, yes and no, depending on where it’s deleted from. Basically, the answer is a bit complicated but here’s the short version: you should assume that data is never truly deleted unless the device has had a complete wipe.