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Is the data really deleted? If so, why are there programs that promise to recover deleted files? Then let’s find out what happens when we empty our recycle bin
are they deleted?
Currently, there are two dominant technologies for information storage: Hard Disk Drive (HDD) and Solid State Drives (SDD). On a technical level, they behave differently. To inquire about their advantages and disadvantages is a topic for another article. I’m going to focus on the management of the operating system for the end-user, it doesn’t matter if it is Linux, Windows, or macOS, because they all work in a very similar way in handling deleted files
The short answer is that when you delete the recycle bin absolutely nothing happens to your files, only one thing happens, the operating system stops indexing your files as available information. Those files are simply hidden from the user.
There is an index called Master File Table (MFT), the operating system uses it to search for a file within the system and check its availability. Emptying the recycle bin frees up the storage space occupied by those files, so in the future it simply overwrites the information in that same index. Thus, a deleted file can last invisibly for days, weeks, or months on your computer until the operating system wants to occupy it with a new one.
There is a reason for this, not an evil whim of the developers. Deleting or rewriting is a very demanding process for storage systems that’s why the OS prefers to simply remove it from your view. Fun fact, that’s why copying a file takes longer than deleting it.
So, is it possible to recover a file?
Recovering a deleted file is not available by default on operating systems for security reasons. But there is a possibility to recover them with programs like Recuva or Disk Drill Data Recovery. These are tools that can partially or completely re-index deleted files.
Now, if your intention is to completely erase your files because you do not want anyone to recover those files, you will have to download specialized software, although this could cause damage to the storage hardware. The best way to prevent anyone from accessing the information on your hard drive is to encrypt it.