Where do the deleted files go when they are permanently deleted from the Recycle bin?
answer 1.
They don't go anywhere, they are still on your hard disk (or fragments of them).When a file is deleted, some or all parts of it are still retrievable in Microsoft Windows. The subject of much anger amongst users who value privacy and security, including me.
Go here for more information...
http://www.microsuck.com/content/ms-hidden-files.shtml
You'll find out all sorts of frightening things about the ubiquitous Windows operating system. It's a real eye-opener.
Even if a file is deleted properly, it can still be retrieved using specialist software.
Forensic and data recovery specialists are used by large corporations, governments and law enforcement agencies to retrieve valuable data lost by human error, physical disaster, or mechanical failure.
answer 2.
So-called deleted files are really not deleted.
The pointer to the file's blocks on the hard drive is added to the free-space list in the file directory, and this space, ''may'', eventually, be re-used for new files. Note the "eventually" part: forensic tools can easily recover deleted files with little or no damage. And you thought they were really gone. Nope.
There are programs you can use to securely delete specific files or the free space on your hard, such as
- Eraser,
- BCWipe (http://www.tucows.com/preview/195710.html),
- PGP,
- Norton Utilities' WipeInfo, or
- Cerberus System's Document Security Manager (See http://www.cerberussystems.com/INFOSEC/products/docusec.htm, especially ).
Oh, and don't forget the '''swap file'''...full images of anything you have run or viewed may still be in the Windows swap file. You need to securely clean that, too. Cerberus has a good tutorial on that: http://www.cerberussystems.com/INFOSEC/tutorial/leaks.htm
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