Ever wondered where deleted data goes?

 

Photo by Markus Spiske on Unsplash

You delete stuff almost every day - unwanted files, bad photos you took, games that you just completed , etc. Depending upon what device you use, these data may go to the Recycle Bin after which you can delete them. Some other operating systems just delete them right away after prompting you with the "permanent deletion of data" message. But how does data get deleted in the first place? Deleted data doesn't just vanish into thin air. So how does it just 'disappear'? The answer may disturb you.

Before I move on to the vague answer, you should get familiar with how computers store data. Computers store data in bits, the smallest quantity and basic unit of information. Every kind of data is stored in bits. No matter how big they are. A large amount of data and information measured in GB, MB or KB are all converted to bits. Bits are expressed in the form of 0s and 1s. This is because computers use transistors, which can be either on (1) or off (0). Just the letter "A" is expressed as 01000001. Let that sink in your head. So just imagine how large files and information will be represented.
Now, you'll understand the answer.

To answer it simply, here it comes.... data is not deleted, yet. What I mean by this is, data is actually still there except for the fact that your computer has forgotten the reference to its path. It's like trying to remember a forgotten memory in your head (not a good example, but you get it right?). Once this happens, the computer marks this space as "free" so that it can make use of this space for new data. Using specialized data recovery tools, experts or hackers can retrieve lost data.

So let's assume you deleted something by mistake. What you need to do is halt all processes on your computer like copying, downloading, installing, etc and run a data recovery software or switch off your PC and go to an expert asap. Because if you don't, remember what I told you about the "free" space thing above, the computer will overwrite the data if it's still running. It's like writing something on a paper, erasing it and writing something else on it. What overwriting does is, it modifies the bits (0s and 1s) of that space. You might have got a message related to overwriting when you copy and paste a file with the same name in the same place or when you're creating a save state for a game. For example, if we just add 1 to the binary expression of "A", this will result in 01000010 that is "B"! The old data "A" is now completely gone.

But it's not that simple when talking about data. The traces of data are scattered all over the storage drive and all of them aren't overwritten. So some parts of sensitive data can still be recovered! Thus, the next time you lend a pendrive, exchange your old phone, or sell your computer remember to wipe the storage completely using the built-in or an external cleaning utility. Obviously, not everyone is a hacker and knows about the possibility of traces of personal information like old photos still being there. For privacy freaks out there, overwriting the data at least 20 times should calm them down.

Hope you liked my blog post. Did you know about all this? How did you react when reading this? Feel free to share your thoughts in the comments below.
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