Why You Cannot Delete Files/Data Permanently From Harddisk, SSD, Pendrive, and Other Storage Devices?


If you think you have deleted any file/data from your computer, and it is deleted or erased permanently then you are wrong. You cannot delete any file and data permanently by just deleting it. It sounds confusing, right. But, don't worry, soon you will understand why you cannot delete files permanently from your storage devices like Hardisk, Pendrive, SSD, Memory Card, etc.

Why You Cannot Delete File/Data Permanently From Storage Devices?

In order to know why file/data cannot be deleted permanently, first, we need to understand how a file/data store in the storage device works.

How the Data Stores in the Storage Device Works?

Whenever you create or download a new file or copy a new file on the storage device, it shows you some storage is reserved by the file. For example, you have an 8GB Pendrive and you store 1GB of files in it. Now you will see 7/8GB free storage. And after deleting that 1GB file, it will show you 8GB free storage. But, the data is still there unless some other file overwrites it. You have just deleted the name of the file which was visible on your computer. The 1GB data is still there and can be easily recoverable by using any recovery program.

How Does Deleted File Recover?

As you know, a computer takes a long time to copy data on the storage device but only takes few seconds to delete it. Why? Like it takes you 2-3min to copy and paste 1GB of data on the Pendrive and takes only 2-3seconds to delete it. Isn't that weird? Well as I said, when you delete a file, the file name is only deleted and not shown by your computer. But it is still inside the Pendrive and can be recovered by any recovery program. That's also why it takes a long time to Copy data then deleting it. The deleted file is still inside the Pendrive.

Is There Any Way To Delete/Erase Data Permanently From Storage Device?

Yes, you can actually delete the data permanently and can make it unrecoverable. To make deleted data unrecoverable, you have to delete the file from the storage device and copy and paste a new file inside the Pendrive. For instance, If you want to delete your file permanently, you have to delete all files from your 8GB Pendrive and paste other 8GB files inside it to overwrite the first deleted file.
Another way to delete/Erase Data Permanently is to destroy it. Destroy your Pendrive, Hardisk or SSD to erase data permanently.


In conclusion, You cannot delete any file/data from your computer permanently unless some other file overwrites it spaces of the storage device.



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