Deleting

[bimbim]

When i delete something, a Word document for example, where does it go?

[Ethel]

It doesn't actually go anywhere - and that is why lost data is able to be retrieved by techie experts and agencies.

However, by deleting data you are instructing the pc to ignore it in searches and allow it to be overwritten - so that tiny bit of the hard drive or removable disk is used again.

Eventually, it would become impossible to retrieve data that had been deleted long ago.

When new data is saved to the disk it is not saved in one nice piece - it is used to fill the gaps that have been deleted, so can be scattered in tiny segments.

This is why it is so important to defrag your hard drive regularly - it keeps things tidy and speeds your pc up.

[vehelpfulguy]

When you delete something you are actually deleting the pointer to it, not the actual object.

As Ethel says, it could be on your hard disk for weeks or months (or years).

Which is why you have to be careful when you sell or give a PC to someone, data you thought you deleted a long time ago could still be there !

[bimbim]

Aha , thanks guys . I had visions of ones & zeros floating off into the atmosphere

[TeeGee]

Surely, when you delete a file then its location pointer is changed to the Recycle Bin from where is can be retreived if needed. Only when you empty the Recycle Bin does the disc space become available for new data.

[Ethel]

You are right tee gee, but many people set the recycle bin to empty on logging off. I do.