Where does the data deleted from a drive go?

[rahul.6sept]

Dear all,

I have a query regarding the data deleted from a drive.I want to know what actually happens to the data when it is deleted.Where does it go? It remains in the circuit i guess,but what is the phenomena because datas are actually voltages in real sense.

Regards,
rc

 

[yadavvlsi]

Check these links:
**broken link removed**
What Happens to Deleted Files? | eHow.com

 

[alexan_e]

The file system has a table of content where the file location is listed, when you delete the file all you do is remove the entry from that list so the space occupied by the file is marked as free but the file is still there and you can recover it until it is overwritten.
This is why there are secure delete applications that delete the file and write over it random data.

Alex

 

[rahul.6sept]

Thanks for your reply, but i'm looking for an explanation in the form of voltages.I think it certainly has to do in the form of voltages in the circuitry.

regards,

 

[alexan_e]

The data is digital so there are two states, 0 and 1 and they are stored in magnetic or optical storage.

Hard disk drive - Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia

 

[rahul.6sept]

Hi alexan_e

I have gone through the wiki of HD, but it does not give any explanation what i'm searching.

 

[alexan_e]

What exactly are you searching?
All you have is two states that can be either stored as two reflection factors or as two different magnetism states etc or even in a solid state memory like electric charge.
You don't have access to this voltage you describe, the device connectors are purely digital.

 

[errakeshpillai]

I hope you might be knowing this.
Where deleted data goes?

So now when the original data is not being manipulated or dealt with, then how come there is any change in voltage. the voltage & flux required at the hard drive level is always present. But the pointer to that address is removed. So it is considered free space. It can be overwritten when we defrag the hard drive.