When files are deleted, they are not immediately erased from the hard drive. Deleting a file simply removes the reference to where the file is stored on disk, allowing the space to be overwritten. Using data recovery tools, deleted files can sometimes be retrieved if they have not been overwritten. The document describes an experiment to test how difficult it is to recover files that were deleted in different ways, such as moving to the trash vs overwriting. Various data recovery tools and techniques are tested to see how completely deleting files requires overwriting unused space to prevent potential file recovery.

1. IS A DELETED FILE
REALLY GONE?
S1240200
Naito Watanabe

2. Abstract
When you delete a file, by accident or myself or
someone. It file is really deleted?

3. Objective
Learn the way of completely delete file.

4. Introduction
In this project, search for possible computer files
that may have been deleted by using some
deletion methods.
Before start the project, you need to know how
computers store information or what does it mean
to delete?

5. Save the File
When you save the file to the computer, the file is
stored in clusters, on the hard drive.
The computer only saves to the clusters that thinks
the file as "empty”.

6. Delete the File
When you delete the file on the computer, the file
move to the rubbish bin.
It also send the signal to the computer to think the
clusters as ”empty” again, despite having
information left.

7. Overwriting
If the computer thinks of the clusters as “empty”,
you can store other files in those space by
overwriting the information.
Overwriting is related to luck. It is because it will
not be overwritten in exactly the same place.

8. Repair information
Use the data recovery tool to
retrieve all or part of the file
that has not been overwritten.

9. Materials and Equipment
• Computer with a hard-disk drive
• Mac or Windows operating system

10. Choosing Tools
To do this project, You have 3 tools.
• tool of search the file
• tool of overwrite the deleted file
• tool of recover the deleted file

11. Preparing the Files
Besides you, need someone to prepare the file.
If you prepare the file yourself, you would know
where the files are and it would be impossible to
do the rest of the project.

12. Collecting Data
Goal of this part is to search for each of the files
listed and rate how difficult it was to find each one.
You check the 4 item about prepared files.
• File Found (yes/no)
• File Recovery Difficulty Level
• Text in File
• File Treatment

13. Analyzing Data
You write the table from data. By the file recovery
difficulty levels.
You check the 2 item.
• Number of Files Found
• Average Difficulty Level

14. Making Conclusions
You need make conclusions from experiment or
data.
• What actions do I need to completely delete a
file?
• How hard do you have trouble finding files?
• When you put the file in the rubbish bin, empty
the rubbish bin, overwrite it, does the amount of
work to read text change?

15. Finally
Thank you for listening.