Today we will discuss the issue of how to delete recovered files from a USB flash drive, because there are cases when the owner of the medium wants to get rid of the information irrevocably and at the same time keep the device itself in working condition.
Introduction
Sometimes users accidentally delete the necessary documents or files. In some cases, they really disappear irrevocably, but you can try to restore them.
Physically, the file occupies a small area on the hard drive or on a USB flash drive. The operating system does not physically erase it from disk after you delete the file. She only marks it as deleted and performs the corresponding operations. A cluster is related sectors with which the system conducts operations as a whole.
A file entry in directories is called a file header. It describes all the attributes, characteristics of a file, and the placement of clusters on disk. One of the operations is to free the clusters that belonged to the file and destroy the information from the file records. After deleting the file, the clusters are considered free. They can be used by other, newly created files. Over time, the previous information is overwritten. But this does not happen instantly.
If a file is deleted, its information does not disappear. Only information about the file is deleted from the allocation table, that is, it is excluded from directories. Therefore, it is impossible to find, cannot be read, viewed. But if you didn’t write anything on top of the file, you can try to restore it. Recovered files are obtained by running a special program that scans file lists by sectors of the hard drive.
Recover accidentally deleted files in Windows
In Windows, there is a system for deleting files in two stages using the recycle bin. At the first stage, all deleted files are placed in the trash, which can be easily restored or destroyed forever. Data from the recycle bin is easily restored to the specified location. When you delete data from the recycle bin, information is lost forever.
Recovered files from a flash drive
A flash drive is the most convenient and useful device in the computer world. With its help, you can instantly transfer the necessary data from one computer to another without using any special programs.
A typical user uses a USB flash drive to store photos, letters, copies of information or the necessary documents. If you deleted files accidentally and want to restore them, then you don’t need to write anything to the USB flash drive, you cannot create folders or delete anything. The more operations you performed with a flash drive, the less likely you are to recover files.
When deleted, the file itself does not disappear, only information about the file is removed from the file table on the USB flash drive. This rule applies equally to information stored on both the hard drive and flash drives. Nothing is deleted immediately, new information is only written to the old.
Special software
Recovered files from a USB flash drive can be obtained using deleted data recovery programs. They can help recover a deleted file, in whole or in part, if another file has already been written to its place.
There are three ways to restore files that were deleted on a USB flash drive.
Antivirus software
Uncheck the option “Hide protected files and folders” in the folder settings. Activate "Show hidden folders files and drives." Next, open the “Computer” folder, and in it - a USB flash drive. Install the anti-virus program for the flash drive, which will instantly restore all hidden files and folders on the flash drive. This information will again be available to users.
Data Recovery Using Recuva
Open the Recuva program. Select the files you want to recover, select the USB flash drive. The program scans the USB flash drive, detects the presence of deleted files. After the scan is completed, check off which files we want to restore, and do this.
PhotoRec program searches for information regardless of the disk file system, scans each sector of memory to recover a deleted file.
Delete recovered files
Any information can be erased by accident or on purpose.
Next, we will talk about how to delete recovered files from a USB flash drive. Erasing restored or source files can be done exactly the same. There is no difference between these files, and nowhere is there a note that the file was restored. If you take a file created long ago, then it will not be indicated anywhere whether the original information contained in it was corrected or not, the file was restored or not. Therefore, we will continue to use the expression “delete recovered files from a flash drive”, while remembering that the system does not care whether it is a recovered file or a source file. The main thing is that it is readable, and you can easily work with it: overwrite, copy, etc.
It does not matter where the file is located - on the hard drive or on a USB flash drive. The “Delete” function can be applied to any type of file or folder that are on a USB flash drive.
How to delete recovered files from flash drive: pitfalls
Just deleting a file or folder is easy, this is done using the properties of the Windows system.
Sometimes a user wants to delete information so that no one can ever restore it. There are three ways to delete recovered files on a USB flash drive.
The first way is mechanical. The device from which information must be removed is mechanically damaged. Because of them, the flash drive cannot be restored.
The second method is called hardware. The device is exposed to a magnetic field.
The third way is software. This method of deleting information will be considered in more detail.
Let's start with how to delete recovered files from a flash drive using the Recuva program. First you need to delete unnecessary information using the properties of the Windows system. To do this, select the files, and then use the key combination Shift + Del. In this situation, the Shift button is needed so that the files are not temporarily placed in the trash.
After manipulations using the Recuva program, we look for deleted files. In the window that appears, click on the link "Go to advanced mode", then we turn to the "Settings" folder.
Here we need the button "Secure removal". You need to select a large number of rewrite cycles. The larger this number, the higher the likelihood that data recovery will not be possible.
You can check how well the information is deleted if you take the same program, but do the file recovery. If we get information that this is impossible, then everything is done correctly.
There are many programs with which you can permanently delete any file.
Delete recovered files with Eraser
This is a free program, so it is in demand. The principle of its operation is to repeatedly erase and record various information. It will allow you to permanently delete recovered files from a flash drive, as well as any folders and source files. This program has a clear and accessible interface, and it is easy to use.
Freeraser is another free program that allows you to delete recovered files on a USB flash drive. It has a high degree of reliability, so many users choose it. In this program, there are 3 degrees of data erasure: reliable, fast and uncompromising. And in the latter version, the program cyclically, sequentially erases and rewrites the information. And it will finish the work only if you yourself manually stop this process.
After the program is fully installed, a shortcut with the image of the basket will appear on the desktop. All files are moved to this very basket. You can delete files completely after confirming this action.
If you urgently need to get rid of the information, but there are no programs at hand, then there is a simple way to delete recovered files on a USB flash drive. Erase information, then write something else. Again, delete the files and write something, and so several times. Thus, you have erased the information permanently. After that, you can be sure that you have secured yourself from crackers who may be interested in your classified information.
Sometimes a user transfers his computer to another person and does not want his information to be available to anyone. Then all of the above methods of deleting files can be successfully used.