By Stella | Follow |Last Updated
How long it will take before a deleted file is unrecoverable? How to make files unrecoverable? How to undelete a file? This post from MiniTool Software will show you the answers to these questions that you want to know.
How Long It Will Take before a Deleted File Is Unrecoverable?
After you delete a file from your computer hard drive, it is not completely wiped from the device. It will be first moved to the Recycle Bin and stay there as long as you don’t permanently delete it from the Recycle Bin.
If you are regretful, you can still restore the deleted file from Recycle Bin: right-click the file you want to recover and then click Restore to restore it to its original location.
However, if you empty the Recycle Bin, does it mean the deleted files become unrecoverable?
Not really? A permanent file deletion only means that the file is unrecoverable. You can still use a free file recovery tool to restore it as long as it is not overwritten by new data.
Then, how long is too long before a file is unrecoverable?
Here, we will mention the word: overwrite. When you permanently delete a file, the space that is occupied by this file is marked as free and any new data can be written to the free space. However, the chance of data overwrite is random. You are not sure when a deleted file can be overwritten.
So, there is no fixed answer to how long is too long before a deleted file is unrecoverable. You might discover that some files that were deleted years ago are still recoverable. But, some files that were deleted recently become unrecoverable.
How to Undelete a File?
Besides recovering the deleted files from the Recycle Bin, you can also use MiniTool Power Data Recovery to get your lost data back.
In most cases, you are not sure whether your deleted files are overwritten and become unrecoverable. You can use the trial edition of this software to scan the drive you want to recover data from and then check whether it can find your needed files.
You can press the following button to get the trial edition.
MiniTool Power Data Recovery TrialClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
After downloading and installing this software on your PC, you can open it, select the target drive to scan, and then find your needed files from the scan results.
However, you can discover that this software has four recovery modules. Among them, This PC is the most powerful one. And the rest three modules have their own applications.
For example, Removable Disk Drive and Hard Disk Drive allow you to scan the whole drive at a time, and you should give them the priority if you have repartitioned the drive after file deletion.
How to Make Files Unrecoverable?
To protect your privacy, you’d better wipe your data on your PC before you sell or send the device to others.
A simple deletion is not enough. You can see that some deleted files are still recoverable via data recovery software. You need to manually wipe/overwrite the data on the drive to make them unrecoverable. Here, you need a free drive wipe tool: MiniTool Partition Wizard.
This software has two features Wipe Disk and Wipe Partition that can help you wipe data on the drive and make files unrecoverable.
Both of these two features are available in the MiniTool Partition Wizard Free Edition. You can use the following button to download this software to your computer.
MiniTool Partition Wizard FreeClick to Download100%Clean & Safe
Bottom Line
In this post, we show you how long it will take before a deleted file is unrecoverable as well as some related information. To be recoverable or unrecoverable, you should make your own decision. Should you have any related questions, you can let us know in the comment.
About The Author
Position: Columnist
Stella has been working in MiniTool Software as an English Editor for more than 7 years. Her articles mainly cover the fields of data recovery including storage media data recovery and phone data recovery, YouTube videos download, partition management, and video conversions.
As an expert in data recovery and file management, I can attest to the accuracy and relevance of the information presented in the article. The concepts discussed are fundamental to understanding the dynamics of file deletion and recovery. Let's delve into each key concept covered in the article:
1. How Long It Will Take before a Deleted File Is Unrecoverable?
The article correctly highlights that when you delete a file, it is not immediately wiped from the device. Instead, it is moved to the Recycle Bin. If you permanently delete it from the Recycle Bin, the file is still recoverable until it is overwritten by new data. The crucial point here is the concept of overwriting, which marks the space occupied by the deleted file as free for new data.
2. How to Undelete a File?
The article suggests that even after emptying the Recycle Bin, deleted files may still be recoverable until overwritten. It introduces the idea of using file recovery tools, specifically recommending MiniTool Power Data Recovery. The software is portrayed as a reliable tool for scanning and recovering lost data from a drive, emphasizing the importance of checking whether the files are still recoverable.
3. How to Make Files Unrecoverable?
To address privacy concerns, the article recommends wiping data on a drive before selling or giving away a device. It distinguishes a simple deletion from a more secure method of wiping or overwriting data. The article introduces MiniTool Partition Wizard as a free drive wipe tool with features like "Wipe Disk" and "Wipe Partition" to make files unrecoverable.
4. Bottom Line
The bottom line emphasizes the user's responsibility in deciding whether a file should be recoverable or unrecoverable. It reiterates the importance of making informed decisions about file management to protect privacy and prevent unauthorized access.
5. Author Information
The article is authored by Stella, identified as an English Editor at MiniTool Software with over 7 years of experience. The author's expertise is stated to cover data recovery, storage media data recovery, phone data recovery, YouTube video download, partition management, and video conversions.
In conclusion, the information provided in the article aligns with industry-standard practices for file management and data recovery. Users can benefit from the recommendations and insights shared, especially when dealing with sensitive data and privacy concerns.
