Dr. Gizmo: Does Windows really delete things?

Files and folders that are put in the Recycle Bin are not deleted at all. They're left right where they are.

technofile
Al Fasoldt's reviews and commentaries, continuously available online since 1983

Dr. Gizmo: Does Windows really delete things?

Jan. 2, 2000

By Dr. Gizmo
Copyright © 2000, Al Fasoldt
Copyright © 2000, The Syracuse Newspapers

   I read a claim from a manufacturer of a utility program "it takes more than your system's delete function to permantly remove files from your hard drive." So, if the files that one deletes with the recycle bin in Windows does not permantly get rid of those files, then where are they stored? And then why, after I delete files as I have done many times in the past, does the unused space on my hard drive go up? If those files are not deleted and are "hiding" somewhere as the ad implies, why does my available remaining drive space not show an increase? -- REM via AOL.
   The doc has wondered aboyut this, too. But let's look at how the Recycle Bin works first.
   Files and folders that are put in the Recycle Bin are not deleted at all. They're left right where they are. The computer simply treats them as if they are gone. They're still there, but they're ignored. You can get any file or folder back by opening the Recycle Bin, right clicking on the item and choosing "Restore."
   When you empty the Recycle Bin, files and folders that are in the trash are still not deleted. They're simply marked for deletion at a future date. (This might seem crazy, but the doc has seen dumber things in his day.) When the computer needs space on the disk, it uses blank areas first. But if it can't find any more blank spots, it uses storage areas occupied by files marked for deletion.
   Files and folders are marked for deletion in the file allocation table, or "FAT." It's an index to all the files and folders, telling where they are and how long they've been there. It's like sign in the lobby of your office building, which has an index to all the offices inside.
   If you forgot to pay your lease and so you're told to vacate your office on the 7th floor, the management would remove your office address from that little sign in the lobby.
   Poof! You are deleted from the office.
   But if you haven't left yet -- if you're disputing the lease terms and you've decided to hang around another week -- of course you're still up there, having a grand time. You're not gone at all.
   If the management finds out you're still around, it might decide to delete you permanently -- by removing you physically. Or it might relent and let you stay, after putting your sign back up. That way, folks looking for your office will find it listed in the index in the lobby.
   Likewise, files that are "deleted" can be found and undeleted until the point where the space they take up is needed by the office management -- er, by the PC management, which is of course the operating system. At that time, they are bounced out, dumped on the street, more or less, so that new files can take up residence.
   Unfortunately, not all methods of counting the available space on a disk use the same formula. The first problem comes from how bytes are counted. Computers count differently from the way the doc counts, but some programs try to humanize the process and just confuse things. (Basically, a megabyte is not 1,000,000 bytes; it's quite a bit more.)
   The second problem stems from a little cheating. Should files that are in the Recycle Bin be counted as taking up space or not? If the management cheats, it can say your office is empty even if you are up there having a party. Likewise, PC software that reports a lot of free disk space just because many files are in the Recycle Bin is cheating, too. Windows doesn't do this itself, but some programs do.
   Dr. Gizmo deletes files from Al Fasoldt's computers. You can send a new trash bin or just a letter to either of them at Stars, Box 4915, Syracuse, NY13221, or send e-mail to afasoldt@twcny.rr.com.