How to Prevent Deleted Files From Being Recovered

Destroying the platter of a hard drive will ensure no data can be recovered from it.

Windows 7 users have one of two reactions when a file is deleted. Either they are desperate for a way to bring it back or satisfied that the data is gone. There are ways to recover deleted data. Family photos can be brought back from oblivion, but some files are meant to stay dead for security and privacy reasons. There are several methods for preventing deleted files from being recovered, and they range from simply bypassing the usual method of recovery to complete destruction.

Things You'll Need

• Hammer
• Screwdriver
• Trash bag
• Windows 7

Instructions

1. Click the Windows key to open the Start menu. Enter "recycle" into the "Search programs and files" field, then click "Show or hide common icons on the desktop" to open the Desktop Icon Settings window. Select "Recycle Bin" under "Desktop Icons" then click "Apply" to make the Recycle Bin appear on the desktop. The Windows 7 installation hides the Recycle Bin by default.

2. Select a file, then press the Delete key. Click "Yes" in the Delete File window to send the file to the Recycle Bin. The Recycle Bin is the first place to look for deleted files that can be recovered in Windows 7. Right-click the Recycle Bin, click "Empty Recycle Bin," then click "Yes" in the Delete File window. If there are multiple files in the Recycle Bin, click "Yes" in the Delete Multiple Items window.

3. Delete a file, then save new files to its directory. When a file is deleted, traces of it remain on the hard drive. By saving new data to the directory where the deleted file was stored, the deleted file is overwritten with new data. An overwritten file cannot be recovered through standard means.

4. Open the Start menu then enter "computer" into the "Search programs and files" field. Click "Computer Management" to open the Computer Management window. Click "Disk Management" in the left panel. Right-click the hard drive on which the deleted file was stored. Click "Format" to begin the process of wiping all data from the hard drive. Uncheck "Perform a quick format," then click "OK." Click "Yes" in the confirmation window to format the hard drive. The format will take a while.

5. Turn off the computer and unplug its power cable. Remove any screws as necessary then open the panels of the desktop case. Unplug the hard drive from the motherboard and remove it. Drop the hard drive into an empty trash bag, wrap the bag up tight, then smash the hard drive with a hammer. Make sure the platter, the disc with a hole, is thoroughly shattered. Sufficient damage to a hard drive will ensure its data can never be recovered.

Tips & Warnings

• Reinstalling Windows 7 will format the hard drive and overwrite data previously stored on the drive.

• Seek out professional shredding services to safely destroy hard drives.

• Wear safety glasses while smashing a hard drive.

• Beware of shrapnel and other hazards when physically destroying a hard drive.

• Damaged hard drives cannot be used again.

• Formatting a hard drive removes all data from it.

References

• Microsoft: Create and format a hard disk partition
• Microsoft: Show or hide the Recycle Bin

Resources

• Systm; Stop Scammers: Nuke, Grind or Melt Your Hard Drive; Patrick Norton and Roger Chang