when you empty the recycle bin are the files gone forever?

[rpzero]

I accidentally put something in the recycled bin and someone emptied it. Is there anyway to recover it? It's a word file.

I heard that when you empty the recycle bin, the files are not permanently deleted. If this is true, does it just stay hidden? And how long would it take for it to completely disappear?

 

[RDMustang1]

There are programs that can recover files to an extent, but for the most part yes, they are gone..
I spent about 120 hours on a programming assignment when all of a sudden MS Visual C++ closed and the file was gone (still don't know what caused it)... Tried for another 6 hours to get it back, and then had to redo the entire thing

 

[zimu]

try using norton unerase.
or undelete which is a DOS application.

 

[iamwiz82]

the file's still technically on the HDD, unless it has been over written. A file on an HDD has a certain space, this space is protected by the drive itself. When a file is "deleted" its space on the HDD is allowed to be written over. So your file is there until you install something which will overwrite it.

 

[TomC25]

I think it is still there unless your drive has written over the part where it was, and it has to do that many times for it to be completely gone. I think you could use some sort of recovery application to get it back if you have not defragged.

 

[rpzero]

RDMustang, that really sucks. I feel for you. If something like that happen to me I would've probably thrown the computer out the window for real!

Oh wellz, whatever, the file is not that important anyways. It's just an old paper I wrote that I got a good grade on and I really like. I still a paper copy of it somewhere.

Thanks guys.

Just out of curiosity, is there some program you can use to permamently delete a file so that it becomes impossible to be recovered?

 

[TomC25]

Sorry, I dont know the name of it, but I heard there is a program that will write over a file 7 times with junk to make sure it can't be recoverd.

So, its out there, but you will need someone else to name the program.