Delete and restore deleted files from USB-drive or an external SSD-drive

There is a common point of view, it is impossible to recover the data on the SSD, it can be done only on a conventional hard drive. But this applies only to embedded media. The files on the USB-flash drives and external solid state drives (SSD) to be restored, which is often perceived as a vulnerability in the protection of personal information.

But, on the other hand, it's good. These devices can recover accidentally deleted files, that, by itself, is a nice feature. On the other hand, it can take advantage of outsiders to gain access to confidential information.

Why can not recover deleted files from the internal SSD

The reason why the files can be restored to normal hard disk built into the computer, it is very simple. When you delete a file from the disc, it by and large is not removed. These data remains on the hard drive, the system simply marked as deleted. The operating system stores the information until such time as it does not need more disk space to store other data.

For the operating system makes no sense to instantly clean the sector, as it will make the file deletion process is more time-consuming. A data entry previously used sector takes the same time as recording information in an empty sector. Due to the large number of deleted data, data recovery software can scan hard disk for unencumbered space and restore information that is not overwritten.

SSD-drives work differently. Before any data can be written in the flash memory cell, such a cell previously cleared. The new drives are initially empty, and writing them takes place as quickly as possible. On the disk filled with a variety of remote recording process of the files is slower, because each cell has to be cleaned before it to be recorded. This means that over time, SSD-drive will become slower. To avoid this, it was introduced TRIM.

When the operating system deletes files with the built-in the SSD, it refers to the TRIM command, and that instantly deletes the data sector. This speeds up the writing process in the future and makes data recovery on the disc is almost impossible.

TRIM only works with built-in wheels

Thus, it is believed that it is impossible to restore files on SSD-drive. But this is not the case, because there is one very important thing: TRIM is supported only built-in (internal) drives. It is not supported by USB or FireWire. In other words, when you delete a file from a flash drive, the SSD external, SD-memory card or a solid state drive of another type, the system simply marks it as a remote and it can be restored.

This means that on any external drives, you can recover the data in the same way as a conventional HDD-drive. In fact, these vehicles even more vulnerable than the usual built-in HDD, - they are easier to steal. They can be somewhere leave, lend or lose.

Try it yourself

You can try it yourself. Take a USB flash drive, connect it to your computer and copy files to it. Delete these files and run the program to recover deleted data. Scan it with the help of your USB flash drive, and the program will see all deleted files and offer them to recover.

Quick format will not help

But what about formatting? Format the USB flash drive, and did not recover! After formatting will erase all the files on the media, creating a new file system.

To test this, to format our stick using the default quick format. Yes, indeed, with a quick scan Hetman Partition Recovery I could not detect the deleted files. But a deeper full analysis could detect a large number of deleted files that were on the flash drive to its format.

Remove the check mark from the quick format and format again. After that, the program is difficult to find deleted files.

How to make sure that deleted files can no longer be restored

You can use these solutions to encrypt as TrueCrypt, microsoft BitLocker, Built-in tool mac OS or Linux. Then nobody will be able to recover deleted files without the key, and it will protect all the files on the media, including deleted.

But this is only important if the vehicle is used for storing important data. If this flash drive to listen to music in the car, then, of course, it is not necessary to encrypt.

TRIM - a feature that helps to get maximum performance from the built-in SSD. However, it is not a security tool. Many people think that it ensures permanently removes data from any solid support. This is not so - it is possible to restore the data on any external drive. Be sure to take this into account when removing confidential or important data simply.