Relay-Version: version B 2.10 5/3/83; site utzoo.UUCP Posting-Version: version B 2.10.2 9/18/84; site utastro.UUCP Path: utzoo!linus!philabs!cmcl2!seismo!ut-sally!utastro!nather From: nather@utastro.UUCP (Ed Nather) Newsgroups: net.micro.pc Subject: Re: Norton utilities question Message-ID: <343@utastro.UUCP> Date: Fri, 12-Jul-85 14:25:53 EDT Article-I.D.: utastro.343 Posted: Fri Jul 12 14:25:53 1985 Date-Received: Tue, 16-Jul-85 03:40:19 EDT References: <5507@tekecs.UUCP> Distribution: net Organization: U. Texas, Astronomy, Austin, TX Lines: 27 > One of the Norton utilities claims to be able to recover > deleted files. Does it actually do this? If so, how? > Can anyone share experiences with actually recovering files? > > Glen McCluskey > ..tektronix!tekecs!glenm When you ask MS-DOS to delete a file it marks the first byte of the file with a code that means "available for use as new storage" but otherwise leaves it alone. The Norton utility examines all files for that code, and displays the original filename except for substituting "?" for the first byte, and asks you if you want to try to salvage it. If you do, and the file is still intact, it can be restored. Note, however, that a deleted file has become a prime candidate for being overwritten; if you delete a file and then write to that disk, it is very likely the old file will be overwritten, and thus be sent to Byte Heaven. I understand DOS 3 is smarter about this than DOS 2, which finds joy in overwriting as soon as it can. DOS 3 waits until all other storage is exhausted before reclaiming file space from deletions, so you have a better chance -- but no guarantee -- of successful restoration. -- Ed Nather Astronomy Dept, U of Texas @ Austin {allegra,ihnp4}!{noao,ut-sally}!utastro!nather nather%utastro.UTEXAS@ut-sally.ARPA