Ubuntu

Recover file from trash

Asked by Mike on 2007-01-05

Hi,

I'm very new to Ubuntu (release 6.10), thus - maybe for lack of skill - I did not find an answer to following question in Ubuntu documentation.

Question is: how to recover a file after having done an "empty trash" operation?

And also (symmetric question): how permanently erase a file in the case one would perform this task?

Thanks!

Question information

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Ubuntu Edit question
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Last query:
2007-01-05
Last reply:
2007-01-10
Alan Pope 🍺🐧🐱 🦄 (popey) said : #1

Short answer is "you can't". The filesystem Ubuntu uses by default is called ext3, Windows uses FAT/FAT32 and/or NTFS. Have a search on your favourite search engine for the words "ext3" and "undelete". You will find comments such as this:-

http://batleth.sapienti-sat.org/projects/FAQs/ext3-faq.html

"Q: How can I recover (undelete) deleted files from my ext3 partition?
Actually, you can't! This is what one of the developers, Andreas Dilger, said about it:

In order to ensure that ext3 can safely resume an unlink after a crash, it actually zeros out the block pointers in the inode, whereas ext2 just marks these blocks as unused in the block bitmaps and marks the inode as "deleted" and leaves the block pointers alone.

Your only hope is to "grep" for parts of your files that have been deleted and hope for the best."

Sorry about that.

Mike (michele-nichelatti) said : #2

Your news weren't good news, after all... Even, THANKS A LOT for you support!I hope to become more and more confident with my Ubuntu in a very short time. Sincerely, Mike> To: <email address hidden>> From: <email address hidden>> Subject: [Support #3063]: Re: Recover file from trash> Date: Fri, 5 Jan 2007 10:00:22 +0000> > Your support request #3063 on Ubuntu changed:> https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+ticket/3063> > Status: Open => Answered> > Alan Pope proposed the following answer:> Short answer is "you can't". The filesystem Ubuntu uses by default is> called ext3, Windows uses FAT/FAT32 and/or NTFS. Have a search on your> favourite search engine for the words "ext3" and "undelete". You will> find comments such as this:-> > http://batleth.sapienti-sat.org/projects/FAQs/ext3-faq.html> > "Q: How can I recover (undelete) deleted files from my ext3 partition?> Actually, you can't! This is what one of the developers, Andreas Dilger, said about it:> > In order to ensure that ext3 can safely resume an unlink after a crash,> it actually zeros out the block pointers in the inode, whereas ext2 just> marks these blocks as unused in the block bitmaps and marks the inode as> "deleted" and leaves the block pointers alone.> > Your only hope is to "grep" for parts of your files that have been> deleted and hope for the best."> > Sorry about that.> > _______________________________________________________________________> If this answers your request, please go to the following page to let us> know that it is solved:> https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+ticket/3063/+confirm?answer_id=0> > If you still need support, you can reply to this email or go to the> following page to enter your feedback:> https://launchpad.net/ubuntu/+ticket/3063

Matthew Flaschen (matthew-flaschen) said : #3

Thus, it is very difficult to recover files this way, but possible to recover parts. To answer your other question about secure deletion, check out the shred command. You can type "man shred" in the console.

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