What happens to deleted files on a computer?

When you delete a file, the operating system does not immediately erase the actual data from the storage drive. Instead, it simply removes the file's entry from the directory and marks that space as available for new data. The original data remains on the drive until it gets overwritten by something else. This is why deleted files can often be recovered using data recovery software, as long as the space has not yet been overwritten. On solid-state drives, a feature called TRIM can cause data to be wiped more quickly. To permanently destroy files, users can use secure deletion tools that overwrite the data multiple times, or physically destroy the storage device.