What happens to the files on your computer when you “empty the recycle bin”?
In: Technology
The computer keeps track of the location of every file. So it knows what areas of the hard disk are being used, and what is free to be used for new files.
When you send something to the recycle bin, nothing changes on your hard disk, and the computer will still treat those areas of the hard disk as in use. This is what allows you to easily recover deleted files.
When you empty the recycle bin, nothing happens to those files, not immediately anyway. However, the computer now treats the area of the hard disk where those files are as available for use. So over time, those areas will get overwritten by new stuff.
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