Understand what happens when files are deleted, overwritten, or become inaccessible through a RAW file system. This collection explains file signatures, file carving, metadata-based recovery, and the limits of recoverability. Start with data loss mechanisms, then compare identification methods and examine evidence from controlled recovery experiments.
Data overwriting means writing new information to storage locations that previously held other information, replacing the older contents available at those addresses. It can happen during ordinary file updates, when deleted space is reused, or through deliberate disk wiping. However, replacing a file with another file of the same name does not prove that its […]
Orphaned files are file records or allocated data that a file system can no longer connect to a valid directory path. In NTFS, the problem may involve an MFT record and its parent directory. In FAT32, lost cluster chains consist of allocated clusters without a valid directory reference. Although the symptoms can look similar, the […]