FAQ

Partially, yes. Overwriting a hard drive does not instantly destroy all data. Several mechanisms allow for partial recovery:

• Partially overwritten files — if only the header or end of a file has been overwritten, the rest can often be reconstructed
• File carving — a forensic technique that searches for file signatures (magic bytes) directly in the raw sectors, regardless of the file system. Effective even after reformatting.
• Spare sectors and HPA zones — some drives keep copies in areas inaccessible during normal use
• Magnetic remanence — on older HDDs, traces of previous writes can sometimes be detected with specialized equipment

A secure overwrite with multiple passes (DoD 5220.22-M or Gutmann standard) makes recovery practically impossible. A simple quick format or a standard deletion is not enough.

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