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Where does a deleted file actually go?

Deleting a file can remove the name your computer uses to find it without immediately erasing every trace of its contents. In Linux, even the moment storage becomes available for reuse depends on links and whether a process still has the file open.

3–7 min

Questions you could explore

  • What would “gone” mean to a user, a running program, and the storage device?

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Computers and AI

Why can a damaged QR code still work?

A scratch or stain does not always stop a QR code from being read. Its stored information includes redundancy, but that does not mean any part of the image can be covered without consequence.

3–5 min
Computers and AI

How does a website name become an internet address?

You remember a website by its name, while the network needs an address for the connection. DNS supplies that translation, sometimes from a saved answer and sometimes by asking other servers.

4–5 min
Computers and AI

Same emoji, different picture

The same emoji can arrive with a different expression or style from the one you saw when sending it. Unicode identifies characters and sequences, while software platforms choose artwork and decide what their versions support.

2–3 min
Where does a deleted file actually go? | Speech Topic | speaking.app