How does Linux's unlink on a NTFS filesystem differs from Window's own implementation?

Posted by DavideRossi on Server Fault See other posts from Server Fault or by DavideRossi
Published on 2011-11-14T08:12:53Z Indexed on 2011/11/14 9:57 UTC
Read the original article Hit count: 168

Filed under:

linux

|

ntfs

|

undelete

I have an external USB disk with an NTFS filesystem on it.

If I remove a file from Windows and I run one of the several "undelete" utilities (say, TestDisk) I can easily recover the file (because "it's still there but it's marked as deleted").

If I remove the file from Linux (I'm using Ubuntu) no utility can recover the file (unless I use a deep-search signature-based one). Why? It looks like Linux does not just "mark it as deleted" but it wipes away some on-disk structure, is this the case?

© Server Fault or respective owner

Related posts about linux

apt-get install and update fail

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I've got a problem with apt-get update and apt-get install ... commands . every time update or installing fails and errors are : Get:1 http://dl.google.com stable Release.gpg [198B] Ign http://dl.google.com/linux/chrome/deb/ stable/main Translation-en_US Get:2 http://dl… >>> More
kernel module compiling error

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
sh@ubuntu:/home/ccpp/helloworld$ make gcc-4.6 -O2 -DMODULE -D_KERNEL_ -W -Wall -Wstrict-prototypes -Wmissing-prototypes -isystem /lib/modules/`uname -r`/build/include -c -o hello-1.o hello-1.c hello-1.c:4:0: warning: "MODULE" redefined [enabled by default] <command-line>:0:0: note: this is… >>> More
Build-Essentials installation failing

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I am having trouble accessing the several critical header files that show to be a part of the build process. The "Ubuntu Software Center" shows "Build Essentials" as installed: Next I did the following two commands, which did not improve the problem: ~$ sudo apt-get install build-essential [sudo]… >>> More
Updating Debian kernel

as seen on Super User - Search for 'Super User'
I'm trying to update my Debian machine to 2.6.32-46 (which is the new stable). However, after doing apt-get update my apt-cache search linux-image shows me: linux-headers-2.6.32-5-486 - Header files for Linux 2.6.32-5-486 linux-headers-2.6.32-5-686-bigmem - Header files for Linux 2.6.32-5-686-bigmem linux-headers-2… >>> More
Serial connection over a single USB cable (Windows to linux, or linux to linux)

as seen on Server Fault - Search for 'Server Fault'
I'm helping out with a project for an embedded device that only has USB and no serial. This device is running Linux. These days, when we need to connect to a serial port on a device we typically use a USB to serial adapter (on something like a phone system or a load balancing device, etc). I would… >>> More

Related posts about ntfs

NTFS and NTFS-3G

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I have a netbook with Ubuntu Netbook 10.04 and a desktop with Mint 10 (~ Ubuntu Desktop 10.10) Both of them have read/write NTFS partitions mounted via /etc/fstab. And it works fine. Ive read on net, google, forums, and several posts here, that NTFS-3G is the driver that allows you to have full… >>> More
NTFS partitions hidden under EXT4 file system / partition...want to recover files from NTFS

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I am new to ubuntu, but very impressed with the system. so one day i tried installing ubuntu 10.10 along with windows in dual boot first place it didnt get installed properly and during second attempt i could do it right but oh...i lost my windows 7 , here is my problem and what i have done till… >>> More
Kernel NTFS driver vs NTFS-3G

as seen on Super User - Search for 'Super User'
A more comprehensive phrased question since I lost access to the other one. I would ask that the other one be deleted, not this one, as it should not have been migrated in the first place. There are currently two NTFS drivers available for Linux. The NTFS driver included in the kernel, and the… >>> More
NTFS partitions hidden under EXT4 file system / partion...want to recover files from NTFS

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
Hi all, I am new to ubuntu, but very impressed with the system. so one day i tried installing ubuntu 10.10 along with windows in dual boot first place it didnt get installed properly and during second attempt i could do it right but oh...i lost my windows 7 , here is my problem and what i have done… >>> More
Can't write to NTFS formatted drives

as seen on Ask Ubuntu - Search for 'Ask Ubuntu'
I'm not sure what has happened, but I've all of a sudden lost write access to any of my NTFS external drives. I installed a few games and apps from the software center, and now I can't make new folders or copy and paste files to anything that is NTFS. Everything is now read only, and I've tried… >>> More