Can deleted files from an SSD disk still be recovered?

[needanswer01]

Greetings,

I got a laptop with a SSD disk (120 gb) inside of it. I deleted some files on it (let's call them 'X') and have been using it for the past 6 months, reaching states of almost entirely full capacity, deleting and moving stuff in order to keep on working on the laptop.

What interests me now is this - Can the files 'X' still on it be seen or recovered? Someone told me that SSD disks do not save deleted data like HDD's do so that once something is deleted it is not recoverable.

If that however is not true, I'd like to make sure that the 'X' files are not recoverable. I assume that formatting alone will not be enough, that I will have to encrypt or load it with random data.

How do I do that? What tools do I use?

After that is done, should I format everything as well?

 

[USAFRet]

If you want it gone...whatever Secure Erase the manufacturer gives will do the trick.

 

[needanswer01]

If you want it gone...whatever Secure Erase the manufacturer gives will do the trick.

On reddit I have been told to use a "TRIM operation".
On other sources I found that using tools to bombard the SSD with random bits and pieces might do the trick.

Can you elaborate on this?

 

[USAFRet]

If you want it gone...whatever Secure Erase the manufacturer gives will do the trick.

On reddit I have been told to use a "TRIM operation".
On other sources I found that using tools to bombard the SSD with random bits and pieces might do the trick.

Can you elaborate on this?

TRIM is not what you're looking for. That is basic SSD garbage cleanup.
'random bits'?

Secure Erase:
Samsung: https://www.disk-partition.com/ssd-management/samsung-ssd-secure-erase-4348.html
Kingston: https://www.kingston.com/us/community/articledetail/articleid/29539
SanDisk: https://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/16678/~/secure-erase-and-sanitize


1. What make/model drive is this?
2. What is your concern with the possibility of data retrieval? Is this a system and drive you're keeping? Or something you're selling?

 

[needanswer01]

If you want it gone...whatever Secure Erase the manufacturer gives will do the trick.

On reddit I have been told to use a "TRIM operation".
On other sources I found that using tools to bombard the SSD with random bits and pieces might do the trick.

Can you elaborate on this?

TRIM is not what you're looking for. That is basic SSD garbage cleanup.
'random bits'?

Secure Erase:
Samsung: https://www.disk-partition.com/ssd-management/samsung-ssd-secure-erase-4348.html
Kingston: https://www.kingston.com/us/community/articledetail/articleid/29539
SanDisk: https://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/16678/~/secure-erase-and-sanitize


1. What make/model drive is this?
2. What is your concern with the possibility of data retrieval? Is this a system and drive you're keeping? Or something you're selling?

The disk is SanDisk SD8SNAT-128GB.

I had some documents opened up on the laptop and I deleted them afterwards, but want to make sure that they can't be recovered by any means necessary, nor that it cant be figured out that those files were ever on the disk / opened on the disk. It is not for sale, no.

 

[USAFRet]

If you want it gone...whatever Secure Erase the manufacturer gives will do the trick.

On reddit I have been told to use a "TRIM operation".
On other sources I found that using tools to bombard the SSD with random bits and pieces might do the trick.

Can you elaborate on this?

TRIM is not what you're looking for. That is basic SSD garbage cleanup.
'random bits'?

Secure Erase:
Samsung: https://www.disk-partition.com/ssd-management/samsung-ssd-secure-erase-4348.html
Kingston: https://www.kingston.com/us/community/articledetail/articleid/29539
SanDisk: https://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/16678/~/secure-erase-and-sanitize


1. What make/model drive is this?
2. What is your concern with the possibility of data retrieval? Is this a system and drive you're keeping? Or something you're selling?

The disk is SanDisk SD8SNAT-128GB.

I had some documents opened up on the laptop and I deleted them afterwards, but want to make sure that they can't be recovered by any means necessary, nor that it cant be figured out that those files were ever on the disk / opened on the disk. It is not for sale, no.

2 levels of absolute security.
1. Secure Erase. This, of course, involves a full reinstall of everything.

2. Run it through a shredder. A physical shredder.
This involves buying a new drive, in addition to a full reinstall.

Unless you are a target of the NSA or DoD (or your local equivalent), what you've done and are doing is fine.

 

[needanswer01]

If you want it gone...whatever Secure Erase the manufacturer gives will do the trick.

On reddit I have been told to use a "TRIM operation".
On other sources I found that using tools to bombard the SSD with random bits and pieces might do the trick.

Can you elaborate on this?

TRIM is not what you're looking for. That is basic SSD garbage cleanup.
'random bits'?

Secure Erase:
Samsung: https://www.disk-partition.com/ssd-management/samsung-ssd-secure-erase-4348.html
Kingston: https://www.kingston.com/us/community/articledetail/articleid/29539
SanDisk: https://kb.sandisk.com/app/answers/detail/a_id/16678/~/secure-erase-and-sanitize


1. What make/model drive is this?
2. What is your concern with the possibility of data retrieval? Is this a system and drive you're keeping? Or something you're selling?

The disk is SanDisk SD8SNAT-128GB.

I had some documents opened up on the laptop and I deleted them afterwards, but want to make sure that they can't be recovered by any means necessary, nor that it cant be figured out that those files were ever on the disk / opened on the disk. It is not for sale, no.

2 levels of absolute security.
1. Secure Erase. This, of course, involves a full reinstall of everything.

2. Run it through a shredder. A physical shredder.
This involves buying a new drive, in addition to a full reinstall.

Unless you are a target of the NSA or DoD (or your local equivalent), what you've done and are doing is fine.

Haha, don't worry far from it, it's nothing like that. It is harmless, rather silly to be honest, but still, I don't want any trace of it left anywhere. I'll give the erase method a try then