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unlikemike123 OP t1_iy3imhn wrote

Reply to comment by GoodTodd1970 in eli5 How is computer memory deleted? by unlikemike123

Oooh that's how they work, cool!

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snozzberrypatch t1_iy3r50b wrote

There isn't really any such thing as "deleting" memory so that it becomes "empty". Individual memory locations can either be a 0 or a 1 at all times, there are no other options. You could write all zeros into the memory but that's still data. There is no way to "clear" a memory location such that it's neither a 0 nor a 1. That's why it's most efficient to delete a file by just freeing up those memory locations but not actually overwriting them, unless you're concerned about Russian spies getting your hard drive and restoring deleted data.

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unlikemike123 OP t1_iy3ympg wrote

I am very concerned about Putin seeing my endless lists of goals that are never achieved tbh, he's a harsh critic

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