When I copy/replace a file (picture) where does the replaced file go?

[Windows Central Question]

when i copy/replace a file (picture) where does the replaced file go

moving pictures--they had the same file name--i hit the copy and replace request--but should have used rename--i need to know where the replaced pictures went to?

 

[gpobernardo]

Re: when i copy/replace a file (picture) where does the replaced file go

In general, once you replace a file with another file with the same file name, the older file is effectively deleted (hence the term "replace"). However, depending on the nature of how the device "deleted" the older file, the physical memory address occupied by the original file may still contain the original file... where the newer file was stored on a different set of memory addresses*. Depending again on the type of device you're using, you could try to recover the original file by using a file recovery software.

You may need to create a Windows Central account in order to respond to this thread... and provide us with more details (such as what device you were referring to).

*- The topic on how digital devices access and assign memory addresses is a separate topic on its own.