Wikipedia

Overwriting (computer science)

Also found in: Dictionary, Financial, Acronyms, Encyclopedia.
(redirected from overwrite)

In computer data storage, overwriting is the process of replacing old information with new information.[1] Overwriting generally occurs when unused file system clusters are written upon with new data, though overwriting is also used in security algorithms. These algorithms use a precise set of rules to remove any part of original data from the memory by writing new raw data on the memory. Data that has been overwritten, even just once, is generally considered to be unrecoverable.

Footnotes

  1. ^ "What is overwrite?". Computer Hope. Retrieved 5 September 2016.


This article is copied from an article on Wikipedia® - the free encyclopedia created and edited by its online user community. The text was not checked or edited by anyone on our staff. Although the vast majority of Wikipedia® encyclopedia articles provide accurate and timely information, please do not assume the accuracy of any particular article. This article is distributed under the terms of GNU Free Documentation License.

Copyright © 2003-2025 Farlex, Inc Disclaimer
All content on this website, including dictionary, thesaurus, literature, geography, and other reference data is for informational purposes only. This information should not be considered complete, up to date, and is not intended to be used in place of a visit, consultation, or advice of a legal, medical, or any other professional.