How do Windows API file functions still have access to deleted files?

I deleted some files (only data and text files, no dlls nor exes) from my application installed in the Program Files folder in Vista. I even removed the deleted files from recycle bin.

But all file functions in Windows API, (e.g. GetFileAttributes, fopen, fread) still have full access to the deleted files. These deleted files can still be read normally as if they were not deleted at all. Under WIndows File Explorer, those deleted files have already gone and there is no way you can get these files from Windows Interface.

I restarted the computer. It is still the same. Very strange thing - only in Vista.

I think you are entangled yourself!

You deleted file from one location, and reading this file from another location!

I cannot believe that I am the only person who has this problem. To prove that I am not entangled by myself, I searched my computer for the deleted files. No result was found.

However, functions in API still have full access to these deleted files!

The problem only exsist in the folder of "Program Files".

I run debug to my application in VS 2005.

Any file functions used in the application will have success to get the deleted files. Here are just a few:

fopen("C:\\Program Files\\3D-Album-CS\\Presentation\\

DeletedFolder\\DeletedFile.vspc","rb");

FindFirstFile

("C:\\Program Files\\3D-Album-CS\\Presentation\\

DeletedFolder\\*",&fdata);

GetFileAttributes

("C:\\Program Files\\3D-Album-CS\\Presentation\\

DeletedFolder\\DeletedFile.vspc");

My application has a file browser. It displays all deleted folders and files as if they were not deleted. Here is what displayed in my browser:

http://www.visviva.com/temp/browser1.jpg

And here is what displayed in WIndows FIle Browser:

http://www.visviva.com/temp/browser2.jpg

Here is a side by side comparison (Deleted folders are in "Presentation"):

http://www.visviva.com/temp/browser3.jpg

I used my application for folders and files already deleted by WIndows. I can still copy and paste these deleted files. But if I use my application to delete the file or the folder, they are truely deleted (to recycle bin).

The way Vista used to delete files seems different from the one used by API functions, and this inconsistency brings a lot of confusions.

Things get more weird. I used my application to delete the folder, it was truely sent to the recycle bin.

I went to Windows Browser. It can undo my deletion, and then redo the deletion. But Windows cannot do undo/redo again. It can only do it once although the right click menu still provide the undo/redo option.

I went back to my application and undid the deletion. Then back to Windows and deleted the folder. This time, WIndows truely deleted the folder.

If the folder or the files were deleted and then restored by my application, then Vista can do the normal deletion. Otherwise, Vista can do the file deletion only recognized by itself.

I am totally confused.

May be, it's a new feature of the System Restore.

Shadow copies of previos versions of files and folders.

Aleksandr Tokarev wrote:

May be, it's a new feature of the System Restore. Shadow copies of previos versions of files and folders.