Restoring deleted books

dvd2000 · 09-30-2015, 02:58 PM

I would like to share with you a little experience that I had today with my kindle.
I don't know if someone has already done this (I searched on the forum but I didn't find nothing): today I accidentally deleted a book from my kindle; connecting the kindle to the computer I found the .fuse_hiddenXXXXXXXXXX file (the X's represents some numbers) in the documents directory and I renamed it with the book title (but it will work just with any name you give it) and with the original extension of the book (.azw3); the ebook reappeared on the kindle and it worked without any problem. I thought it could be useful to share this hack on this forum: maybe it will help someone.
Do you think this could be a good method to restore deleted file on a Kindle? Has someone already done this?
I would like to know what exactly is the .fuse_hidenXXXXXX file. I know that it is created when you delete an item but some process still need it, but is it created every time you delete something or just sometime? Is it a temporary file?

eschwartz · 09-30-2015, 03:44 PM

It is a temporary file created if a file cannot be immediately deleted -- and an artifact of FUSE caching. If the file still exists you might be able to restore deleted stuff, but it isn't terribly reliable.

knc1 · 09-30-2015, 04:50 PM

That is an artifact of the fuse work-around for the fact that a file under a MS-Dos file system can not be deleted (more properly: unlinked) while open (in-use).

Other than /mnt/base-us and its shadow /mnt/us, the rest of the file system tree is on a file system that does allow the directory entry to be unlinked (deleted) from the data storage while open.
The file system will do the actual 'removal' (add the storage space to the free space) when the use count reaches zero.

Any un-delete file utility is probably more reliable.

People have been un-deleting files from ms-dos storage since 1981 and some of the utilities have been around nearly that long.

It is a good thing these Kindles are grayscale - otherwise lab126 probably would have tried to emulate the BSD also.

dvd2000 · 10-01-2015, 02:08 AM

Thank you for your replies.
Ok, so If I understood correctly, my method won't work everytime.
Thanks knc1 for your explanation. So when I delete a file directly from the kindle it won't be actually deleted but it will just be hidden, creating a fuse_hidden, correct?

eschwartz · 10-01-2015, 02:47 AM

Sometimes, yes.

I would suggest instead you rely on NOT deleting things you want to keep.

Or backing up your purchases...

dvd2000 · 10-01-2015, 03:24 AM

Quote:

Originally Posted by eschwartz

Sometimes, yes.

I would suggest instead you rely on NOT deleting things you want to keep.

Or backing up your purchases...

Obviously i will try to avoid deleting books. But in this case it was a mistake and it was a free ebook that I've copied on my kindle from the computer.

09-30-2015, 02:58 PM	#1
dvd2000 Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2015 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2	Restoring deleted books I would like to share with you a little experience that I had today with my kindle. I don't know if someone has already done this (I searched on the forum but I didn't find nothing): today I accidentally deleted a book from my kindle; connecting the kindle to the computer I found the .fuse_hiddenXXXXXXXXXX file (the X's represents some numbers) in the documents directory and I renamed it with the book title (but it will work just with any name you give it) and with the original extension of the book (.azw3); the ebook reappeared on the kindle and it worked without any problem. I thought it could be useful to share this hack on this forum: maybe it will help someone. Do you think this could be a good method to restore deleted file on a Kindle? Has someone already done this? I would like to know what exactly is the .fuse_hidenXXXXXX file. I know that it is created when you delete an item but some process still need it, but is it created every time you delete something or just sometime? Is it a temporary file?

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09-30-2015, 03:44 PM	#2
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	It is a temporary file created if a file cannot be immediately deleted -- and an artifact of FUSE caching. If the file still exists you might be able to restore deleted stuff, but it isn't terribly reliable.

09-30-2015, 04:50 PM	#3
knc1 Going Viral Posts: 17,212 Karma: 18210809 Join Date: Feb 2012 Location: Central Texas Device: No K1, PW2, KV, KOA	That is an artifact of the fuse work-around for the fact that a file under a MS-Dos file system can not be deleted (more properly: unlinked) while open (in-use). Other than /mnt/base-us and its shadow /mnt/us, the rest of the file system tree is on a file system that does allow the directory entry to be unlinked (deleted) from the data storage while open. The file system will do the actual 'removal' (add the storage space to the free space) when the use count reaches zero. Any un-delete file utility is probably more reliable. People have been un-deleting files from ms-dos storage since 1981 and some of the utilities have been around nearly that long. It is a good thing these Kindles are grayscale - otherwise lab126 probably would have tried to emulate the BSD also.

10-01-2015, 02:08 AM	#4
dvd2000 Junior Member Posts: 3 Karma: 10 Join Date: Sep 2015 Device: Kindle Paperwhite 2	Thank you for your replies. Ok, so If I understood correctly, my method won't work everytime. Thanks knc1 for your explanation. So when I delete a file directly from the kindle it won't be actually deleted but it will just be hidden, creating a fuse_hidden, correct?

10-01-2015, 02:47 AM	#5
eschwartz Ex-Helpdesk Junkie Posts: 19,421 Karma: 85400180 Join Date: Nov 2012 Location: The Beaten Path, USA, Roundworld, This Side of Infinity Device: Kindle Touch fw5.3.7 (Wifi only)	Sometimes, yes. I would suggest instead you rely on NOT deleting things you want to keep. Or backing up your purchases...