In one embodiment, a device in a network stores an archive image to a storage location of the device. The archive image comprises a plurality of compressed files. For one or more of the files, the device copies a segment of a particular file in the archive image to a segment copy in the storage location of the device and deletes the segment of particular file from the archive image. The device repeats the copying and deleting steps until the particular file has been fully deleted from the archive image. The device reconstitutes the particular file by merging the segment copy with one or more other segment copies associated with the particular file.