Skip to main content

Erase files and folders

Erase individual files or whole folders with all their contents so that they cannot be recovered.

Prerequisites: The files are not open in another program. You have a backup of everything you still need.

  1. On the start page or in the navigation, select Files and folders.
  2. Select Files or Folder and choose the objects. You can also drag them from File Explorer into the list.
  3. Wait until large folders have been added completely. The summary below the list shows the number of items, files and the total size.
  4. Check the list. Use View > Show path and Show type to display more columns. To take an entry off the list, select it and choose Remove; the file itself stays where it is.
  5. Continue to Review erase job.
  6. Check the selection under What and the erase method under How. Under Afterwards, choose whether to Save and sign report and whether to Shut down the computer when done.
  7. Select Delete securely now.

Result: The files are overwritten and deleted. The completion page shows the number of erased items and any warnings; see Monitor and cancel an erasure.

Folders can contain junctions and symbolic links that point to other locations. By default, O&O SafeErase deletes only the link, not the target. If Follow links in folders is turned on in the settings, the targets are erased as well.

Data outside the selection

With Follow links in folders turned on, a link can lead to data outside the selected folder, and this data is erased too. Check the links in the folder before you start.

Even with the setting turned on, O&O SafeErase does not follow links to volume mount points, network locations, drive roots, the Windows and program folders, or user profile folders.

Next steps​