Introduction
O&O SafeErase erases data so that it cannot be recovered: individual files and folders, browser and Windows traces, the free space of a drive, entire drives and, in Fortress Mode, the entire PC including Windows. Reports with a signed erasure record document the result.
Deleting a file in Windows or emptying the Recycle Bin does not remove its contents; recovery programs can often restore them. This matters most when you sell, return or dispose of a PC or a drive, but also for confidential documents in everyday use. How secure erasure works explains the background.
O&O SafeErase overwrites data irrecoverably. Back up everything you still need to another drive before you start an erasure.
Where to start
| You want to … | Read |
|---|---|
| Try O&O SafeErase with a test file | Erase the first file |
| Erase confidential files or folders | Erase files and folders |
| Remove remnants of files you deleted earlier | Clean free space |
| Remove browser history, cookies and temporary files | Erase browser and Windows traces |
| Erase a USB stick or a second disk completely | Erase drives and partitions |
| Prepare a PC for sale or disposal | Erase the entire PC |
| Prove an erasure | Verify an erasure record |
| Erase data in scripts | Command line |
License
O&O SafeErase is commercial software. You can try it during the trial period; continued use requires a valid license. Erasing drives and partitions and Fortress Mode are not available in the trial version. See Install and activate.
About this help
This help describes O&O SafeErase 22. The screenshots show the program in the language of the page. The names of buttons and options are printed in bold as they appear in the program.