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Troubleshooting

Find the symptom below and follow the steps. If the problem remains, contact O&O Support.

A function is locked​

Cause: The function requires a license or administrator rights, or it is not available in Fortress Mode. The notice on the locked tile or page names the reason.

Solution:

  1. If the notice offers Restart as administrator, select it.
  2. In the trial version, enter a license to erase drives and use Fortress Mode; see Install and activate.
  3. Erase browser and Windows traces in Windows, not in Fortress Mode.

Free space cannot be cleaned​

Cause: O&O SafeErase does not run as administrator, or all subtasks for free space are turned off.

Solution:

  1. Select Restart as administrator.
  2. If the page shows that deleting free space is turned off, select Open settings and turn on at least one option under Free space.

A file was not erased​

Cause: Another program keeps the file open, or Windows denies access.

Solution:

  1. Open the log of the erasure and read the warning for the file.
  2. Close the program that uses the file. If you do not know which program it is, restart Windows.
  3. Erase the file again.

A browser cannot be closed​

Cause: The browser, or one of its background processes, does not close when O&O SafeErase asks it to.

Solution:

  1. Save your work in the browser and close it yourself.
  2. Check in the Task Manager that no process of the browser is still running.
  3. Select Erase selected traces again.

A browser version is not supported​

Cause: The installed browser version is newer or older than the versions that O&O SafeErase can clean. Its traces are not erased.

Solution: Install the latest update of O&O SafeErase, then select Check again.

A drive was not erased because it has changed​

Cause: A disk was connected or disconnected after the selection, and the disk numbers have changed.

Solution:

  1. Select Refresh.
  2. Select the drive again and check its name, number and capacity.
  3. Start the erasure again.

The erased disk does not appear in File Explorer​

Cause: After a complete erasure, the disk has no partition.

Solution: Initialize the disk and create a partition in Windows Disk Management, or turn on Initialize and format afterwards for the next erasure; see Erase drives and partitions.

Fortress Mode does not start​

Cause: Fortress Mode is not set up, was set up by another version, Windows RE is switched off, or an erasure is still running.

Solution:

  1. Select Erase entire PC and check the Fortress Mode card.
  2. Select Set up Fortress Mode or Rebuild. The setup repairs a switched-off Windows RE.
  3. Wait until running erasures have finished, then select Start Fortress Mode.

The network share cannot be used for the logs​

Cause: There is no network in Fortress Mode (often a missing driver for the network adapter), the server cannot be reached, the credentials are wrong, or the account may not write to the share.

Solution:

  1. Read the message: it names the cause.
  2. Correct the share path, user name or password.
  3. If there is no network, select a USB drive instead.
Logs in memory are lost on restart

If the logs could not be saved, select Save logs… before you switch off or restart the PC; see Save the logs.

A report is missing​

Cause: Automatic saving of reports is turned off, the report folder cannot be written, or a filter hides the report.

Solution:

  1. Under Reports, select Filter > Reset.
  2. Check the report folder and automatic saving under Settings > Reports.

The service and the program do not match​

Cause: The program and the O&O SafeErase service have different versions, for example after an incomplete update.

Solution: Install O&O SafeErase again with the current setup file. Program and service are always installed together.