O&O SafeErase Review

What O&O SafeErase Is

O&O SafeErase wipes files, free space, or entire drives. It provides a deletion certificate, detailing the method used, what was wiped, and when.

When you delete in Windows, data remains on the drive until it's overwritten. Recovery tools can retrieve it weeks or months later if sectors aren't reused. Secure deletion works by overwriting sectors with random data, zeros, or patterns, then marking the space as free. SafeErase performs secure deletion using various methods, including DoD 5220.22-M, Gutmann, and Random data.

Why Standard Deletion Isn't Enough

When you delete a file in Windows, it's not really gone. The space it occupied is marked as available for new data, but the file's contents remain on the disk. This leaves a window of opportunity for recovery tools to find and restore the data, as long as the sectors haven't been reused.

Secure deletion takes a different approach. It overwrites the sectors with new data before marking the space as free. The original data is truly erased.

SafeErase offers several deletion methods. These include fast erase, DoD 5220.22-M, and Gutmann methods. Users have flexibility when it comes to securely deleting files.

Deletion Standards Supported

SafeErase supports multiple deletion standards. The options include One-Pass Zeros, One-Pass Random, which are fast and good enough for most business needs. The US Defense Department spec, DoD 5220.22-M, involves three or seven passes and often appears in court documents. The BSI / VSITR, a standard from the German security agency, requires seven passes. The Gutmann method involves 35 passes, which is more than needed for classified data. For solid-state drives, SafeErase uses SSD-optimized wipes that work with SSD makers' secure erase commands, as traditional wipes are not suitable.

Use Cases for Investigators

When you're done with a device, it's not just a matter of tossing it. Decommissioning operational devices requires wiping the drive to a DoD standard. SafeErase provides a deletion certificate for liability purposes.

Before selling or donating, you must ensure no operational data remains. Use SafeErase's file and folder wipe, which includes an audit trail.

Regularly wiping free space on a working machine eliminates recoverable remnants of previously deleted files, without disrupting current data. Operators can't afford to leave a trail.

Bootable Environment

SafeErase comes with a WinPE bootable environment, which lets you wipe the active system drive without booting into Windows from that drive. You need this for complete sanitization of your primary disk.

Deletion Certificate

SafeErase generates a PDF certificate after each wipe. It documents what's been erased—the drive or specific files—along with the deletion standard used, date, time, and a unique identifier. This has been rephrased to: SafeErase generates a PDF certificate after each wipe. It documents what's been erased, the drive or specific files, along with the deletion standard used, date, time, and a unique identifier.

SafeErase generates a PDF certificate after each wipe. It documents what's been erased, the drive or specific files, along with the deletion standard used, date, time, and a unique identifier. This certificate provides a paper trail for situations where proof of secure deletion is required.

What SafeErase Doesn't Do

SafeErase doesn't recover data; that's what O&O DiskRecovery does. It also doesn't create forensic images or analyze data. And it treats encrypted drives the same way as unencrypted ones; encryption tackles the problem through a different approach.

Related O&O Tools

O&O's toolkit for investigators includes a few key pieces: O&O DiskRecovery, which pulls files back from damaged drives, and works hand-in-hand with SafeErase. O&O DiskImage makes forensic images of drives before wiping. O&O PowerPack is a bundle of O&O's top utilities, including O&O DiskRecovery, O&O DiskImage, and SafeErase.

Pricing

The Workstation license covers a single business machine. That's it. For teams or agencies, you'll need volume or Server licenses, depending on your scale.

Verdict

O&O SafeErase is a tool for investigators requiring documented, certified device sanitization. It provides a deletion certificate and supports multiple standards, and SSD support. It only works on Windows.

For those on macOS, options include the built-in Disk Utility's secure erase feature. You can also use open-source tools like shred via Terminal.

See Also

Best Privacy Tools for Investigators