O&O SafeErase Professional 19.3 Build 1052

Overview

If you want to delete every trace of particular files and folders, you can’t rely on Explorer’s delete function due to the simple fact that the deleted data can be undeleted after deletion, using recovery software. O&O SafeErase promises to get rid of any file and stored information in your computer, making their future recovery impossible. There are 6 different deletion methods that you can use, depending on the severity of the situation. The simplest and most common one is to overwrite the selected data with zeros, which is fast and secure.

Installation

The installation package is not big, and the setup procedure is quick and easy. In one of the steps you will be prompted to choose the installation type that best suits your needs. You can choose between Typical, Custom and Complete installation type. In Typical mode the program will be installed with the most common features only, and in Complete mode all of the program’s features will be installed. If you pick Custom it’s up to you to decide which components you want to install. The recommended choice for most users is Typical.

The program can run without problems on any Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, and 8.1 OS. Two editions are available, one for 32-bit systems and one for 64-bit systems.

Interface

Very modern and intuitive user interface. Everything looks nice and well-ordered, with all of the features split into 4 categories: Control center, Deletion lists, Reports and Settings. The Control center is the main area of the program, where you can choose what kind of data you want to delete. At the top is a box from where you can run a scan of your computer’s files, which will then display a list of all the files that represent a security risk. To delete particular files and folders, or whole disks/partitions, you click at the appropriate link below the analysis panel and add the desired files to the deletion list. At the bottom of the Control center are located options regarding temporary files. The Deletion lists category, when clicked, opens a context menu that gives you the ability to add to the deletion list Internet and Windows temporary files, as well as load, save or empty the deletion list. The Reports category gives you an overview of the activities performed with SafeErase, and the Settings category brings you to the configuration screen.

Version 7 adds a complete new GUI for an even better and easier user experience.

Pros

Six deletion methods can be used, and each one is more secure than the other. The one with the lowest security is the method which overwrites data with zeros, but it’s the fastest one. The rest of the deletion methods depend on the number of cycles that the data is overwritten with fixed (or random) values. The lowest security method overwrites deleted data with a random value only one time, and the highest security method performs 35 cycles of overwriting the deleted data with random values.

Data stored in browsers, such as cookies, history and passwords can all be deleted with SafeErase. But the software can erase much more than that, including individual files and folders, USB storage devices, partitions and even the whole computer. All files, applications, configurations, registry settings will be unrecoverable afterwards.

In version 7 the program's start times have been substantially increased. The deletion processes are much faster as well.

Cons

There aren't any cons to this program, since it is has many features, is simple to use and is pretty much bug-free.

Alternatives

Here’s a list with a few decent data deletion software: Eraser (free), Active@ KillDisk (free), BCWipe (paid), UltraShredder (free) and DriveScrubber (paid). Active@ KillDisk seems to be the best one out of these, and is a good competitor against SafeEraser.

Conclusion

SafeEraser combines a variety of tools and deletion methods to form one of the best software used to securely wipe all unwanted and sensitive data from your computer. This is definitely one program you shouldn't overlook when looking for this kind of software.