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FAQ's - and answers!
Here are the most frequently asked questions about O&O SafeErase - and of course the answers! This list is updated and
extended at regular intervals.
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| General Questions |
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| Technical Questions |
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Answers to General Questions |
| 1. Is O&O SafeErase
compatible with Windows XP? |
| Yes, it is. |
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| 2. What tests have
there been as to SafeErase's capabilities? |
| PC Professionell, a leading German
computer magazine, was impressed with SafeErase's data destroying
capabilities. They carried out a test with file recovery software
and were of course unable to restore any data that had been deleted
with SafeErase. |
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| 3. Which data carriers
can I wipe with SafeErase? |
| You can delete data from any medium. The only
requirement is that you have local access to the files and folder.
It isn't possible to delete files from a network drive. |
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| 4.What is the
scientific basis behind O&O SafeErase? |
| O&O SafeErase draws upon a wealth of scientific
knowledge to provide the most secure methods of file deletion. Our
medium security level is based on the recommendations of the BSI
(German Computer Security Agency), our high level on the standards
of the US National Security Agency, and our highest level on the
work of scientist Peter Gutmann's article "Secure Deletion of Data
from Magnetic and Solid-State Memory". Our highest level, which is
set by default, thereby exceeds the recommendation of the German and
US governments. For more details about the individual methods, see
the answer to 4. below. |
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| Answers to Technical Questions |
| 1. Can I get back
files I've SafeErased with O&O UnErase? |
| No, you can't! No software for data recovery, not
even O&O UnErase, can get back data that have been destroyed with
O&O SafeErase. You should therefore be completely sure you want to
delete your file! |
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| 2. Why can't I just
format my hard disk? |
| This isn't enough to completely prevent data from
being restored. Formatting your hard disk simply deletes the "table
of contents" from your hard disk. The data can be restored
relatively easily. |
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| 3. Why isn't it
enough to overwrite once? |
| Overwriting your files once does indeed prevent
anyone from restoring them by software methods. However, when data
are written to your hard disk, the area directly adjacent will also
be systematically magnetized. There are ways of interpreting this
pattern and restoring data, even if the actual file has been
overwritten. Restoring data that have been overwritten once or even
three times is very expensive, but not completely impossible! |
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| 4. What are the
different SafeErase methods, and which one should I use? |
| All of the O&O SafeErase methods provide a means of
secure data deletion. Each overwrite data several times, making it
impossible for unauthorized persons to get their hands on private
or internal company data. As described above, there are both
software and hardware methods of data recovery. Software methods
fail where data has been completely and deliberately overwritten.
The different methods follow official recommendations of
institutions as the US National Security Agency (NSA). However,
hardware methods are extremely advanced and can even gain data from
hard disks that have been seriously physically damaged (e.g. after
bomb blasts). The level you choose is dependent on your assessment
of the importance of the data and the time you have available. The
higher security the method, the longer the process will take. The
lowest security level overwrites your data once with random data.
What we've called "low security" overwrites your data with a
pre-defined value three times, then with its complement, then with a
random value. The medium level of security corresponds to one used
and recommended by the BSI (German Computer Security Agency). The
data is overwritten three times, each with a random value. High
security involves the use of an algorithm developed by the US
National Security Agency. Here, the algorithm is used to overwrite
your data three times. Then, an overwrite with random values takes
place, before a final sweep with the NSA algorithm. Our highest
level of security exceeds both the BSI and NSA recommendations. Data
are overwritten 35 times, all by predefined rules. For added
security, these are applied in a random order. For a more detailed
description of the levels, you can refer to our
Users' Guide
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| 5. How long will it take to SafeErase a
file of x MB? |
| That depends on your chosen deletion method as well
as the speed of your hard disk and processor. As a rule of thumb,
bear in mind that simple overwriting (i.e. "Lowest Security") will
take the same amount of time as writing the file to the same
partition. Deleting with "Highest Security" will take around 35
times as long. |
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| Further Information |
| If you have any further questions, please contact
our support team. Just send an email to:
support@oo-software.com. |
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