Berlin developer O&O Software GmbH has released O&O SafeErase Professional 7.0, a major update to its secure delete tool for Windows PCs. Version 7.0, also available in 64-bit form adds Windows 8.1 compatibility and promises faster data deletion on more powerful PCs.

The new release also debuts a tweaked user interface with redesigned icons and subtle changes that O&O claims will make it easier and better to use than previous releases.

The big change in O&O SafeErase Professional 7.0 is its improved support for multi-core processors. This enables it to use all available cores to accelerate the deletion algorithms, ensuring data can be deleted much more quickly than in version 6.0.

Performance improvements and a minor GUI refresh are the name of the game for O SafeErase Professional 7.0.

The new build also comes with the promise of guaranteed compatibility with Windows 8.1 while retaining backwards compatibility all the way back to Windows XP.

Key features in O&O SafeErase – also found in earlier builds – include the ability to integrate individual scripts via the command line for scrubbing the hard drive automatically. It also provides the ability to clear an entire PC using O&O TotalErase, support for six deletion methods, including the faster – but less secure – method of overwriting data using zeroes, and support for securely wiping the tracks from supported browsers (IE, Firefox, Chrome and older versions of Opera).

Function-limited 30-day trial downloads of O&O SafeErase Professional 7.0 32-bit and O&O SafeErase Professional 7.0 64-bit are available now for PCs running Windows XP or later. Users can purchase a single-PC license of the software for just $19.99 through the Downloadcrew Software Store, a saving of 33 per cent on the MSRP.