To get support for your purchase, reply directly to the order confirmation email you received after buying Parted Magic. This keeps your order details attached to the conversation and helps us respond faster. Please allow one to two business days for a reply.

For pre-sales or general inquiries, please use the Contact page. Below you’ll find answers to the questions we’re asked most often. This page replaces our old support forum, in a format that’s easier to search and keep current. If your question isn’t covered here, please reach out using the methods above.

Can Parted Magic securely erase individual files?

No. Secure Erase is a drive-level operation that wipes an entire SSD or HDD via a single command issued to the drive’s firmware. Per-file secure erase isn’t actually achievable on modern SSDs by any tool — the drive’s controller relocates data internally for wear leveling and over-provisioning, leaving copies in cells no operating system can address. Drive-level erase is the only method that reliably destroys the data. If you need to clean up traces of deleted files on a running system (browser history, application caches, free space on spinning HDDs), BleachBit is included in Parted Magic and handles that use case. For guaranteed destruction of sensitive data on an SSD, full-drive Secure Erase remains the only reliable method.

Does Parted Magic run on Windows?

No. Parted Magic is a bootable Linux environment that you run from a USB drive or CD, not an installable Windows application. This isn’t a design limitation — it’s a hardware requirement. The commands that perform secure erasure (ATA Secure Erase, NVMe Format, Sanitize) cannot be issued to a drive that is currently running the operating system; the drive’s firmware will reject them. This is why no legitimate secure-erase tool ships as an installable Windows program, including the manufacturer utilities from Samsung, Crucial, Western Digital, and others. Booting from external media is the only way the work can be done.

How many computers can I use my license on?

Your Parted Magic license is unlimited — you can use it on as many computers and erase as many drives as you need. Unlike enterprise competitors that charge per-drive or per-endpoint (often at dramatic markups), Parted Magic is a single flat purchase that covers your organization’s use. This pricing model is one of the reasons IT shops, refurbishers, and data recovery businesses continue to use Parted Magic even when larger vendors compete for their budget.

Does Parted Magic securely erase SSDs, NVMe, and M.2 drives?

Yes, all of the above. Parted Magic supports every current secure erasure method defined by NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2:

  • SATA SSDs and HDDs: ATA Secure Erase and ATA Sanitize (Block Erase, Crypto Scramble, Overwrite)
  • NVMe drives (including M.2 NVMe): NVMe Format with Cryptographic Erase or User Data Erase, automatically selecting the best method supported by the drive
  • eMMC storage: eMMC Secure Erase and Sanitize
  • Self-encrypting drives (OPAL): PSID Revert for drives where the password is lost or unknown

All of these operations are classified as Purge-level erasure under NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2, meaning they are appropriate for drives containing sensitive data being decommissioned, resold, or repurposed. M.2 drives are fully supported in both SATA and NVMe variants.

Does Parted Magic provide a certificate of destruction?

Yes. After each successful erase operation, Parted Magic automatically generates a signed PDF certificate of destruction documenting the drive’s make, model, serial number, capacity, the erasure method used, start and completion timestamps, and the NIST SP 800-88 Rev. 2 classification of the operation performed. The certificate meets the documentation requirements expected by auditors, compliance officers, and chain-of-custody processes. No additional software or paid add-on is required — certificate generation is built into the standard Erase program.

How do I boot Parted Magic from USB?

After purchasing, you’ll receive a download link for the Parted Magic ISO file. To run it, write the ISO to a USB drive using a tool that handles bootable ISOs correctly. Recommended options:

  • Rufus (Windows) — simple, widely used, handles both BIOS and UEFI
  • Ventoy (Windows, Linux) — lets you drop multiple ISOs onto one USB and choose at boot
  • balenaEtcher (Windows, macOS, Linux) — cross-platform, straightforward interface
  • dd (Linux, macOS) — command-line option for advanced users

Once the USB is prepared, boot your target computer from it (usually by pressing F12, F11, Esc, or Del during startup to access the boot menu — the exact key varies by manufacturer). Parted Magic will load into a desktop environment where you can launch the tool you need.

For step-by-step instructions on all three operating systems, see the Parted Magic installation guide.

I lost my download email — what do I do?

No problem. Email sales@partedmagic.com with the name and email address used at purchase, and we’ll resend your download link. If you have your order number handy, including it will speed things up, but it’s not required.