I have a folder that I’d like to hide from other users on my Windows PC computer. Is there an easy way to do that? We’re running Windows 10.1.
Well, hiding a folder and securing the contents of a folder are two different things. Turns out that hiding just about anything in Windows is surprisingly easy – as we’ll see – but if someone knows to look for hidden files, well, then they can get to it, open it, and read what’s inside with zero difficulty. Still, for most casual users, if they can’t see it in a folder view, then it’s as if the folder simply doesn’t exist, right?
Now, if you’re doing anything nefarious it’s definitely not going to work for you and I’m sure that the very first thing that anyone in law enforcement does is examine a hard drive for hidden files or folders. But hey, you’re just having fun, right? Good. So the trick to remember with setting a folder as “hidden” is that it’s also hidden for you, but that File Explorer has a simple checkbox that will enable you to see it, and any other hidden content.
Let’s have a look, starting with my test folder perhaps appropriately called “Sekrit Plans 4 World Dominashun“:
Right-click on it and you’ll get the usual info window:
You’ll want the last choice of the menu: “Properties“. Choose that and a window pops up with all sorts of interesting things about the Folder:
Notice near the bottom that I’ve actually now checked the box adjacent to “Hidden“. Easy enough, right? A click on “Apply” and Windows asks whether to apply it to the contents of the folder, or just the folder itself:
You can apply it to the contents too by choosing “Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files” but most likely that’s unnecessary, so I suggest “Apple changes to this folder only”. Ready? Click “OK” and *poof* the folder vanishes from your Desktop. Kinda weird, really.
Open up File Explorer and there’s no trace of it either:
By default, of course, this is what everyone would see, so it has indeed effectively hidden that folder of contents.
Ready to see it? Click on the “View” option along the top and choose “Hidden items” from the options:
Once you check that box *poof* the folder shows up again, along with a bunch of other junk that you really should just leave hidden and ignore:
And that’s how it’s done. Once you can see the hidden folder (as above) you can right-click, choose Properties and uncheck the hidden option to return it to its normal and regular display state.
That’s it. Now, good luck to you and use this power for good 🙂
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