A program for hiding folders and files. Wise Folder Hider - a program for hiding folders and files on your computer


Hide Folders is a very good program with which you can hide any files and folders from prying eyes. It has a very simple and intuitive interface. To hide, you only need to drag the desired file or folder into the program window.

Program features:

  • A very high level of protection that allows you to reliably hide your confidential information.
  • 4 types of protection: hide, block, hide and block, read-only.
  • Works on hard drives with any file system (NTFS, FAT, FAT32).
  • There are file masks that allow you to apply protection only to certain types of files.
  • There is no limit to the number of objects that can be protected.
  • It is possible to check files during backup.
  • When starting, the program requires you to enter a password.
  • When operating the program, a password is also required.
  • If you delete the program, the files will remain hidden.
  • When you try to delete folders that contain hidden files, they are not deleted.
  • There are many possibilities to hide the presence of hidden files and the program itself.
  • Protects against blocking of system folders.
  • The security driver does not show up in Task Manager applications and processes.
  • Works in safe mode.
  • Hotkeys are configured.
  • Can be controlled via the command line.
  • Integrates into Windows Explorer.
  • Protects folders with any names, in any languages.
  • It has a simple and intuitive interface and changeable styles.

Every user has their own confidential folders and files on their computer that they would like to protect from prying eyes. For example, at home it is necessary to protect a child from information not intended for him, and at work, for one reason or another, it may be undesirable to show other employees some of your work materials. Well, besides, tell me, hand on heart, do you always calmly allow your colleagues to use your work computer or your household members to use your home computer? Hardly... And the reason here lies not only in the desire to limit access to confidential information, but also in the subconscious fear of losing one’s own materials due to the illiterate actions of other users - that is, for example, when one’s own child actively begins to master the art of working with files and folders with all the ensuing sad consequences for you. It is worth noting that the need to protect confidential information from prying eyes is relevant not only if such data is constantly stored on a work or home computer, but also when transferring it to other users via email or on various media (CD/DVD drives, USB drives) , floppy disks, etc.). It often makes sense to also think about protecting folders and files of the operating system and applications from changes, deletion or movement in an unknown direction, which is often managed by insufficiently prepared users. If this is your case, then it is wiser to hide such folders altogether, say, from the eyes of household members, and this action alone can significantly extend the performance of your computer, since hidden folders can be used in the usual way (for example, by launching application programs from the Start menu). , but you won’t be able to delete them, rename them or move them. As for confidential information, it is better to block it - blocked folders will be inaccessible either for viewing or editing, and therefore the documents contained in them will be reliably protected from any changes. If you don’t want other users to be aware that some information is being hidden from them, then you should combine blocking with hiding. Well, if this doesn’t seem enough to you, then no one forbids you to also encrypt the most secret materials.

Protect folders and files with built-in Windows tools

Theoretically, you can hide your folders and files using the built-in capabilities of Windows - to do this, just enable the “Hidden” attribute in the properties of the corresponding objects. Folders and files hidden in this way will not be visible in Explorer to other system users, but only if the “Do not show hidden files and folders” checkbox is enabled in the properties of the parent folders containing them. In principle, this may be enough to protect your data from the most unprepared audience. However, objects hidden in this way will be visible in applications that do not use a standard dialog to display files and folders (FAR, Total Commander, etc.), so such protection is more than unreliable.

A more reliable option for protecting data using built-in Windows tools is to use the Encrypting File System (EFS), which allows you to encrypt files by enabling the “Encrypt contents to protect data” option in Explorer (Properties > General > Advanced). It is impossible to read files encrypted in this way without knowing the password, but the EFS system allows you to protect folders and files only in the NTFS file system.

Therefore, to protect personal folders and files, it is much better to use specialized utilities. These solutions will allow you to more securely hide folders and files (they will not be visible if you disable the "Do not show hidden files and folders" checkbox), as well as block access to them and even encrypt the data itself.

Programs for hiding, blocking and encrypting folders and files

There are a lot of programs on the market for hiding/encrypting folders and files, and the level of protection implemented in them differs markedly. Some solutions only provide for hiding folders and files and/or blocking them (it happens that similar features are also available for disks). Others additionally support full file encryption (Table 1), which ensures data protection even when booted in another operating system or the disk is installed on another computer. We do not set a goal to identify the best existing solutions, since everything here depends on the tasks facing the user, but simply as examples we will give the most attractive, in our (obviously subjective) opinion, diverse tools. Here, by the way, it is immediately worth noting several nuances. Firstly, it is quite possible that by default protected data will be inaccessible to other users only when the OS boots normally, and when Windows boots in SafeMode, access to it will be open. This is explained very simply: in safe mode, Windows loads only the drivers necessary for the system to operate, and skips all additional ones (including those responsible for hiding data), which leads to a similar result. So it is possible that to protect data in SafeMode, you will need to make some settings in the utilities (usually just enable the corresponding checkbox). Secondly, other users will be able to access hidden or blocked data by booting into another operating system if several are installed on the computer, but the protection program is configured in only one. There is another way - move the hard drive with protected information to another computer as an additional one, boot into it, after which you can easily access the data. With external media (USB, flash, CD-RW, etc.) it’s even easier - just install them on another computer - and the protection is gone. However, in real life, quite often such protection (if, for example, we are talking about a hard drive, there is only one OS on the computer, and you know for sure that other users will not be able to connect it to another computer) may be quite sufficient. In addition, if you accidentally forget the password to your data (we are all guilty of this), you will always have a reliable way to access it on another computer. Well, if you have top-secret materials stored in your arsenal, and the attackers who are eager to get to them are professionals, then you can’t limit yourself to just hiding or blocking the data - you need to encrypt it. Encrypted data cannot be read either when booted in SafeMode or when booted into another OS or on another computer. But if you manage to forget the password to the data, then you can safely “give up” on these top-secret materials - no one, including you personally, will be able to get to them.

Table 1. Functionality of solutions for hiding, blocking and encrypting folders and files (click to enlarge)

Universal Shield 4.3

Developer: Everstrike Software
Distribution size: 1.86 MB
Spreading: shareware Universal Shield is a very convenient tool for protecting personal files, folders and drives (including network drives) by hiding and encrypting them (seven encryption algorithms are supported, including AES with a 256-bit key). It is possible to hide files that match a specific mask (say, C:*.doc). It is possible to set different access rules (read, write, visibility and delete), which allows you to choose a variety of combinations of parameters - for example, you can make files accessible for reading and writing and prohibit their deletion. This access option allows you not only to prevent the deletion of personal data, but also application files, which is often no less important. If no activity has been performed on the computer for a certain period, the data can be blocked automatically. For greater security, it is possible to use a special Stealth Mode, which hides all user-visible information about the installation of Universal Shield - the program shortcut on the desktop and in the Start menu, as well as the corresponding folder in Program Files. Access to the program in this mode is possible only by pressing a pre-agreed key combination. There is support for “trusted processes”, which allows you to back up files, scan them for viruses, and similar operations in a protected state. Access to program settings requires entering a master password. The demo version of the program is fully functional for 30 days, the cost of the commercial version is $34.95. You can protect data in two ways - using the wizard that automatically starts when you first load the program (then it can be activated by the File > Universal Shield Wizard command or the Wizard button ) or manually. If the choice is made in favor of the master, you will have to perform several operations sequentially. First, select a protection option - that is, indicate to the program whether the data will be hidden or encrypted, or whether it will have limited access options. And then, in two steps, the data to be protected is selected, during which you can not only explicitly specify it, but also use file masks. Protecting data manually is no more difficult - the Protect button and the File > Protect Object command are responsible for this operation. For example, by clicking on the Protect button, you will have to define the data type (disk, folder, file or mask) on the left side of the window that opens, and on the right side, specify the protected object itself on the disk and configure its protection parameters. Correction of the installed type of protection is made through the properties of the object (Properties button), and refusal of protection is done by simply deleting the object from the program window. Temporary removal of protection is carried out from the utility itself by pressing the Locked button or using hot keys (the latter is much faster and more convenient).

Securing your files by encrypting them requires a little more time and effort. First, in the same way as discussed above, the basic protection parameters are configured (the Protect button). And then the protected object that appears in the utility window is additionally encrypted (Encrypt button) indicating the encryption algorithm and password. Decryption is performed by clicking on the Decrypt button, and, of course, is impossible without knowing the password.

Additionally, Universal Shield allows you to restrict access to special Windows folders (My Documents, Favorites, Control Panel, etc.), protect the desktop from changes (so that users cannot delete, add or change shortcuts and icons on the desktop), restrict access the control panel and prevent the date and time on your computer from being changed. This can be done through the wizard, or by using the File > Security tricks command.

There is a cheaper, simplified version of Universal Shield, Lock Folder XP (1.38 MB; $24.95), which limits the ability to protect drives, folders and files to hiding them. In addition, this utility does not support trusted processes and the use of hot keys is limited (however, the main function of quickly enabling/disabling protection is present), as well as limited functionality in terms of regulating access to special Windows folders and system settings. Setting up data protection in Lock Folder XP is possible through a wizard or manually - in both cases you will need to determine the type of data to be hidden and indicate which, for example, folders you want to hide. The Locked/Unlocked button or pressing the Ctrl + Win key combination is used to temporarily enable/disable protection.

Folder Guard 8.1

Developer: WinAbility Software Corporation
Distribution size: 3.29 MB
Spreading: shareware Folder Guard is a simple and convenient solution for restricting access to folders and files, as well as preventing access to a number of Windows settings. Restricting access to personal data is carried out by hiding it, setting read-only access, or blocking it. Hiding is implemented in two options - you can make folders and files hidden or assign folders as empty (Empty). In the second case, the folders will be externally visible, but when opened they will look empty, although in reality they will contain information - this protection option is reasonable for standard Windows folders, the complete hiding of which will tell other users that information on the computer is blocked, which is undesirable . Protected folders will not be accessible to other users of the system even when Windows boots in safe mode, however, for this you will need to enable the corresponding checkbox in the settings. Access to the settings of the program itself is provided only by entering the master password; in case you forget this password, there is a function for restoring it using the free Emergency Recovery utility. The ability to operate the program in Stealth Mode has also been implemented, in which its own shortcuts and files will be hidden. The demo version of the program is fully functional for 30 days, the cost of the commercial version depends on the license type: personal license - $29.95, business license - $59.95.

You can protect your data using a wizard that starts automatically when you load the program (of course, it’s easy to disable the wizard from starting), or manually. When working with the wizard, specify a folder with documents, determine whether to set a password for access to the folder, set the visibility option for the folder (visible, hidden or empty) and determine the level of access to it (full access, no access, read-only). To control the level of access to files of a certain type, the use of file masks is additionally allowed. When protecting manually, the procedure will be the same, with the exception that you will have to perform them yourself - first select the folder of interest in the program window, and then set all the required settings by clicking on the corresponding buttons in the program window (Read-Only, No Access, Visible, etc.) or by selecting the desired commands in the context menu. To remove the protection, you will have to perform the same set of actions, but in reverse order.

It is possible to set different restrictions for different users (the corresponding users will first have to be added using the Protect > User List command) - this is very convenient, since there will be no need to regularly remove protection in case of manual work on the computer. It is possible to configure a list of “trusted programs” (Protect > Trusted Programs) - that is, an antivirus, backup program, etc., which will allow you to carry out the corresponding operations without removing protection. The key combination Ctrl+G and the Toggle Protection button are responsible for switching from protected mode to normal mode. In addition to protecting folders and files, using Folder Guard you can also protect basic OS settings from being adjusted (Command Protect > Permissions). In particular, block access to the properties of the taskbar, the Start menu and a number of other windows, prohibit saving display properties (if they have been changed), block changes to folder properties and Internet Explorer settings, and do not show icons on the desktop. And also prevent changes to parameters critical for system operation by closing access to the control panel and setting a series of restrictions: access to the system registry, adding/removing printers, using the “Run” command, etc. You can also hide certain drives in the My Computer window, Explorer, and standard Open/Save dialog boxes, and block CD/DVD burning. Different users may have different sets of such restrictions.

There is a cheaper version of Folder Guard - MySecretFolder (1.35 MB; personal license - $24.95, business license - $3.95). This utility is easier to use than Folder Guard, but its capabilities are limited to hiding and blocking folders, and the specified protection settings will be the same for all users. Setting up data protection in MySecretFolder is quite simple - you just need to specify a folder, select a protection option for it (hiding or blocking) and click on the Protect button. Temporary disabling of protection is carried out using the Unprotect button.

Wise Folder Hider is a free program that is designed to hide folders and files on your computer. When using Wise Folder Hider, you can hide files, folders or USB drives, and if necessary, you can block access to hidden data with a password. This way, hidden data will not be visible and will be password protected.

Many people have files or folders on their computer that are not intended for public viewing. Private videos or photos, confidential information, simply important data that can be lost by mistake. This is especially true if multiple users have access to the same computer.

In the Windows operating system, you can make folders or files, but any computer user can make them visible again. Therefore, to hide folders and files, special programs are used that can be used to hide folders or files and make them invisible.

To protect a folder or file with a password, you can use . You can also install using the built-in tools of the program.

In this review, we'll look at the free program Wise Folder Hider Free, which can be used to hide and protect data on your computer. The manufacturer also has a paid version of the program - Wise Folder Hider Pro.

Wise Folder Hider download

On the download page of the official website, you should pay attention to the links where you can download this program to your computer.

To download a portable version of the program, click on the “Portable Version” link.

To download the installer for the regular version of Wise Folder Hider, you will need to click on the “for direct download” link. Do not click on the “Download” button so as not to download the program installer from another site. In this case, when installing the program on your computer, you will be asked to install other programs that are not related to the Wise Folder Hider program.

Although the Wise Folder Hider program has support for the Russian language, the program will be installed in English.

After completing the installation of the program on your computer, run the Wise Folder Hider Free program. The portable version of the program does not require installation on your computer. It is launched from the folder in which the Wise Folder Hider program is located.

After launching the Wise Folder Hider program, a window will open for entering a password for the program. Using this password you will open the program. To do this, enter your password, confirm it in the lower field, and then click on the “OK” button.

The first time this window will be opened in English, then, after turning on the Russian language, the window for entering the password will be displayed in Russian.

Attention! Remember the password well, it is in another place, you will need it to enter the program. Without this password, you will not be able to open the program and access hidden data.

Enable Russian language in Wise Folder Hider

To enable the Russian language, you will need to left-click on the “Menu” menu button, which is located in the upper right corner of the main program window. In the context menu that opens, select “Languares” and then “Russian”.

After this, the Wise Folder Hider program interface will be switched to Russian.

Changing your Wise Folder Hider password

If for some reason you need to change your password to access the Wise Folder Hider program, you can change the password using the main program window. To do this, click on the “Menu” menu button, and in the context menu select the “Change password” item.

Next, the “Change Password” window will open. In this window, you will need to first enter the old password, then enter the new password, and after that you will need to confirm the new password. After completing the password change, click on the “OK” button.

How to Hide a File in Wise Folder Hider

In order to hide a folder or file, you can simply drag this file or folder into the program window. For some reason this method did not work on my computer.

After installation, Wise Folder Hider will be integrated into the context menu. You can hide any folder or file immediately from the context menu.

You can also hide folders or files using the “Hide File” and “Hide Folder” buttons.

After clicking on the appropriate button, you will need to select the file or folder that you want to hide. In the “Browse for Folder” window, select a folder or file, and then click on the “OK” button.

After this, the file or folder will be hidden and will disappear from view. They will not be visible through Explorer either.

Hidden files and folders will be displayed in the main window of the Wise Folder Hider program.

  • “Name” section - the file name and its location on the computer are displayed here.
  • The “Blocked” section displays information about the access status - “No” or “Yes”.
  • The “Status” section displays the status of a file, folder or USB drive - “Hidden” or “Show”.
  • The “Action” section opens context menu commands for controlling the program.

You can look at hidden files if in the “Action” section you select the “Open” context menu command. The “Status” section will display the “Show” option.

In order to hide the file again, you will need to close the Wise Folder Hider program window. Immediately after this, the folder or file will be hidden again.

How to Password Protect a Folder in Wise Folder Hider

Files or folders are hidden from view, but access to them is not blocked. For greater security, access to hidden files or folders can be blocked with a password.

You can set your own password for each hidden file or folder. To do this, you will need to select the corresponding file or folder in the program window, and in the “Action” section, select the “Set password” context menu item.

After this, the “Set Password” window will open. You will need to enter the password and its confirmation in the appropriate fields, and then click on the “OK” button.

In the main window of the program, in the “Locked” section, an image of a lock and confirmation - “Yes” will appear.

If you need to, you can open a temporarily blocked file or folder.

To do this, in the “Actions” section, select the “Open” context menu item. In the window that opens, you will need to enter a password.

After this, the file or folder begins to appear in Explorer, you will have access to the necessary data. Immediately after closing the program window, files and folders will become hidden again.

How to Remove Hidden Folders from Wise Folder Hider

To delete a folder or file from the program window, in the “Action” section, in the context menu, click on the “Show folder” item. After this, the folder or file is deleted from the program window. The file or folder becomes available for further use.

How to hide a flash drive in Wise Folder Hider

Wise Folder Hider can hide a USB drive. The principle of operation of the program when hiding the contents of a flash drive is exactly the same as for folders and files.

In the main program window, click on the “Hide USB drive” button. In the “Select USB drive” window, select the flash drive that was connected to the computer via the appropriate USB connector. If only one flash drive is connected to your computer, it will be automatically selected in this window.

After selecting the USB drive, click on the “OK” button.

In the next Confirmation window, you can choose whether to lock this flash drive with a password or simply hide it.

If you click on the “No” button, then the flash drive will simply be hidden, without blocking access to the contents with a password. The flash drive itself will be visible from Explorer, but its contents will not be viewable.

After clicking on the “Yes” button, in a new window you will need to enter a password to block access to the flash drive. After entering the password, access to the disk will be denied. It will be possible to access the content located on the flash drive only after entering the password.

Viewing the contents of a USB drive and deleting it from the program occurs exactly as described earlier.

After clicking on the “Open” context menu item, the flash drive will be open for a while. After restarting the Wise Folder Hider program, the USB drive will be hidden again. If you select the “Show folder” context menu item, then blocking access to the contents of the flash drive will be disabled.

Password recovery in Wise Folder Hider

Once again, I draw your attention to the need to store passwords that you used to block access to the program, files, folders or disks. If you lose your password, you will not be able to access hidden files. The best way to store passwords is to use a password manager.

In the Wise Folder Hider program, it is possible to recover passwords for accessing the program or locked files. In this case, lost passwords can be recovered for a fee.

To do this, in the window for entering your password, you will need to click on the “Forgot your password” link. After this, you will be redirected to the program website. You can translate the page content using the built-in translator, or any online translator.

After paying and carrying out some actions, you will receive forgotten passwords to access the program and locked files.

You can also try the free option - boot your computer from LiveCD or Windows PE. After downloading, find the locked files and copy them to another drive. Then they will be available to you again.

Conclusions of the article

The free Wise Folder Hider program hides folders, files and USB drives, and also protects hidden data with a password.

Wise Folder Hider - a program for hiding folders and files (video)

The protection of your own data cannot be guaranteed even by the fact that you are the only user of the PC. Any connection to the network compromises the security of personal information. That is why it is necessary to take care of protection and use available tools designed to perform these functions. There is a special program for hiding folders, which can protect the user from theft of confidential files. It is worth remembering that the use of special tools can be used several times in order to maximize protection from intruders, competitors, etc.

The downside of such data protection services is the fact that if the program crashes, you may also lose full access and be unable to read documents. A similar problem can arise if these applications are configured incorrectly, they are uninstalled, or the computer is infected with viruses that can harm secret files and folders. In this case, all files will be irretrievably lost, without the possibility of recovery.
It must be remembered that sometimes not the most complex programs used by users regularly can help protect files and folders from being accessed and copied. Let's figure out how you can use the usual Winrar archiver to protect personal data.

Winrar archiver

WinRar is one of the most popular archivers and is installed immediately after reinstalling the Windows OS. That is why it is available on almost every computer.

For an example of data protection, we will create a folder in which we will place any files (one or several can be used). The example creates a "Secret Data" folder and places one Excel file in it.

In the dialog box that appears, there are many options, but in the situation under consideration we are only interested in one - “Set password” (we leave the name of the future archive unchanged, it can be changed).

After clicking on the specified button, a window will appear on the screen in which you will be given the opportunity to specify a password for the archive file being created. Enter the secret combination in the specified field. The password should never be forgotten, and in order not to rely on memory, it is best to write it down somewhere. In order not to make a mistake in entering the password, the program provides for repeated entry. If the combination does not match, a corresponding window will be displayed on your screen. The password should not be too simple to prevent the slightest chance of it being guessed. Use a password consisting of at least 8 characters and numbers. For reliability, you can include capital letters in the combination.

To be sure that you entered the password correctly and selected the layout, you can check the “Display password as I type” checkbox to see it on the screen instead of circles.

Also, to hide the contents of the archive being created, you need to check the “Encrypt file names” checkbox. Any archive, even one protected by a password, can be viewed without entering a password and find out what exactly is stored in it, but by activating this item, the file names will be hidden.

It is strictly not recommended to use the “Organize passwords” settings item. If you use it, any person who is physically at your computer will be able to easily open the protected archive. If you really want to achieve maximum security from third parties viewing important documents, do not use this item. At the same time, the program will also warn you about possible troubles using this setting.

After checking all the boxes and entering the password (in the example Password123), you can begin creating a password-protected archive.

Note: pay attention that in the password entry field the first letter is capitalized and if the password123 combination is entered when opening the archive, it will not be opened.

After this, just click on the “Ok” button and the archiving process will start.

If there is not too much data in the folder, this process can be completed in a second, but if there is a large amount of information, the process can drag on for several minutes (it is also the total number of files that affects the time, not the volume itself).

You will have a separate archive file in the specified folder.

After the archive has been created, you will need to open it. When you open this file, a notification will appear on the screen that you must enter a password.

If you enter an incorrect password, the program will display a window indicating that the password was entered incorrectly, and viewing the data inside it is impossible. Moreover, if you check the “Encrypt file names” checkbox, even its contents will not be displayed to the user.

Just as we used the password Password123 in the example, enter it in the appropriate field.

The program will then display the content. To extract data in its entirety or a specific file separately, you need to select the required one and click on the “Extract” button (located in the icon line). Next, you only need to specify the path where the unzipped files will be located.

Remember that after creating an archive, the original ones will remain in the same place. To protect yourself from viewing secret files, this folder must be deleted. This can be done in the usual way by placing this data in the trash, but in this case you should remember to empty it. You can also select the objects to be deleted and press the Shift+Del combination, which will delete the files, bypassing the Recycle Bin, permanently.

In contact with

Instructions

Click refresh page and folder . In order to see it, you need to open any folder and carry out the procedure for opening hidden folders. Click on service, folder properties, view tab. Move the slider down and find the folders and files option. Select “show hidden files and folders”. Click “ok” and go to the directory where your hidden folder is located.

Let's move on to the second method. Right-click on the folder and select rename. We erase the name of the folder and, holding down the “alt” key, enter 0160 on the right numeric keypad.

Right-click on the folder again and select “properties”. Go to the “settings” tab and then “change icon”. Scroll the slider to the right until we find three transparent labels. Choose any of them. Click ok. This will hide your folder from prying eyes and keep it right on your desktop.

Video on the topic

In some cases, users need to hide some files and folders from prying eyes. This can be done in various ways, both using Windows tools and using third-party programs.

Instructions

If you operate under one account, you can hide some folders by setting this attribute in the properties of the required files and folders. At the same time, do not forget to uncheck the “show hidden files and folders” item in the Windows Explorer settings, if it is there.

The most reliable way to hide files and folders is to use third-party programs, such as Hide Folders. The program allows you to completely hide folders and files from all users; access to them is possible only after unlocking them in the program and entering a password if necessary.

Video on the topic

note

When you reinstall the system, files and folders hidden by the Hide Folders program will be visible again.

Sources:

  • How to make invisible folders visible? Hidden files

Basically, when there is public access to a computer, there is a need to hide certain folders from prying eyes. There are several very simple ways to solve this problem.

Instructions

Select the folder we need and, right-clicking, select the “Properties” tab. Check the box next to “Hidden”. Click “OK”. Ready.

Right-click on the same folder again. Select “Rename”.

Video on the topic

Helpful advice

To make the folder accessible again, go to “Folder Options” -> “View”. Change the settings to “Show hidden files and folders.”

Sometimes it is very necessary to take and hide some files on your computer without setting any passwords or creating accounts. It turns out that this is very easy to do, and at the same time, no one will even suspect the existence of your files.

Instructions

You can hide the ones you need using standard Windows tools. Not everyone knows about this possibility, but it is so simple. This method of hiding yours can be very useful if you do not have the rights to create accounts or on . To get the file you need, you should do the following. Right-click on the desired file and select “Properties” from the menu that appears. In the window that appears, go to the “General” tab and check the box next to “Hidden”. Click “Apply” and close the window. If the file remains in the same place, press F5 on the keyboard, or right-click in a free area of ​​the screen and select “Update”.

The file has disappeared, now no one will see it, but how can we find it back? First of all, remember the folder in which the hidden file is located, otherwise it will take a long time to find it. Go to the folder you need, click “Tools” in the menu bar and go to “Folder Options”. On the “View” tab, in the long list, find the “hidden files and folders” item. Click "OK" and your file will appear in the folder.

Helpful advice

In the same way, you can hide not only individual files, but also entire folders.

Do not forget that it will most likely not be possible to hide files from experienced users in this way.

On Windows, files may have the “Hidden” attribute, and unless a special option is enabled to display such files, they will not be visible to the user. You will learn how to detect and display hidden files in these instructions.

Instructions

Open a directory where you suspect there are or may be hidden folders or files.

Now follow these steps: In an Explorer window in which a directory with possible hidden files or folders is open, click on the “Edit” menu section in the menu bar located at the top of the window directly below its title. In the menu that opens, select the “Select All” command. You can also use the hotkey combination Ctrl+A for this purpose.

If there are hidden files or folders in this directory, the system will give the user a warning about this (the number of hidden objects will also be indicated in parentheses), since for this reason it cannot select all files and folders. If there was no such warning, then there are no hidden files and folders in this directory. So, you have discovered that there are still a number of hidden objects in this directory, now you need to find out what exactly these objects are. For this purpose, you need to enable the display of hidden files and folders.

In order for the system to show hidden objects (not to be confused with system objects, which are also hidden), select the “Tools” section in the Explorer menu bar, then select “Folder Options...” from the drop-down list.

Now go to the View tab, you will see a list of customizable options. Scroll through this list and find the “Hidden files and folders” setting. This setting has two options: “Do not show hidden files and folders” and “Show hidden files and folders”. Accordingly, select the second option.

If you want the system to display hidden system files, then uncheck the “Hide protected system files” option located just above the “Hidden files and folders” setting and click “OK” to confirm.

It often becomes necessary to hide some files so that they are not accidentally discovered or opened by other computer users. This is especially true for important and confidential information that needs to be protected from viewing and deletion.

You will need

  • - computer;
  • - archiver program.

Instructions

Use operating system features to make files hidden. Go to the folder you want to hide, right-click on it and select “Properties” from the context menu. Check the box next to the “Hidden” option, then click the “OK” button.

Next, the system will prompt you to apply this characteristic only to this folder, or to all subfolders and files, check the box next to the second option and click “OK”. Next, in any folder, select the menu “Tools” - “Folder Options”. Go to the “View” tab and check the “Do not show hidden and system files and folders” checkbox and click “OK”.

Hide your video files to protect them from unwanted views. To do this, change the file extension. An extension is a set of characters, usually three, after a period. Using it, the system determines the program that needs to open this file.

Select the "Tools" menu, "Folder Options" item. Go to the "View" tab, uncheck the "Hide extension for known file types" command to change the extension and hide video files.

Call the context menu on the file you want to hide, select the “Rename” option. Change the existing file extension to any other, for example.dll (this is a Windows OS system file). In the window that appears, click the “Yes” button. After this, the file icon will change.

In the same way, change the file name itself, for example, system.dll. To open this file later, rename it again and change the extension. Or simply drag it into the window of any media player.

Archive photos to hide them. To do this, right-click on the photo folder and select the “Add to archive” option. Go to the “Advanced” tab, click “Set Password”. Enter password. Select the Encrypt file names checkbox, click OK. Thus, you managed to hide the files from viewing.

Video on the topic

Sources:

  • how to hide photos on your computer

The function of showing hidden folders in the Microsoft Windows operating system can be activated using standard means of the system itself. Additional configuration can be done using the system registry editor.

Instructions

Click the "Start" button to open the main menu of the Microsoft Windows operating system and go to the "Control Panel" to enable the display of hidden files and folders.

Select Appearance and Personalization and expand the Folder Options link.

Go to the "Show" tab of the dialog box that opens and check the "Show hidden files and folders" box in the "Advanced options" section.

Click OK to confirm your changes are applied and return to the main Start menu to use Registry Editor to enable hidden folders.

Go to Run and enter regedit in the Open field to launch the utility.

Click OK to confirm the run command and expand the registry branch
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.

Find the Hidden parameter and change its value to 1.

Expand the registry branch
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\SHOWALL
and change the Checked Value parameter to 1.

Expand the registry branch
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
and change the SuperHidden parameter to 1.

Press the Enter function key to execute the command and exit the Registry Editor tool.

Create a new text file named hidden_on with the extension .reg to simplify and automate the process of enabling the display of hidden folders and place the following value in it:
REGEDIT4

"Hidden"=dword:00000001

"CheckedValue"=dword:00000001

"SuperHidden"=dword:00000001.

Run the created file by double clicking the mouse.

Sources:

  • Show hidden files
  • Windows hidden files are not shown. Solution

In the Windows Vista operating system, system files and folders are protected from the user: he simply does not see such folders and, accordingly, cannot enter or delete them.

You will need

  • - administrator rights.

Instructions

But sometimes there is a need to “see” hidden folders, for example, to find downloaded files in the browser’s temporary folders. Open "My Computer" and go to any folder on your computer's hard drive. Go to the “Service” item in the main menu of the window. To do this, press Alt on your keyboard or click the corresponding item. Select the "Folder Options" menu item. The main properties window for the selected folder will open. It has several tabs. Go to the tab called "View". Review the list of properties presented in this tab.

Find the item “Show hidden files and folders” and check the box next to it. Also pay attention to the item “Hide protected system files” - uncheck the box next to it. Click on the “Apply” button so that the system makes the appropriate changes to the appearance of the “My Computer” folders. To check the result of the work, go to the “C:” partition of your hard drive. Now you will see many more directories than usual: previously hidden folders will be added to the regular ones. You can distinguish between system and regular folders by their appearance: system folders are translucent.

You should not leave these settings permanently if your computer is used by children or inexperienced users. System folders can be accidentally deleted from your hard drive due to ignorance. In almost all Windows operating systems, you can open hidden folders only after display settings. Typically, these settings are set by default when you reinstall the operating system. In this case, all system folders and files automatically become hidden and are inaccessible to the user unless you enable the display of system files and folders.

Video on the topic

Sometimes a computer user needs to hide the contents of his computer files and folders. This is especially true if someone else is using the computer other than you. There are several simple ways to “secret” files from prying eyes.

You will need

  • - a computer with files stored on it

Instructions

Make the file hidden. To do this, find the required file in the file system of your computer. Right-click on it. In the menu that opens, select “Properties”. In the properties window, find “General” and in the “Attributes” subsection, check the “Hidden” option. Click Apply.

If you want to hide not a single file, but an entire folder, in the “Confirm attribute changes” window, check the “To this folder and to all subfolders and files” option.

After these steps, the selected file or folder will “disappear” from visibility, but only until the display of hidden files and folders is enabled on the computer.

Put a password on the desired file. To do this, use the WinRar archiver. Right-click on the selected file and select “Add to archive”. In the archiver window that opens, go to the “Advanced” tab and click “Set password”. In the window that appears, enter your chosen password twice and click OK.
If you try to enter the created archive without entering a password, you cannot open or unzip the folder.

Stop sharing the file. To do this, go to the folder properties (Start → Control Panel → Folder Options). In the “View” tab, uncheck “Use simple file sharing” (or “Use sharing wizard”). Click "Apply" and "OK".

Select the desired file or folder. Right-click on it, select “Properties” in the window that appears, and then select the “Security” tab. Select the user or group you want to deny access to the file. Opposite the “Full Control” option, check the “Deny” option.

Now, when users who have been denied access to the file try to open a file, the message “Access Denied” will be displayed.

Video on the topic

Hidden folders and files are mostly created automatically after the operating system is installed on the user's computer. Sometimes there is a need to add or change some information to them. It is worth noting that mostly automatically hidden files and folders contain documents that cannot be changed. Otherwise, the user may experience problems related to the operation of the personal computer.

The process of opening hidden folders and files

The user can make folders visible or hide at his own discretion. Absolutely everyone should understand that if you delete or change folders hidden by the system, various kinds of problems may arise.

In order to make hidden folders visible in the Windows XP operating system (the same principle can be used when working with Windows Vista), you just need to open the disk or any other folder. In the folder itself, you need to select the “Tools” tab and click on the “View” line. After which the user will be presented with several tables. To change folder settings, you will need the "Advanced Settings" table. Here you need to unscrew the slider to the very bottom and find the line “Show hidden files, folders and drives”. After checking the box on this line, the user will immediately have access to the function of viewing hidden folders and files.

You can also open hidden data from the control panel. To do this, you need to go directly to the “Control Panel” itself and select “Folder Options”. Then you need to do everything described above.

Hidden files and folders that the user chose to open will have a slightly different appearance. Such files will be translucent, making it possible to distinguish between those files or folders that the user has independently added from those that were previously hidden from him. Thanks to this, the user will not be able to make a mistake if he needs to edit or delete a file. Thus, if system files, previously hidden from the user’s eyes, are not changed, the computer will operate as before.

Back to the roots"

If there is a need to return hidden folders, files and drives to their previous state, then you need to go through the same process. As a result, you just need to uncheck the “Show hidden files, folders and drives” line or use the special “Restore to default” button. It should be noted that if you have previously made any changes to these parameters, then absolutely all values ​​will return to their original form.


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