If you share your computer with others, you may want to hide certain files and folders so that people don’t go nosing into your files. The main reason to hide a folder in Windows 10 is privacy. If you have sensitive data that you don’t want anyone to see, hiding your files and folders is a great and easy option to boost your security.
Here’s how you can hide any file or folder on Windows 10.
1. Hide Individual Files/Folders On Windows 10 Using the Command Line
A simple way to hide a file or folder is to change its attributes using the attrib command on the command line. Unsure about using the Windows 10 Command Prompt? Here are our top tips for getting started with the Command Prompt.
Let’s say you want to hide the Sample.mp4 file in the ToHide folder as shown below.
Open the Command Prompt by pressing Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Then, type cmd.exe in the Open box and click OK.
At the prompt, type the following command. Replace the path and file name with the path and file name for the file you want to hide.
attrib C:\Users\Lori\Documents\ToHide\Sample.mp4 +s +hThe +s and +h are the attributes you set for the file. The +s attribute is the System file attribute and indicates the file is for use by the operating system and is not normally displayed in a directory listing. The +h is the Hidden file attribute and indicates the file will not be displayed in a directory listing by default.
The attributes in the command are not case sensitive, so you can use either lowercase or uppercase.
You can generate a list of all hidden (H) and read only (R) files in a directory with the attrib command. pic.twitter.com/DICxzVqxHT
— LitSuppTipoftheNite (@LawTech_7nites) September 6, 2017
When you open the folder in File Explorer that contains the hidden file or folder, it will not be visible. Even going to View > Show/hide and checking the Hidden items box will not show the hidden file or folder.
You can also hide a folder using the attrib command in the following way. Again, replace the path and the folder name with your own.
attrib C:\Users\Lori\Documents\ToHide\AnotherFolder +s +hTo unhide a file or folder, use the same attrib command, replacing the “+” with “–” in front of the “s” and “h” attributes.
attrib C:\Users\Lori\Documents\ToHide\Sample.mp4 -s -hTo learn more about the attrib command, type attrib /? at the command prompt and press Enter.
2. Hide Windows 10 Folders Using File Explorer
Using File Explorer to hide a folder is like using the attrib command described in the previous section, but it’s less secure. Anyone who knows about showing and hiding hidden files in File Explorer can access your files. But if you’re trying to hide data from other family members who are not as tech-savvy as you are, this can work just fine. Hiding files and folders isn’t the only trick the File Explorer has up its sleeve, either. Check out the best File Explorer tricks and tips to take control of your file management.
You can set the Hidden attribute for the selected files or folder in File Explorer. But, first, you need to make sure files and folders with the Hidden attribute do not show in File Explorer. To do this, go to View tab > Options and select Change folder and search options.
On the View tab, select Don’t show hidden files, folders, or drives under Advanced settings and click OK.
To hide one or more files or folders, select the files or folders, right-click on them, and select Properties.
On the General tab on the Properties dialog box, check the Hidden box in the Attributes section. To prevent the files or folders from appearing in Windows search results, click Advanced.
Then, uncheck the boxes in the File attributes section of the Advanced Attributes dialog box and click OK.
To unhide the files or folder, go back to the Properties dialog box for the files or folders in question, and uncheck the Hidden box in the Attributes section.
3. Hide Entire Drives on Windows 10 Using the Registry Editor
This method hides an entire drive instead of just selected files or folders on the drive.
Note: This procedure involves changing the registry. Before you begin, I strongly suggest you back up your registry. You should also check out our tips for not accidentally messing up the Windows registry.
If you’re not comfortable using the Windows registry or are unsure as to what the Windows Registry even is, you can find another method for hiding an entire drive in the Hide Entire Drives Using the Disk Management Utility section below.
To begin, open the Registry Editor by pressing Windows key+R to open the Run dialog box. Then, type regedit in the Open box and click OK.
Navigate to the following key in the left pane.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\ExplorerRight-click on the Explorer key and go to New > DWORD (32-bit) Value.
Name the new value NoDrives and then double-click on it.
On the Edit DWORD (32-bit) Value dialog box, select Decimal as the Base. Then, enter a number that corresponds to the drive or drives, you want to hide. To find out which number to use, see the table below the following image.
Find the letter for the drive you want to hide in the table below. Enter the number associated with that drive letter in the Value data box for the NoDrives value in the registry. In our example, I entered 64 to hide my G: drive.
If you want to hide more than one drive, add the numbers for all the drive letters you want to hide and enter the total in the Value data box.
After you restart your computer, you will not see the drive in File Explorer.
To show the drive again, go back into the Registry Editor and delete the NoDrives value under the HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer key and restart your computer again.
4. Hide Entire Drives Using the Disk Management Utility
If you’d rather not edit the registry, you can hide an entire drive using the Disk Management utility. This utility shows you all the internal and external drives connected to your computer.
Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog box. Then, type diskmgmt.msc in the Open box and click OK.
Right-click the drive you want to hide (in the top or bottom section) and select Change Drive Letter and Paths.
On the Change Drive Letter and Paths dialog box, select the drive letter, click Remove, and then click OK.
A warning dialog box displays telling you that some programs rely on drive letters and may not work if you remove the drive letter. If you’re sure you want to hide the drive, click Yes to remove the drive letter.
The letter is removed from the drive in the Disk Management Utility.
Once you close and reopen File Explorer, the drive will not be visible and will not be included in Windows search results.
To make the drive visible again, go back into the Disk Management utility and open the Change Drive Letter and Paths dialog box for the hidden drive. Then, click Add.
Make sure Assign the following drive letter is selected (it should be by default). Select the drive letter you want to assign to it from the dropdown list, and click OK.
You must close and reopen File Explorer to see the drive again.
5. Hide Folders in Windows 10 Using Third-Party Software
All the methods mentioned above are not as secure as hiding AND password protecting files and folders. Here are some third-party software options for you to consider.
FileFriend
In FileFriend, use the JPK tab to hide files or folders in a JPEG image and add a password to protect the hidden files. FileFriend also allows you to enter text that you want to hide in the image directly in the program, without having to create a text file to hide in the image (using the JTX tab).
Other features of FileFriend include splitting or joining files and encrypting files and folders.
Download: FileFriend for Windows (Free)
Secret Disk
Secret Disk allows you to create a virtual drive, or repository, that’s invisible and password protected. Another layer of security is added with a PIN that’s required to open the Secret Disk program.
When the repository is visible, it displays with a drive letter in File Explorer. You can copy files and folders to it, and work with it in any program, just like any other drive. Then, you can hide the repository again and it becomes invisible.
Secret Disk does not need to format your hard drive or make any other changes to your system. It also does not encrypt any files or folders. It just limits access to them by hiding, and password-protecting, the repository.
The Basic version of Secret Disk is free. The PRO version will set you back $14.95 for its added features, including the ability to have more than one repository and choosing the drive letter for each repository.
The repository password and the PIN for opening the program are optional in the PRO version, although these are good features to leave enabled. To upgrade, click the handy PRO version button in the program.
Download: Secret Disk for Windows (Free)
Easy File Locker
Easy File Locker is an easy to use freeware utility that allows you to hide and lock files and folders from other people and from programs. The locked files and folders are protected from opening, modifying, deleting, moving, renaming, or copying. All files and subfolders in a locked folder are protected.
Set a password to open the program by going to System > Set Password. You don’t have to set a password, but, if you don’t, anyone will be able to open the program, turn off the protection for your files and folders, and have access to them.
Use the Add File and Add Folder buttons to add files and folders to Easy File Locker. Double-click on a file or folder in the list to change its permissions (Accessible, Writable, Deletable, Visible).
Protect the selected files and folders using the Start Protection button. Make the files and folder visible again by clicking the Stop Protection button.
Download: Easy File Locker for Windows (Free)
My Lockbox
My Lockbox allows you to hide and password-protect almost any folder on your computer.
While you’re installing My Lockbox, you’ll be asked for the location of the folder you want to hide and protect. When the installation is finished, that folder is automatically hidden and locked.
Two icons are added to your desktop. The My Lockbox icon allows you to quickly unlock and open your protected folder. For more options, use the My Lockbox Control Panel icon. Once you enter your password, the following window displays:
Use Set folder to change the folder you want to protect and Remove to permanently unlock the protected folder and remove it from the program. The Open button automatically unlocks and opens the protected folder. Lock and Unlock the folder using the buttons on the left. Click Advanced for more options and other settings.
The freeware version of My Lockbox allows you to hide and protect one folder with an unlimited number of subfolders.
You can upgrade to the Professional edition if you need to protect more than one folder. However, you can put all the files and folders you want to hide and protect into one folder and use the free version if you don’t mind looking at the bright orange ad for My Lockbox PRO.
Download: My Lockbox for Windows (Free)
Windows 10 File Hiding Methods That Didn’t Work
In addition to the methods covered above, I also tried the two methods below and failed to get them to work. For the sake of completeness, you can check them out below. Please leave us a comment in case you had more luck than I did!
Hide Windows 10 Files/Folders in a JPEG Image
I tested the method of hiding files in a JPEG image using the command line and found success when adding a RAR file to a JPEG image using the following command:
copy /b C:\Path\To\File\OriginalImage.jpg + FilesToHide.rar C:\Path\To\File\NewImageWithHiddenFiles.jpg
However, I could not extract the files once they were added to the JPEG image file, even using a variety of file extraction programs, such as 7-Zip, WinRAR, and PeaZip.
Hiding a file or folder in a JPEG image is possible using the free tool FileFriend, which is discussed in the Hide a Folder on Windows Using Third-Party Software section above.
FileFriend lets you password protect, split and join and password protect your files, even inside images. https://t.co/sZfG3knnGM pic.twitter.com/bizMn7fycO
— MajorGeeks (@majorgeeks) April 9, 2017
Hide Folders in Windows 10 by Redirecting to the Control Panel
There is another method you can try that attempts to hide a folder by redirecting it to the Control Panel. You basically create two batch files, one that locks the folder and one that unlocks it. When the folder is locked, opening it takes you to the Control Panel.
However, I tested this on Windows 7, 8, and 10 and could not get it to work. The lock batch file successfully renamed the folder. But I could open it and view the contents anyway.
Create a folder and rename it to "Control Panel.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}"now when you open it, control panel folder will open.
— Rahul Singh (@RahulS1ngh) October 20, 2009
If you want to test it yourself, create a folder called Users or Fonts (or something else related to the Control Panel) and put the files you want to hide into it. Then, create a new text file and copy and paste the following line into it.
Replace Users with the name of your folder. Save this file as lock.bat.
ren Users Users.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}Then, create another new text file and copy and paste the following line into it. Again, replace Users with the name of your folder. Save this file as key.bat.
ren Users.{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D} UsersBoth batch files should be in the same folder as the folder you’re hiding (not in the folder). Double-click the lock.bat file to redirect the folder to the Control Panel, hiding the contents of the folder. To unlock the folder, double-click the key.bat file. You should not leave the key.bat file with the folder you’re hiding. Only copy it there to unlock the folder. Then, remove it.
Please let us know if this works for you in the comments below.
You Can Hide Any File or Folder In Windows 10
Hiding files and folders with no password protection should not lull you into a false sense of security. You should not use these methods (except the third-party tools with password protection) to protect very private and sensitive files and folders.
These methods are ways to make your information not obvious to anyone looking over your shoulder or briefly using your computer while you watch.
Hiding your files and folders in Windows 10 isn’t the only option you have for protection. You can also encrypt files and folders using an encryption tool, like VeraCrypt. Alternatively, you can encrypt your entire drive using Bitlocker.
Read the full article: How to Hide Files, Folders, and Drives in Windows 10
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