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How to hide the win folder 7. How to hide a folder or file in Windows. What is it for

Users of Windows 7 and other editions of the OS from Microsoft can set the attributes of any folder, except for some system ones.

What is an attribute

Attribute is metadata describing additional parameters of the file / directory. In comparison with other metadata concerning folders, the concept of "attribute" does not include the date of creation and modification of the directory, the rights to access it.

For an ordinary user, the presence of such metadata means that he can make directories in Windows invisible in Explorer and file managers, archive and index files located in the directory, as well as compress data to save disk space and encrypt the contents of the directory. From the entire list, we are interested in the ability to hide the folder.

How to assign attributes

In any Windows that has been released over the past 15 years, it is extremely easy to create hidden directories, so any user can handle the task. Let's consider how this is done, and in several ways.

It is unreliable to use the proposed method to hide confidential data: any user will be able to discover hidden folders and the information they contain. Therefore, the method can only be used to temporarily hide data from users less aware of the intricacies of the Windows file system, for example, very young users.

Launch Explorer and open the folder or drive where the target directory is located (which we want to hide).
Call its context menu using the context menu or the Alt + Tab combination.

In the window that opens, on the first tab "General", we find the "Attributes" field located at the bottom, and put a tick next to "Hidden".

Click "Apply".
When a window appears to confirm the change of attributes, select a satisfying condition and click "OK".

We re-enter the folder where our hidden object is located, or update the contents of the explorer by clicking F5.

The folders are dyed in a less vivid color. This symbolizes that everything worked out.

We activate the option to not display hidden directories

To prevent directories with the "Hidden" attribute from being visible in Windows Explorer, you must disable the option to display hidden objects.

We call the explorer window by going to any directory, on a disk or by starting "My Computer".
We call the item of the main menu called "Arrange".

If it is not there, press the hardware Alt key.

We activate the "View" tab and move down the list of additional parameters.
Move the checkbox to the "Do not show ..." position, so that hidden directories become invisible to the user.

To let Windows start rendering objects with the "Hidden" attribute back, move the switch to "Show ...".

Save the new parameters for displaying hidden objects by clicking "Apply".
We get acquainted with the information in the warning dialog and take note of the information provided.

Close the settings window.

Working with hidden directories in Total Commander

When using the file manager on a computer as an alternative to a primitive explorer, Total Commander and other analogs also allow you to change the attributes of directories and files located in them.

Move the cursor to the required directory or select it.
Call the dialog for changing object attributes in Total Commader.
Check the "h Hidden" option.

Click "OK". The catalog display color has changed.

To enable the option of not displaying hidden objects, call the "Settings" located in the "Configuration" item of the main menu.

On the "Content of panels" tab, deactivate the "Show hidden files" option and save the new configuration.

We will not consider working with attributes via the command line in view of the fact that this method of hiding folders will seem difficult to the majority of beginners.

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Your privacy is under threat all the time, especially when it comes to your computer, and the danger is especially strong when you have to share a PC with other family members or comrades. Perhaps you have files that you would rather not show to others and would rather keep them in a hidden location. This tutorial will show you three ways to quickly and easily hide folders in Windows 7 and Windows 8.

It should be noted that none of these solutions will allow you to hide your folders from an experienced user. For really important and secret information, I would recommend more advanced solutions that not only hide data, but also encrypt it - even an archive with a password to open can be more serious protection than hidden Windows folders.

A much more convenient way to hide folders in Windows is to use the special Free Hide Folder program, which you can download for free here: http://www.cleanersoft.com/hidefolder/free_hide_folder.htm. Do not confuse this program with another product - Hide Folders, which also allows you to hide folders, but is not free.

After downloading, simple installation and launching the program, you will be asked to enter a password and its confirmation. The next window will ask you to enter an optional registration code (the program is free and you can also get the key for free), you can skip this step by clicking "Skip".

Now, to hide the folder, click the Add button in the main program window and specify the path to your secret folder. A warning will appear stating that, just in case, you should click the Backup button, which will save the backup information of the program, in case it is accidentally deleted, so that after reinstalling you can access the hidden folder. Click "Ok". The folder will disappear.

Now, the folder hidden with Free Hide Folder is not visible anywhere in Windows - it cannot be found through the search and the only way to access it is to start the Free Hide Folder program again, enter the password, select the folder you want to show and click "Unhide" as a result of which the hidden folder will appear in its original location. The method is much more effective, the only thing is to save the backup data that the program asks for, so that in case of accidental deletion, you can again access the hidden files.

A cool way to hide a folder in Windows

And now I'll tell you about one more, rather interesting way to hide the Windows folder in any picture. Let's say you have a folder with files important for you and a photo of a cat.

Do the following:

Zip the entire folder with your files into a zip or rar archive.
Place the picture with the cat and the created archive in one folder, preferably closer to the root of the disk. In my case - C: \\ remontka \\
Press Win + R, enter cmd and press Enter.
At the command prompt, navigate to the folder where the archive and photo are stored using the cd command, for example: cd C: \\remontka \\
Enter the following command (the file names are taken from my example, the first file is the image of the cat, the second is the archive that contains the folder, the third is the new image file) COPY /Bkotik.jpg +secret-files.rarsecret-image.jpg
After the command is executed, try to open the created secret-image.jpg file - the same cat that was in the first image will open. However, if you open the same file through an archiver, or rename it to rar or zip, then when you open it, we will see our secret files.

Hidden folder in picture

Here is such an interesting way that allows you to hide a folder in an image, while the photo for people who do not know will be an ordinary photo, and you can extract the necessary files from it.

If you find this article useful or interesting, please share it with others using the buttons below.

Windows developers have provided many ways to protect the OS from illiterate user actions - for example, hide important files from view, the deletion of which may entail the need to completely reinstall the system. However, in many cases, users still need to open hidden folders in Windows 7.

Purpose of hidden files

The function of hiding important elements appeared along with the first operating systems and was initially used only by developers. In later versions of Windows and MacOS, users also have the ability to remove their own files from public access. The most common use of this option is to:

hide personal information from colleagues who have access to a computer;
protect children from content that is inappropriate for age;
make invisible folders that are not needed at the moment, so that they do not interfere with work.

To protect important information, you can set a password on the folder, but this method has two significant drawbacks: firstly, a closed directory can be hacked, and secondly, the presence of a password does not protect against the possibility of deletion.

Therefore, hiding folders is one of the most effective methods to ensure the safety of data.

System folders in the tester's work

Beta testers are users who volunteer to test early versions of software and operating systems. These users are faced with the task of identifying possible errors in the functioning of the test object and reporting them to the developers. During the installation of the tested software, a huge number of hidden folders are created, the contents of which are necessary for conducting checks and generating reports:

When testing computer games, it is often necessary to replace your own saves with those provided by the developer. And since the necessary files are usually stored not in the application folder, but in the hidden directory "AppData", it will not work to replace it without additional actions.
To check the installation process, the installation procedure must be repeated many times, using various settings options and each time making sure that not a single file created at the previous stage remains on the computer. Most installers create data in hidden temporary directories, without access to which correct testing will become impossible.
When mobile applications fail, developers usually ask testers to provide a crash log - a file containing technical information about the situation that occurred on the user's device. This data is also stored in invisible folders - "ProgramData" or "AppData".

Browsing invisible directories

Information on how to see hidden folders in Windows 7 can be useful not only for a tester, but also for an ordinary user. You can view them in two ways: by changing the corresponding system settings, or using special applications.

System settings

The easiest way to enable the display of hidden files is in the Folder Options menu. To enter it, you need to perform the following operations:

The options menu can also be accessed by opening any folder and pressing the Alt key... After that, an additional panel will be displayed at the top of the screen, where you will need to select the "Service" item and open the corresponding category in the drop-down menu.

Third party software

You can show hidden folders in Windows 7, as in most operating systems of this family, using the Total Commander file manager. To do this, you need to make very simple manipulations:

All the described methods will allow you to see both hidden folders on Windows 7, and files created by the system or users on removable drives. However, it must be remembered that thoughtlessly changing system information can lead to the most unpleasant consequences, up to the need to completely reinstall the OS.

Create secret folders

As mentioned, making directories invisible in Explorer is a pretty surefire way to keep sensitive information out of prying eyes. Therefore, it is very useful to know not only how to open hidden files on a USB flash drive or HDD, but also how to hide them yourself.

The easiest way to make a folder invisible is to change its properties:

Right-click on the directory you want to hide and go to the Properties section in the pop-up menu.
In the window that opens, check the box next to the "Hidden" attribute.
Click on the "Other" button and uncheck the box "Allow to index the contents of files ...".
Confirm the changes made by pressing the "Apply" and "OK" buttons.
In any convenient way, enter the "Folder Options" menu, mark the "Do not show hidden files ..." attribute and apply the settings.

After performing the described manipulations, the marked directory will no longer be displayed in Explorer. Of course, this method also has disadvantages - making a folder visible is just as easy as hiding it.

Special utilities can also help hide important information - for example, the free and easy-to-use Free Hide Folder:

Download, install and run the program, enter the password you thought up earlier and confirm it.
Click the Add button and specify the path to the directory you want to hide.
Click OK.

Information hidden in this way cannot be found, even by enabling the display of invisible files in the system settings. The only way to restore access to it is to reopen the utility, enter the correct password, select a hidden directory and press the Unhide button. Before hiding files in this way, you need to take care of creating a backup copy - this is necessary so that if you accidentally delete the program, you do not lose data.

All the ways to open hidden files on Windows 7 are extremely simple and understandable even for inexperienced users.

But you need to remember that important system folders are usually invisible, to work with which you need to be clearly aware of your actions and understand the possible risks.

How can you open hidden folders in Windows 7

Surely, every user of a personal computer sooner or later came across such a phenomenon as disappearance some files or folders from a hard disk or other storage device. You cannot find them where they simply have to be.

In such a situation, most ordinary PC users immediately have only one thought - someone deleted the data. However, their sudden disappearance may be related not only to this. They often just invisible.

Later in the article we will look at the main ways of how to show hidden folders and files on the example of the operating system Windows 7 (however, the same will work on XP, Vista, 7 and 8). But first, let's tell you why, after all, such situations arise.

File and folder attributes or how data becomes hidden

As you know, any modern operating system has many options for managing files and folders. This is not only the well-known operations for creating, deleting, copying and moving data, as well as operations for setting them up. Each file or folder can be assigned a so-called attributeresponsible for certain properties of the object. For example, a file can be assigned an attribute such as “ Only reading”, And the user will no longer be able to edit it, since the system itself will not allow him to do this.

They also include the attribute - " Hidden". As the name suggests, it will make the object invisible. And if the system is not configured to display such objects, the user will not see elements hidden in this way.

It's easy to make files or folders invisible. To do this, you just need to go to properties the desired object and assign this attribute to it.

Hence it begs output - any user can make any element hidden.

But if I didn’t hide my files and folders and nobody else uses my computer, what then?

If in your case any elements from the disk disappeared by themselves, then the answer is obvious - the virus programs have worked.

Unfortunately, manage attributes files can not only users, but also any programs... There are many different virus programs on the network that, once entering the system, can do whatever they want with its settings and data stored on the disk. If, in your case, such viruses have hidden some of your folders or files, then do not worry - there are more of them. can I return.

There are many ways to open hidden folders in Windows 7. Let's consider the simplest of them.

Setting up the system

Each operating system (including all versions of Windows from XP and even earlier up to 10th) has internal settings responsible for displaying any data stored on the disk and any other media. So, to make files and folders visible, you need to do the following:

This method is suitable if files and folders hidden on your computer had only the “ Hidden". Usually when they work viruses, they additionally make objects systemicwhich it will still be impossible to see, even if you enable them to be viewed in this way... To find such files, in the menu " Folders settings"You must additionally uncheck the box" Hide protected system files", as it shown on the picture:

When you try to uncheck this item, the system will issue a warning that this is not recommended. It's okay - just agree.

Unfortunately, and it doesn't always helpsince some viruses can easily change system settings immediately after the user tries to enable or disable certain OS parameters. In such cases, programs come to the rescue that can "see" hidden objects. One of these is Total Commander... This is a file manager, very similar in functionality to the standard " Windows explorer».

Using Total Commander

Finding this program on the Internet is not difficult. Although it is paid, you can use it for free for a while - this is more than enough to see all hidden folders or files on the system.

First download Total Commander and install the app. After launching it, you will see a window divided into two panels - they display folders and files on the disk.

Initially, the program does not allow you to see hidden items - you must enable this function. To do this, open the menu " Configuration"(At the top of the window), and then click on the item" Setting ...».

It remains to find the item " Panel content". We go into it and put a tick on “ Show hidden files"And" Show system files", Then click Apply. Now the program will see hidden objects.

In the picture below, you can see that some folders are displayed with a red “ ! ».

These are hidden folders.

How to hide folders and files in Windows 7

Publication date: 2013-09-15

In this tutorial, you will learn how to make hidden files and folders on a Windows 7 computer and also how to see them.

This can be useful in cases where you want to hide your personal files from other users, or vice versa - to see hidden system folders.

See detailed instructions in the video and text below:

Text version of the lesson.

In order to hide a folder or file, click on the folder (file) with the right mouse button and in the context menu select "Properties":

In the tab "General" set the attribute (folder property) to "Hidden" and press "OK":

We confirm the change of the folder attributes, while you can choose what to hide - only the folder, or the folder and its subfolders and files.

The folder is now hidden.

If you have enabled the display of hidden files and folders in your settings, then the hidden folder will look like this:

The hidden folder is a little lighter regular folders.

In order to completely hide the folder, go to "Control Panel".

To do this, click "Start - Control Panel":

And choose "Folders settings":

If your control panel displays as categories, then you need to go to the section "Design and personalization"

and choose "Folders settings":

In the folder settings, go to the tab "View".

AT "Additional parameters" go down below and in the menu "Hidden files and folders" select "Do not show hidden files, folders and drives":

Click " apply " and the folder that we hid is no longer visible in the explorer:

If, on the contrary, you need to see hidden folders, then go to "Control Panel" and in "Folder options" turn on "Show hidden files, folders and drives":

So, we looked at how to hide folders and files from other users.

But this method is not advisable to use to hide important files - to protect personal information, use more reliable methods, for example, create encrypted virtual disk.

You will learn how to do this in one of the following lessons.

Hiding hidden elements of the file system in Windows 7

The file system on a computer actually looks completely different from how an ordinary user sees it. All important system elements are marked with a special attribute "Hidden" - this means that when a certain parameter is activated, these files and folders will be visually hidden from Explorer. With the option enabled "Show hidden files and folders" these elements are visible as slightly faint icons.

With all the convenience for experienced users who often access hidden files and folders, the active display option jeopardizes the existence of this very data, because it is in no way protected from accidental deletion by an inattentive user (excluding items with the owner "System"). To increase the security of storing important data, it is strongly recommended to hide it.

We visually remove hidden files and folders

These locations usually store files that are needed by a running system, its programs and components. These can be settings, cache, or license files that are of particular value. If the user does not often refer to the contents of these folders, then to visually free up space in the windows "Explorer" and to ensure the safety of the storage of this data, a special parameter must be deactivated.

This can be done in two ways, which will be discussed in detail in this article.

Method 1: "Explorer"

On the desktop, double click on the shortcut "My computer"... A new window will open "Explorer".

In the upper left corner, select the button "Arrange", after which, in the context menu that opens, click on the item Folder and Search Options.

After that, check for a check mark in the parameter just above - "Hide protected system files"... It must be in place to ensure maximum safety of critical objects. This completes the setting, at the bottom of the window, click in turn on the buttons "Apply" and "OK"... Check the display of hidden files and folders - they should no longer be in Explorer windows.

Method 2: Start Menu

The setting in the second method will take place in the same window, but the method of accessing these parameters will be slightly different.

"Start"

"Show hidden files and folders"

Menu "Start" will close, and the user will immediately see the parameters window from the method above. All that remains is to scroll down the slider and adjust the above parameters.

For comparison, a screenshot will be presented below, which will show the difference in display with different parameters in the root of the system partition of a conventional computer.

Included display of hidden files and folders, included display of protected system elements.
Included displaying system files and folders, disabled displaying protected system files.
Disabled show all hidden items in "Explorer".

Thus, absolutely any user in just a few clicks can edit the display parameters of hidden elements in "Explorer"... The only requirement for this operation is that the user has administrative rights or permissions that will allow him to make changes to the settings of the Windows operating system.

Many people want to hide photos or other personal data from prying eyes. Hiding folders with this information in the wilds of your hard drive is not the best solution. It is much more efficient to make the directory with confidential files invisible to other computer users. Today we will consider:

how to assign the "Hidden" attribute to any file / directory to which you have access;
how to hide hidden folders in Windows 7.

An invisible file or directory in the "Seven" differs from others only by the presence of the "Hidden" attribute. It describes additional metadata for an object. If you hide something in Windows, then the object's icon will have a reduced brightness, and when the system is prohibited from showing hidden folders and files, they will disappear from the "Explorer" window.

This does not apply to most file managers, for example, Total Commander. The program has its own engine for working with the file system, so it allows you to see hidden folders on Windows 7, even if they are invisible in Explorer.

How to make a folder hidden

Before hiding any directory in Win 7, it must be made invisible, that is, assign the appropriate attribute.

We perform the right click on the desired directory and call it "Properties".

In the pop-up window, select the appropriate option and click "OK".

"Conductor".

We activate the "View" tab by clicking on its name.

If the icons of the "Control Panel" are ungrouped by thematic categories, go to the subsection "Design and Personalization", where we click on the link "Show hidden ...".

To make hidden folders invisible on a laptop or computer with Windows 7, in the "Advanced Settings" section, scroll through the list of options to the end.

Move the trigger switch for the last option to the first position and click "OK".

We go into the directory where our hidden directory is located, and see if it is visible.

Objects are selected using Spacebar or right-clicking.

We call "File" from the main menu and click on the first option "Change attributes ...".

Check the box next to the "Hidden" parameter using the H button or the left key and click "OK".

After that, the hidden folder will disappear from the panel.

Now let's look at how to see a hidden folder in order to work with its contents. It is easy to do this, but for a beginner, the task may be overwhelming, because the required command is not available in the main menu.

From the main menu, call the "Configuration" item and open the "Settings" program.

Go to the "Panel Content" tab.

Check the first option and save the new parameters.

To remove the attribute, execute the command "attrib -h" XXX "", where the minus is responsible for removing the attribute "Hide" - "Hidden".

This method is more effective for two reasons:

does not require a lot of clicks and transitions through various windows and menus;
by no means all users will understand what you are doing on the command line - this will not raise unnecessary suspicion on the part of a spouse, employee or other person who has access to the PC.

A computer with Windows 7 has the ability to hide any objects in the file system from prying eyes. We have provided three ways to hide directories (and files too), and also told how to see hidden folders in Explorer and the most common file manager.

As an afterword, you can familiarize yourself with the presented information in visual form on the videos below.

The problem of protecting information from prying eyes is very relevant if relatives, colleagues or friends have access to your computer. You probably have files that are not intended for public viewing. This article will discuss how to hide and protect such information.

The methods that I will show will not hide the folder from an advanced PC user, but protection from inexperienced ones will be reliable. Encryption can provide effective protection. How to do it is written at the end of this manual.

I would like to point out that there are more effective methods of data protection. For instance, . It's easy to hide one of the methods too. The use cases will run on Windows 7.

Hide in Windows settings

The easiest way is to turn off the display of hidden folders. Anyone familiar with this setting can easily find the hidden folder.

To do this, go to Start Menu \u003e\u003e Control Panel ( pretend to be big icons) \u003e\u003e Folder options.

Then go to the "View" tab and check the box "Do not show hidden files, folders and drives" as in the image below.

Now you need to go to properties. Call the context menu with the right button and select it.

Here check the "Hidden" attribute and save the result.

This will hide the folder. To see it, you need to turn on the display of hidden elements again.

This video shows 1 more method using num numbers on the keyboard ( may be absent) to make the name and icon invisible on the desktop. Perfect for use with other methods.

Change in appearance

The whole point is to change the name and icon. I'll show you with my example. This is what my hidden folder looks like.

To do it, go to the properties.

Select the "Settings" tab and in it find the "Change Icon" button as in the image below.

Select a printer-like icon ( or whatever you like) and rename the folder accordingly to permanently mask it.

Outwardly, no one will guess that you have any files stored there. Can be combined effectively with the other two.

Advanced way

In this method, you need to pack the folder and the picture into an archive. Change the program to open by default and change the icon. Double-clicking will open the image, and opening with the archiver will open a hidden folder.

Before that, you should prepare. Make extensions invisible in the folder options if they are visible.

Now find any ordinary picture. Select it along with the folder and create an archive.

Then rename it under the name of the image and go to properties. Here you will need to change the application with which the archive will open.

Select the application with which you usually open images.

Half done, but the badge looks unnatural. We need to fix this. Download the utility for changing icons and run. It doesn't require installation. Go to the file extension.

Here in the search enter the extension of your archive. I have a ZIP.

Now select the icon that appears on the rest of the images.

It should look something like mine. Now, to get to the hidden folder, select in the context menu \u003e\u003e open with \u003e\u003e Windows Explorer ( or archiver). A simple opening will show a picture.

But unfortunately there are 2 drawbacks:

The icon and program for opening changes for all archives with a specific extension.
The file type is not hidden in the properties.

If these shortcomings do not bother you, then feel free to use it.

Forbidden File Program

This program does not hide, but encrypts the folder, thereby providing reliable information protection. It is very convenient and can be used in conjunction with other methods. The main thing is not to forget the decryption password.

Access will be possible only with a password and this program. If you forget it, you will lose your files forever.

I will show an example of use on my folder ( sitemozg). Download it and. Run the source. You will see a window in which you need to specify the path to the folder.

Indicate the path.

Now enter the password and check the box to delete the original file. Perform encryption.

Since the program does not require installation, it can be stored on a USB flash drive.

The .ciphered extension will be added to all files stored in this folder.

The opening process is just as simple. Run the program and in the "Decryption" tab specify the path to the folder, and then enter the password. Click "Decrypt" as in the image below.

Then go into it and you will see that the extension ( .ciphered) is gone and you can safely work with files. Don't forget to encrypt again when you're done.

Which way did you use?

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