How to hide files on Windows 11

Windows comes with a powerful search function to find your files and folders in no time. However, there are times when you want to keep your confidential media files and documents away from prying eyes. Thankfully, there are several effective ways to hide those treasured bytes on your Windows laptop.

www.expedia.com/Hotels/WashingtonHotels in Washington, DC - You Qualify - Save 15% or More

Ad

While there are third-party apps to hide personal files on Windows, the built-in methods should be sufficient for most. You can put your files out of sight using File Explorer and the Windows Settings menu and even hide the entire drive on the desktop. Without further ado, let's get started.

Screenshot of a password protected folder in File Explorer and Wise Folder Hider on Windows 11© Provided by XDA Developers

If you want to make sure no one can access your private files, there are a couple of ways you can protect your folders with a password on Windows 11.How to hide files and folders in File Explorer

If you just need to hide a single file or folder, and don’t necessarily care about somebody running a search for the content using the Windows taskbar (don’t worry, we’ll take care of this later), there’s a very simple right-click method for hiding Windows 11 files and folders in File Explorer.

1. Open File Explorer from the Windows taskbar or Start menu. You can also launch the program with the Windows + E keyboard shortcut.
2. Locate the folder or file you want to hide, then right-click it.
3. Click Properties, or use the Alt + Enter keyboard shortcut.
   

   

   Open Folder properties on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers
4. Put a check in the Hidden box (located at the bottom of the dropdown), then click OK.
   

   

   Hide folders on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers
5. You should see a pop-up window that asks if you’d like to Apply changes to the folder only or Apply changes to this folder, sub-folders, and files.
6. After you’ve applied your changes, click OK.
   

   

   Confirm hiding subfolders on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers

File Explorer doesn't hide the folder instantly. It greys out the selected folders and files. Now, you need to tweak the View menu to hide them completely.

1. Press the Windows + E keys to launch File Explorer.
2. Click View at the top and expand Show.
3. Uncheck Hidden items.
   

   

   Enable hidden items on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers
4. You can also click the three-dot menu at the top and select Options.
   

   

   Open File Explorer options on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers
5. Move to View tab.
6. Click the radio button beside Don't show hidden files, or drives.
   

   

   Don't show hidden files on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers

Hide folders with the Windows Settings menu

You can simply hit the Windows key and find your preferred files and folders on your PC. You can make tweaks from Settings and exclude specific folders from appearing in the search results.

1. Press the Windows + I keys to open Settings.
2. Scroll to Privacy and Security.
3. Click Searching Windows.
   

   

   Searching Windows in Settings© Provided by XDA Developers
4. Select Add an excluded folder.
   

   

   Add an excluded folder on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers
5. You should be taken to a This Computer search menu. Locate or search for the folder you want to hide from search results, then click Select Folder.
   

   

   Select a folder to hide on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers
6. That's it. Go ahead and run a search for the file or folder you’ve hidden to make sure it can’t be found.

In the event you want to make these files or folders visible again, repeat the first three steps. When you’re on the excluded content screen, click the three dots icon next to your hidden file/folder, then click Remove.

Related video: How To Do A Clean Install On Windows Script (tom's Hardware)

Video Player is loading.

tom's Hardware

How To Do A Clean Install On Windows Script

How to use PowerShell to hide files and folders

Windows PowerShell is a Microsoft automation tool that lets you type various commands for your OS to carry out. Here’s how to use the program to hide files and folders.

1. Click the Start button
2. Run a search for PowerShell, then click Run as administrator.
3. With PowerShell opened, key in the following command prompts and press Enter after each completed line: $FILE=Get-Item ”path to folder” -Force$FILE.Attributes=”Hidden”$FILE=Get-Item ”C: Users/mike/pictures/dogs” -Force

The first of these two commands will tell your computer where to find the file or folder, and the “path to folder” phrase should be replaced with the actual folder name and its location.

The second command (the “Hidden” one) actually hides the folder. You’ll also want to run this last command if you want to hide all the files stored inside the designated folder.

Get-ChildItem -path “path to folder” -Recurse -Force | foreach {$_.attributes = "Hidden"}

How to hide files and folders through indexing

Do you want to hide specific file extensions like MOVs, FLACs, PNGs, etc., on your PC? Use the classic indexing menu on Windows to make tweaks.

1. Run a search for Indexing options in the Windows taskbar. Hit Enter.
2. On the next screen, click Advanced.
   

   

   Advanced indexing options on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers
3. Go to the File types tab and locate the extension type you’d like to hide.
4. Remove the check from the checkbox and click OK.
   

   

   Hide file type on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers

How to hide a full drive in Windows 11

Finally, you can use the Disk Management tool to hide every type of file and folder on a whole disk. This is definitely an extreme method, though, and you should keep in mind that certain programs and system utilities may not run as they should if vital data can’t be located.

1. Run a search for Disk Management in the Windows taskbar.
2. Hover over the drive you want to modify and right-click.
3. Click Change Drive Letter and Paths.
   

   

   Change drive letter on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers
4. Select the drive you want to hide and click Remove.
   

   

   Remove drive letter on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers
5. Click Yes when the Windows alert appears.

How to unhide files and folders

Not all files and folders need to remain out of sight forever. When you’re ready to unhide media on your Windows machine, here’s how to do so:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click View.
3. Click Show, then click Hidden items.
   

   

   Find hidden files on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers
4. Right-click the file or folder you want unhidden, then click Properties.
   

   

   Open folders properties on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers
5. Click General (located at the top of the Properties menu).
6. Uncheck the Hidden checkbox.
   

   

   Unhide a folder on Windows© Provided by XDA Developers
7. Click OK.

You’ll then be asked if you’d like to apply these changes to the folder, sub-folders, and all files within them. Make your choice, then click OK.

Use third-party apps to hide folders on Windows

If you want more control over hiding files and folders, use third-party apps. There is no shortage of software solutions to hide your files like a pro. Wise Folder Hider is one such app with many pro features. You can hide your files and folders, set second-level password to ensure more protection, hide USB drives and more. You can go with the paid version to enable encryption, too. Folder Lock is another feature-rich app for hiding folders and files on Windows.

www.expedia.com/Amsterdam/Best_HotelsBest Hotels in Amsterdam - You Can Save Time and Money

Ad

Keep your personal files hidden

Hiding files and folders in Windows 11 is a relatively simple process that only takes a minute or two to initiate. In the event that you need to make this content visible again, reverting the steps is just as easy as creating them in the first place.

In addition to the methods outlined above, you can also use a number of encryption utilities to safeguard your Windows data. In fact, one such tool is built right into Windows 11. Known as BitLocker, you can use this application to encrypt entire volumes of your Windows machine. In the event that your PC is lost, stolen, or partially decommissioned, an active BitLocker can prevent others from accessing the contents of your computer.