Hidden Folders Guide

Why do we need hidden folders? And how can we find them?

Hidden Windows folders are designed to be out of view for a number of reasons, the first is they contain lots of user preferences and having them hidden does maintain a certain amount of privacy.

Secondly they generally contain data which is used by Windows, but in most cases does not need to be seen by anyone using the computer, and just adds to the screen making it look even busier and untidy.

To be able to view or hide your hidden folders – go to Computer or My Computer and select Tools and Folder options - select the view tab – Scroll down to Hidden files and folders and then select your option

Do not show hidden files and folders
Show hidden files and folders

How can I create my own hidden Windows folders and files?
Right click on any file or folder – select properties – Under attributes put a tick in the Hidden box

Why can I still see hidden folders even when I select to hide them?
This is due to the access level of your Windows account; if you have an account with admin rights then you can see everything and making a change to enable the hidden files option does not alter this.

Notes
Hidden folders is not really a way to protect files or folders as it does not offer any security, it more a way to keep things looking tidier by sweeping them under the carpet so to speak.

If you wish to protect files and folders this can be achieved using Windows security to protect the folder and then if you wish also make the folder invisible, but even then Administrator rights rule, so any user with admin rights can take over a folder and see the contents

If you really want to secure your folders against all users, including administrators there are many third party products on the market that will hide folders and implement security which is controlled though high levels of encryption and passwords to prevent unauthorized access.

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