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Create hidden system folder

Windows Tips & Tricks

Create hidden system folder

»» 21.JAN.2021 / updated: ---/

Create hidden system folder: If you want to create a hidden folder, you can make it easily invisible with the function built into Windows, but this is not a big trick, anyone can access it if they have basic IT knowledge.

However, you can make it more difficult for others to view the folder if you mark it as a protected operating system file, so Windows will not show it even if "Hidden items" is selected in the File Explorer.

Quick Tip: To make hidden files visible, click on any folder and click the "View" button on the top menu bar, then select the "Hidden items" checkbox in the advanced settings menu bar that appear.

More detailed:

If you like the trick, do the following: Create a folder on your desktop.

  1. Right-click a free space on the desktop.
  2. Select the New link from the pop-up menu.
  3. In the new mouse menu that appears, drag (do not click) the cursor to the Folder link.

An icon called "New Folder" has appeared on the desktop, which you can rename as you wish, in this example it will be called "Hidden folder".

Hidden system folder

Quick Tip: Copy or move data, programs, images, videos, documents, etc., which you want to hide in this folder.

How the file becomes invisible:

Simultaneously press the Windows -Logo Windows -Logo + R keys on the keyboard to display the Run window and type the word cmd.

display the Run window

In the Command Prompt window that appears, type (or if possible copy using CTR+C (Copy) and Ctr+V (Paste) on the keyboard) and immediately press Enter:

attrib +s +h "C:\Users\John\Desktop\Hidden folder"

Note: Before + (plus) and C:\ is a space, not elsewhere. Users is the name of the folder on the C: drive (may remain unchanged), replace the name in this example John with the name of the computer you entered when you installed Windows. The Desktop name can remain if you have created a folder called Hidden folder on the desktop.

create a folder called Secret Folder

If you are creating on another partition, you must specify its path. For example, if you created the Secret folder on drive E: \, this is what the path looks like:

attrib +s +h „E:\Hidden folder”

At this point, when you press Enter, the secret folder on your desktop, or on another partition where you created it, disappears, even if "Hidden Items" is selected in File Explorer.

Show folder again

To make the folder visible again, you need to run the same command as for hiding, but this time enter the - (minus) sign instead of the "+" signs.

attrib -s -h "C:\Users\John\Desktop\Hidden folder"

Or: attrib -s -h „E:\Hidden folder”

Good advice:

This trick is not an official Windows service, and in principle should be free of errors, however, if you have hidden various data in the folder and in the meantime forgotten where it is, or do a reinstall, or restore the system, this hidden folder with the data can be easily deleted, or accidentally, therefore, make the file invisible with data at your own risk.

Important: Save the above commands in a separate text file, for example in .txt format, or write it manually on a note, because if you forget it, the stored data may be lost.

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