By Sophia | Last Updated
It is well known that all folders on your PC can be opened directly by double-clicking on them. The security and privacy of files have always been a concern for many users, especially for those who need to share the same computer with others. If you do not protect your folders, others may see some confidential documents and information when they borrow your PC. Therefore, it is important to prevent private folders on your PC from being viewed. The following are the most effective ways to achieve this goal. Keep reading and you'll find what works best for you.
The advantage of this method is that it is simple to operate; the disadvantage is that most computer users are aware of this method and it is easy to be detected and the risk of disclosure is high.
Step 1: Use WIN+E to open File Explorer and find the file you need to hide. Right click and select Properties.
Step 2: Under the General tab, check the Hidden option and click OK to complete the change. When finished, the file or folder is invisible.
Step 3: A point worth noting is that if your folders are not already hidden, it is because the system's hide function is not switched on. So you need to press WIN+E to open File Explorer. Move to the View tab and click on Options.
Step 4: Switch to the View tab, then find and check Don't show hidden files, folders, or drives, click Apply and OK to finish the settings. In this way, the hidden folders are not visible on your PC.
Using the Registry Editor, you can hide the most recently used files in Quick access.
Step 1: Press Win+R at the same time to open the Run dialog box and type regedit to open registry editor.
Step 2: Locate the following path in the Registry Editor. Then delete the folders under DelegateFolders to hide the recently used files and folders.
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\HomeFolderDesktop\NameSpace\DelegateFolders
{3134ef9c-6b18-4996-ad04-ed5912e00eb5}: Recent files
{3936E9E4-D92C-4EEE-A85A-BC16D5EA0819}: Frequent folders
Tip: To display the most recently used files in Quick Access again, simply repeat the above steps and create two new folders under DelegateFolders.
Apart from using the functions that come with Windows to set files and folders to hidden properties, you can use the software iSunshare SafeFile Genius to disguise folders.
Step 1: Download and install SafeFile Genius on your PC.
Step 2: Click on the Change icon option in the main screen.
Step 3: Click on the folder button in the top right to select the folder you want to disguise. Then click Next.
Step 4: Select an icon to replace your folder icon. e.g. the Control Panel icon, then click the OK button.
Step 5: When finished, a successful disguise message will appear, click OK to close the dialog box. You will notice that the icon for this folder has changed to a Control Panel icon and if you double click on it, the normal Control Panel screen will open as well. The files in the folder are disguised and hidden, and you can rename them and drag them to the desktop without the average person noticing anything unusual.
Extra tip: If you change your mind and want to restore the folder icon, simply select the folder you disguised and click the Restore icon button and click OK. Once this is done, you will be able to view the files in the folder.
iSunshare SafeFile Genius can also encrypt your private folders or files in any partition of the system and can set read-only permissions for the folders and can hide the encrypted folders. Here are the specific steps to follow.
Step 1: Click on the Encrypt button in the main screen.
Step 2: Select the files or folders you need to encrypt from your PC. Then click on Next button to continue.
Step 3: Set a password of at least 6 digits for your private folder and click the Encrypt button.
Step 4: Once the task is completed, a status indication of successful encryption will appear.
Step 5: You can also go one step further to protect your encrypted private folders by setting your folder properties to read-only and hidden. Simply go back to the main screen and click on the Read-Only & Hidden button.
Step 6: Select an encrypted file or folder from your local computer, then check the Read-Only and Hide buttons, finally click on Setting.
Step 7: Once the task is completed, an indication of successful properties modification will appear.
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