There are many tips and tricks that can be applied to Windows XP in order to save or hide your private files. Some of these tricks require the use of certain softwares while some tricks require complex manipulation and heavy tweaking to your registry.
Jeff from I am Better Than You has come up with a sweet and simple little trick that can help you make an invisible folder so you can save your private files inside it.
Here is how the trick goes:
- Select the folder you want to make invisible
- Right Click on the folder and click Rename and then remove the current name of the folder. Windows does not allow you to have a nameless folder so to fool windows use the Alt+0160 combination to generate an invisible name for your folder
- Now again Right Click on the nameless folder and select Properties. Go to Customize tab and then click Change Icon
- In the list of icons you will find 2-3 invisible icons. Select one of those invisible icons and press Ok and then again Ok. Congrats now you have an invisible folder
The most brilliant thing about this trick is that it only apparently makes your folder invisible thus blocking eye access to all files inside that folder and only you know where the folder is and can click on it any time just like you would on a normal Windows folder to see all the files hidden inside it.
If the folder view is changed there is gap between folders where the folder is missing.But still a good trick.
Not to try and uselessly link to my blog, but I wrote a couple of weeks back about another way that you can create a secure and locked folder in Windows using some scripts:
http://www.online-tech-tips.com/computer-tips/how-to-create-a-secured-and-locked-folder-in-windows-xp/
You can also check out a cool program called TrueCrypt, which works really well.
The only weak point is that when you refresh the desktop or drive , the folder will get revealed for a fraction of a second . I was using the same trick till my friend found out this way .
that’s a cool trick DJ, now I know how to store my music on my work computer
@ DJ flush
hey good find, I knew both the tricks but never thought of doing it together.
@ Madhur
I think disabling the option “Enable thumbnail caching” will solve the issue. I am not sure though.
All this methods can be exposed if you have another Geek around you.
That is the reason I use free hide to lock the folder.
Alt + 255 is a good alternative for blank character
Nice trick, but as Shivaranjan said all Geeks will be able to find the trick.
Hehe should be good enough for hiding folders from family members who aren’t geeks. As to what the folder contains, who knows? Hehe
Also it shows up when you are viewing in explorer in detail view and it creates a space so it should be rename with z or something but that will defeat the purpose of hiding it. Anyway nice trick but not of much use.
Haha Dj thats a nice trick but as Madhur said the refresh thing is the weak point but i don’t care because no one will figure it out in my case
How do you do the Alt+0160 part?
Nice trick
Me Alt+1060 means that you have to press 1060 on your num pad while holding the Alt key on your keyboard and then release it.
On releasing the Alt key you will get an invisible character. Every alphabet and character on your keyboard can be accessed using a set of combinations using the Alt key.
is there a way without using a program to make the folder uclickable and invisible
Just select your folder, go to ‘file’ scroll down to ‘properties’ and and make your folder hidden. It disappears - you can find it again by doing a ’search’ but you have to know the name of the folder
This is a great trick, I started using it at work just to hide a couple of files (ebooks and stuff) and it is a great way to hide a folder. Unless you are very careful (or know about it) I would say most people don’t even notice the little folder icon with a blank name.
Thank for the info.
Stupid stupid stupid!
Anyone who knows anything thing, even remotely, can do a search for jpgs, mpegs, docs or documents and find what you have hidden on the computer. If it is a keylogger you are trying to hide, they can also do a search for the original keylogger name (or all know keyloggers) even if you changed the name the search still goes back to the file/files. The names of keyloggers are all over the net or the names of pull-down browsers as well. All they need to do is a search for any of these things and busted.
Also all they have to do is a Windows (or other software) run command (all available on the internet even for rookie moms like me) in the all too common “dos” and restore the files (sfc /scannow) to their orginial versions thus erasing everything you saved in these “invisible” files. Or they can do a system restore to the oldest date available and it should tell everything installed on that particular day. Or if they think there are hidden files or just reload the factory software.
The only sure way to keep prying eyes out is to make your folders private and that would only be done in the administrator of the computer’s password-protected access. Sorry to burst that bubble.
From a very clever detective of a mom
How to do delete/remove or unhide that invisible folder?
you put it in the corner of the desktop
Jeez Babs, you need to give your kids some privacy.