How to hide files and folders on Windows 10
When you have a file or folder you want to keep away from prying eyes, use this guide to hide them on Windows 10.
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It doesn’t matter the kind of content you keep on your computer, you’ll always have reasons to hide certain files and folders. Perhaps you have important documents and videos that you want to keep under wraps or prevent users from accidentally deleting certain files if you share your PC with others.
For whatever reason, onWindows 10, you can quickly hide a file or folder in two different ways, including using File Explorer or the “attrib” command-line tool with Command Prompt.
Thisguidewill walk you through the easy steps to hide a file and folder on Windows 10. In addition, you’ll learn the steps to access those hidden items as needed.
How to hide files and folders from File Explorer
To hide files and folders through File Explorer on Windows 10, use these steps:
Once you complete the steps, the hidden items will not be visible anymore, as Windows 10 doesn’t show hidden files by default.
If you want to access your hidden items, you’ll have to type the complete path to the hidden folder or file you want to open and pressEnter—for example,C:\Users\admin\Desktop\Files\Secret Files\Great Secret.txt.
Or you can openFile Explorer, click on the"View"tab, and check the"Hidden items"option. Then you can browse your hidden items as you normally do with other content.
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At any time, you can make the files and folders visible again by using the same steps mentioned above, but this time onstep 4make sure to clear theHiddenoption.
How to hide files and folders from Command Prompt
Alternatively, you can also use Command Prompt to hide files and folders on Windows 10.
To hide files and folders with commands on Windows 10, use these steps:
In the command, replace the path after"cd"with the path to your file or folder.
In the command, replace"Secret Files"with the name of your folder or file. Quotation marks are only necessary when there are spaces in the name.
After you complete the steps, only the folder will be hidden, but the files and subfolders inside the folder will still be visible to anyone who know the path.
Hide subfolders
If you want to hide a folder with files and subfolders, which you also want to keep hidden, then you’ll need to use these steps:
In the command, replace"SECRET-FILES-LOCATION"with the name of your hidden folder.
After completing the steps, the items with the hidden attribute will no longer be visible.
Unhide files and folders
To make files and folders visible again with Command Prompt, use these steps:
In the command, replace the path after"cd"with the path to your file or folder.
In the command, replace"Secret Files"with the name of your folder or file. Quotation marks are only necessary when there are spaces in the name.
Once you complete the steps, the folder will become visible again on Windows 10.
Remove hidden attribute
To remove the hidden attribute for files and subfolders inside of a folder, use these steps:
In the command, replace"Secret Files"with the name of your hidden folder.
Once you complete the steps, the hidden attribute will be removed from any file or subfolder within the location.
More resources
For more helpful articles, coverage, and answers to common questions about Windows 10 or Windows 11, visit the following resources:
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Mauro Huculak has been a Windows How-To Expert contributor for WindowsCentral.com for nearly a decade and has over 15 years of experience writing comprehensive guides. He also has an IT background and has achieved different professional certifications from Microsoft, Cisco, VMware, and CompTIA. He has been recognized as a Microsoft MVP for many years.
