How to Hide Files & Programs on your Computer From Nosy People

In this Instructable I will show you how to effectively hide common file types and programs on your computer to make them much harder to find if someone happens to nose about in your C: drive.
Note: This technique will only hide files and programs from a human searcher, not software. There are several good Instructables on hiding files so that software can't find them, however this makes the files difficult to access. This is just a quick and dirty way to stash your stuff until you either hide it properly, or not bother because the treat of a search is low.

Why I made this Instructable:
Some of you may disagree or even condemn what I am showing you how to do.
LMAO! You won't believe it, just as I was typing this, I got one of those "You Performed and Illegal Operation" pop-up doohickies.
Anyways, please don't take it personally, I'm just trying to pass on some useful information. You might say: Everyone already knows this. Not true, a number of people I know asked how to do this, so I thought heck, why not make an Instructable?

Step 1 Step.... 1 I think....

What we are going to do is "bury" our files inside of a program's files to evade detection. Generally the programs files of games are good places to stash stuff, for many different file types can be found in a game (jpg, bmp, wmv, mp3, txt, wav, exe, etc...), making them ideal for hiding files. First, you gotta find a program/game to hide your files.
Start by opening up Drive C: and locating the folder called "Program Files". Find a program folder for a game, or if you lack games (poor you), open a non-essential program, you don't wanna mess up something important. I recommend some of those little-used Microsoft Office programs. Open it up and let's have a look inside...

Comments

[tinkerC]

I often used this. Then I found other ways, and combined the two. I actually lost Firefox!

[TTSDA]

You can do this and then you can change the file name to for example .dll so is completely hidden

[ravivr]

You can read and download code in Python and binary form at:
http://www.sn3akers.com/

And a couple of blog posts about how it’s done at:
http://chaptersinwebsecurity.blogspot.com/2009/02/hiding-files-in-windows.html
http://chaptersinwebsecurity.blogspot.com/2009/04/python-and-alternate-data-streams.html

[erikals]

I think this is windows 98 great instructable I know how to do this already. Keep up the good work

[punkatsub]

You could just put it to a folder of where windows is installed it is all most impossible to find in there

[littlechef37]

Flash drive ?? Or in your case floppy disk lol..... Im sorry I know that was mean.......

[littlechef37]

good idea though

[KentsOkay]

Mm yah thanks, yourright though...

[discostu]

That is a flimsy way to do this and wont work very well. Try using FileLocker

[icy_tm]

I came up with an additional method to hide folders. Rename the folder, but name it as "Alt+0160" (As in actually hold alt and press 0120 on the numpad). Then choose the icon to one of the blank ones in shell32.dll. If you need to hide more than one thing in a folder, rename it as two of those characters, then three, and so on.

[Mafia lewiz]

thanks very very much

[GorillazMiko]

Nice job. I kind of was thinking about the same thing as Pkranger88, you could just search for the file name (or a bit of it) and it would show up. Still a cool idea.

[KentsOkay]

Thanks!

[Aar000n3y]

Yeah... I was waiting to see a random thumbnail of a girl in this instructable... Is it really that hard to either a. turn off the preview or b. select the box tool and cover up all of it on paint?

[KentsOkay]

I probably could but, it emphasis how this Instructable may be useful.

[Pkranger88]

Burying files doesn't prevent someone from just searching for files based on content or filename. You be better off with a password protection software to limit access to the folder without the password.

[moomoocows]

Do you know of any software thats free and safe that have this sort of password protection for files.

[TechnoGeek95]

TrueCrypt

[regil.dj]

Nice. But if you're sharing a computer where everyone's nosy and you're not the main user, then hiding them in hidden files would be difficult. I put alot of random folders and mini folders into each and I also put my stuff on my iPod's hidden folders. I will use that Microsoft office technique.

[KentsOkay]

Good luck! Remember, don't change anything in the program or name the folder anything that is the same as any of the folders or files in the program. Doing so could cause problems.

[zamok]

why don't you just make the folder hidden? its in the properties. but good nonetheless.

[KentsOkay]

Because you can easily un-hide folders. Thanks for the comment!