Creat a Real Hidden file in winXP

[devildell]

Hello all,
I have been using this little trick for quite a while now; I found it while messing around with different folder settings........

------ To create a hidden folder without the hidden attributes-----

1. Right click on your desktop > go to the "New" menu > click "folder"
2. Right click on the folder that you just created and go to "Properties"
3. Click the customize tab, then click the "Change Icon" button
4. A window should then pop up with a whole bunch of icons to choose from...
"Look for Icons in this file:" should be set to >"%SystemRoot%\system32\SHELL32.dll"
5. Down below I have attached an image of what you should select while scrolling through the list
6. Click ok
7. Click "Apply" then Click "Ok"

You should notice that the Icon has disappeared..... All that you should see is the text... now for the best part....

8. Right click the text then click "rename" then press ALT 255 and then press Enter.....

THE FOLDER IS GONE!!!!!

Try to remember where you put it. but if you forget just right click your desktop and go to the menu "arrange icons by" click "name" and the invisible space will be your file.... (Usually at the bottom of your icon list)

[©opy®ight]

Very nice, this is the method i always recomend when somebody asks how to hide a folder.

[yourdeadin]

well i did thid trick when i used to work in Dos promt and also in win 98 , (actually i used to make a fime in win go to dos prompt rename the file with some special charecter and whola no one couuld open it in windows) stopped usin it after i got my own computer but still a nice post.

[Globalbob]

If you loose your folder you can click in an empty space of the desktop and drag a box around the desktop you will then see a small square light up and that will be where you hidden file is located. The other method that is quick and easy to relocate your file is to drop into dos and go the the desktop. From their you can do dir you will then see a list of files and the one that is .lnk is sthe hidden like or the .bat or whatever file extision you hid.

[Ghost_25inf]

Originally posted here by devildell

8. Right click the text then click "rename" then press ALT 255 and then press Enter.....

Having issues with this part working for me. Alt 255 doesnt do anything but give me the same name that was there before I started the rename.

[devildell]

Ghost i should have stated that this will not work on laptops that do not have a keypad......

when i say key pad i mean not the numbers above your a, b, c's keys but the one located to the very right of your keyboard....





7 8 9 -
4 5 6 +
1 2 3 enter
0 del

[Ghost_25inf]

Ahh that would explain everything. Yeap got a laptop, Shoot and I really wanted to see this little trick. Well I will remember this when I get my computers out of storage.

[alamuru420123]

There is another method to hide a file or folder. I use DOS for this.

1. 'cd' over to the directory in which the target directory or file is located.
2. type 'attrib +r +s +h +a <filename.ext>or<directory name>

That's it the file is hidden. The file will not be shown even if you search for it because it is treated as a system file. Mind you, if you want to access the file, the only way is through DOS. You can 'cd' into the directory (even if it is hidden, you can still 'cd' into it). Then type the <filename.ext> and it will open it with the default program.

For example, if you've got a video file say "naughty.avi" hidden in "c:\videos" then:-

1. click start>run>cmd
2. type 'c:'
3. type 'cd\videos'
4. type 'naughty.avi'

This will play the file in the default movie player (mine happens to be mplayer).

To unhide the file or directory, use 'attrib -a -r -s -h <filename.ext> or <directory>'

The only drawback with this method is that the file or folder will be displayed in nero's file browser.

[SwordFish_13]

Hi,

alamuru420123

Emmmm and this method will only Work on ME/ Windows 2000 or higher .............Windows 98 will show these files.

They are hidden becaue they are treated as Protected Files

You can also see the File hidden by this method By Tools-> Folder Properties --> uncheck Hide protected operating system files



I also use this method to hide Files on windows 2000 Box.............not a fool proof method but reasonabely Good.

A few programs like Nero Show these Files .


--Good luck--

[alamuru420123]

hmmm.... yea, your right swordfish. But this method is safer for me than the other one. Not many people know that you can give a system file attribute to any darned file or folder. btw, is there any method that will hide better than these two? I guess combining both of them will be more secure.