Concealing Files and Folders on Windows Vista

You can conceal your files and folders by setting their attributes to HIDDEN. In this tutorial, you'll be pointed how to conceal and make they appear again.

To hide files and folders:

- Open Windows Explorer (Click Start button, and then click Computer).

- Locate your file or folder that you want to hide. Right-click it, and then click Properties.

- Next to Attributes, select the Hidden check box, and then click OK button. (To return your files/folders so that they can appear again, you must clear their HIDDEN attribute).

To clear the HIDDEN attribute from files/folders so that they can appear again:

- Open Windows Explorer (Click Start button, and then click Computer).

- First step, you must set Windows Explorer to display all hidden files/folders. Click Organize from toolbar, and then click Folder and Search Options. In Folder Options dialog box, click the View tab. Then under Advanced settings, find and select the Show hidden files and folders option. Then click OK button.

- Now, you can see all your hidden files/folders again, but actually they still have HIDDEN attribute.

- Second step, you must remove the HIDDEN attribute from your hidden files/folders. To remove it, Right-click your file/folder, and then click Properties. In Properties dialog box, at next to Attributes, clear the Hidden check box, and then click OK button.

- Third step, you'd better set Windows Explorer to hide all hidden files/folders back. This is recommended, so that other hidden files/folders keep being hidden. Click Organize from toolbar, and then click Folder and Search Options. In Folder Options dialog box, click the View tab. Then under Advanced settings, find and select the Do not show hidden files and folders option. Then click OK button.