How to fix
Hide Files & Folders
on Windows

I need a tutorial on how to hide files from Windows 10 search urgently. I have a couple of files that I can’t remove, but no one except me can see them. However, just recently I found out that it’s more than easy to find them using Windows 10 search. Please help me ASAP.

Hundreds of photos, tens of important documents, loads of songs, movies, applications, and other content. Haven’t you got all of that on your PC? Maybe you don’t if you have bought your PC a couple of days ago or installed Windows from scratch and deleted everything stored on it. Otherwise, your PC must be clogged with important docs, files, and other personal and non-personal content.

Is it possible to hide files and folders in Windows 10 search?

Probably each of us has a bunch of personal files or important documents that should not be deleted or reach an eye of a stranger. Whatever the reason is, you must have landed on this page because you are looking for a way to hide files from search in Windows 10. In Windows 10, Start or Cortana search works in a user-friendly manner. If the PC user types in a word or phrase, the system indexes applications, files, folders, and other content matching the entered name and stored on desktop, downloads, music, documents, pictures, and other folders by default. Therefore, to make a specific file or folder invisible in Windows 10 search, you’ll have to deindex them. Luckily, in Windows 10, it’s easy to make changes.

Hiding files and folders in Windows 10 search using File Explorer

1. Open File Explorer and open the file/folder that you want to make invisible.
2. Right-click in it and select Properties.
3. Open General tab and locate Attributes.
4. Check the Hidden box and click Apply.
5. To unhide the hidden files using, open File Explorer.
6. Click on the View tab and check the Hidden items options.

Hiding files and folders in Windows 10 search using Command Prompt

1. Right-click on Windows key and select Command Prompt (Admin).
2. Type cd C:\Users\admin\Desktop\Files command to navigate to the item that you want to hide. NOTE: replace the path after cd according to the location of the needed file.
3. Then type attrib +h "Secret Files" and press Enter. Change “Secret Files” with the name of the file or folder that you want to hide. If there are no spaces in the name, do not put quotation marks.
4. If you are hiding a folder with files and subfolders, type attrib +h /s /d command and press Enter.

Making files and folders visible in Windows 10 search using Command Prompt

1. Right-click on Windows key and select Command Prompt (Admin).
2. Type cd C:\Users\admin\Desktop\Files command and press Enter. NOTE: replace the path after cd according to the location of the needed file.
3. Then enter the attrib -h "Secret Files" command and press Enter. Change “Secret Files” with the name of the file or folder that you want to make visible again.
4. To make files and subfolders in the hidden folder visible again, type cd "Secret Files" and press Enter.
5. Finally, enter attrib -h /s /d command and press Enter.