How To Hide Files and Folder Windows 11

How To Hide Files and Folder Windows 11 – When using a shared computer, it may be necessary to increase security measures to stop other users from watching what you do.

If using a password to protect your user account is not an option for you, you can prevent certain files and folders from showing up in Windows Search and File Explorer.

Unless you expressly provide permission for them to be accessed, other users won’t be able to see these files.

Disable Windows Search to Hide Files and Folders

In the first technique, we’ll go through how to prevent certain Windows files and directories from appearing in search results. By adjusting Windows Settings and Indexing parameters, we will achieve our objective of hiding the search results that appear when you input terms into the taskbar’s search box.

Either through Windows settings or by modifying the indexing parameters, you may accomplish this.

Change Windows settings, first

You may change the Privacy settings in Windows Settings to block any file or folder from showing up in the search results in the easiest and quickest method possible.

To continue, adhere to these steps:

To access Windows Settings, press Win + I.
Choose Privacy & Security in the left pane, and then click Searching Windows on the right side of the window.
win11-searching-windows
Navigate to the area labeled Exclude folders from enhanced search.
The Add an excluded folder button should be chosen.
win11-add-an-excluded-folder
Pick the folder you wish to conceal and click the Select Folder button in the ensuing window.
win11-select-folder

The Settings window may now be closed. The file or folder you choose will no longer show up in the search results moving forward. In the future, take the following actions to remove this specific file or folder from the prohibited list:

Return to steps 1-3 and find the desired file or folder in the list.
Select Remove by clicking the three dots that go along with it.
win11-remove-an-excluded-folder

Change the Indexing Option

By building a database of your files, indexing in Windows search makes it simpler to discover objects on your computer. It is similar to the index at the end of a big book in that it makes finding what you’re searching for much simpler because Windows doesn’t have to browse through the entire operating system to find a single file.

Modifying the indexing parameters is the best technique to prevent certain file types (let’s say all MP4 files) from showing up in the search results.

Here’s how to go about it:

In the taskbar’s search box, enter “Indexing options,” and then click “Open.”
Click on the Advanced button as seen below in the dialog box that appears.
indexing-options-advanced
Go to the File Types tab and search for the file type you wish to conceal.
Select the box next to it, uncheck it, and then click OK.

Windows 11 will show you the protected operating system files

Warning: You’re about to show private files from the operating system. If you move or remove secret system files, you could break your Windows 11 system or lose data. So you should be very careful.

Open File Explorer.
Click the three dots at the top of the menu and then click Options.
Click the View tab in the “Folder Options” box.
Uncheck the “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)” box in the “Advanced Settings” list.

Warning: You’re about to show private files from the operating system. If you move or remove secret system files, you could break your Windows 11 system or lose data. So you should be very careful.

Click Yes if you know what you’re doing and are ready to take the risks.
At the bottom of the “Folder Options” box, click the “Apply” button.
Press the “OK” button.

File Explorer will now show private files that are part of the operating system.