BleepingComputer.com: Create A Secret Folder

We all have certain files which we would not like to share with the world. There are a lot of protection options out there: encryption, passwords, etc. But these methods still leave your files in plain site, just asking to be broken into.

With this method, you can hide your valuables in plain sight! It's like thos soda can safes you see at gas stations.

First, create a new folder on your desktop. Name it My Documents.

Now, inside your new My Documents folder, create a text file named desktop.ini. Open desktop.ini in notepad and paste the following into it, then save.

[.ShellClassInfo]
 CLSID={450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}
 CLSID2={0AFACED1-E828-11D1-9187-B532F1E9575D}

Now you'll need to create a shortcut to your actual My Documents folder. You can accomplish this by right-clicking on your real My Documents folder and selecting Create Shortcut or Send To ->Desktop (Create Shortcut). Now copy this shortcut into your fake Mu Documents folder and rename it target.

Now, save all your secret documents to your fake My Documents folder.

Now launch the command shell (Start->Run... type cmd and press enter) cd to you Desktop folder (usually C:\Documents and Settings\username\Desktop).

At the command prompt type the following:

attrib "My Documents" +s

Your fake My Documents folder will now act like a real shortcut to the real My Documents folder and the contents of your fake folder will be completely invisible; they won't even show up in a search!

To access your files again, you'll need to repeat the last step but enter

attrib "My Documents" -s

PS

You can replace the CLSID= value with any of these (but don't change the CLSID2=):

Inbox: {00020D76-0000-0000-C000-000000000046}
Cabinet File: {0CD7A5C0-9F37-11CE-AE65-08002B2E1262}
Taskbar and Start Menu: {0DF44EAA-FF21-4412-828E-260A8728E7F1}
Favorites: {1A9BA3A0-143A-11CF-8350-444553540000}
Assembly: {1D2680C9-0E2A-469d-B787-065558BC7D43}
Computer Search Results Folder: {1f4de370-d627-11d1-ba4f-00a0c91eedba}
My Network Places: {208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
My Computer: {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
Control Panel: {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
Printers: {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
Internet: {2559a1f4-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}
E-Mail: {2559a1f5-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}
The Internet: {3DC7A020-0ACD-11CF-A9BB-00AA004AE837}
My Documents: {450D8FBA-AD25-11D0-98A8-0800361B1103}
Start Menu Folder: {48e7caab-b918-4e58-a94d-505519c795dc}
FTP Folder: {63da6ec0-2e98-11cf-8d82-444553540000}
Recycle Bin: {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
Extensions Manager Folder: {692F0339-CBAA-47e6-B5B5-3B84DB604E87}
Folder Options: {6DFD7C5C-2451-11d3-A299-00C04F8EF6AF}
Network Connections: {7007ACC7-3202-11D1-AAD2-00805FC1270E}
Programs Folder: {7be9d83c-a729-4d97-b5a7-1b7313c39e0a}
Briefcase: {85BBD920-42A0-1069-A2E4-08002B30309D}
Briefcase Folder: {86747AC0-42A0-1069-A2E6-08002B30309D}
Internet Explorer: {871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}
Setup MSN Internet Access: {88667D10-10F0-11D0-8150-00AA00BF8457}
Downloaded Program Files: {88C6C381-2E85-11d0-94DE-444553540000}
Network Connections: {992CFFA0-F557-101A-88EC-00DD010CCC48}
Home Networking Wizard: {B45EE8BF-8131-47A3-8E6D-92252F331CFF}
Web Folders: {BDEADF00-C265-11d0-BCED-00A0C90AB50F}
Add Network Place: {D4480A50-BA28-11d1-8E75-00C04FA31A86}
Tasks: {d6277990-4c6a-11cf-8d87-00aa0060f5bf}
Search Results Folder: {e17d4fc0-5564-11d1-83f2-00a0c90dc849}
Scanners and Camera's: {E211B736-43FD-11D1-9EFB-0000F8757FCD}
Offline Web Pages: {F5175861-2688-11d0-9C5E-00AA00A45957}
Scanners and Camera's: {FB0C9C8A-6C50-11D1-9F1D-0000F8757FCD}
Composite Folder: {FEF10DED-355E-4e06-9381-9B24D7F7CC88}
History: {FF393560-C2A7-11CF-BFF4-444553540000}
Fonts: {BD84B380-8CA2-1069-AB1D-08000948F534}
Temporary Internet Files: {7BD29E00-76C1-11CF-9DD0-00A0C9034933}
McAfee Fortress 2.0: {0ce45360-6245-11d0-b599-10005a11ba95}
McAfee ZIP Manager 1.03: {be504840-6d2e-11d0-a40f-10005a641926}
McAfee File Shredder 2.0: {dd7450c0-3e14-11d0-b599-10005a11ba95}
McAfee Quick Copy: {f59f3760-6fae-11d1-b87d-444553540000}

hmm didnt work for me? i guess i am a idiot.

did not work for me either i tried it excatly copied and pasted everything but... does you acutual my documents need to be named my documents for it to work

I threw together a little automated program to do it for you:
http://www.boredomsoft.com/Files/hideandseek.html

That's very interesting, thanks.

Hey Andrew thats really cool.

It works for me! Tons of thanks man!!

Forgot about this tip

It's a good one

Is it possible to do this on a Mac?

ha! nice tip. thanks.

So is this better than FolderLock?

to make a secret folder just make a new folder delete its name then hold down alt thn press 0160 on the num pad then change icon to a blank space and its invisible

Saracen619, on Jul 27 2008, 01:28 PM, said:

Then how do you find the folder again?

I can still see the folder, but it has an Icon of a, hmm, how am I gonna describe this..

an Icon that usually appears when your computer does not recognize it..

oh, there you go..

please edit the software..

it doesn't copy the shortcut to the FAKE my documents.. ^_^

For those who said it wouldn't work for them.... after following the procedure outlined above. Check to see if you don't happen to have system files visible?

Open My Computer - Tools in the menu.
Folder Options. View tab.
Display the contents of System Folders - Uncheck and apply.

Try again. See if it works now.