How to Hide a File

by Nick · May 19, 2021

I just spent over an hour hunting for a document on my computer that I accessed just last month.

And the strange thing is, this document was right under my nose the entire time I was searching for it.

So now, accidentally, I know how to hide a document (or file, for that matter) so no one – not even me – can find it.

I don’t know if this information will come in handy for you. Do you have a prying spouse, maybe? Or something you don’t want the kids or parents to see?

Of course, you could use the “Hidden” option on your computer (right click on file or folder, select properties, enable hidden, click ok or apply) but this is far from foolproof. All someone needs to do is enable the “show hidden files” option and they’ll find your hidden files.

AND it will be 100% OBVIOUS you were HIDING these files, too.

Not good.

Here’s what I inadvertently did that hid the document so well it took me over an hour of diligent searching to find it:

I named it just like all the other documents in the same file.

Let’s say you have a file filled with documents that are titled:

Jan 2021 Reports
Feb 2021 Reports
March 2021 Reports

And so forth.

In addition, you have documents titled:

Jan 2021 Final
Feb 2021 Final
March 2021 Final

And then occasionally there might be documents like this:

Jan 2021 Final 2
Feb 2021 Final 2
March 2021 Final 2

You get the point.

These document names all look pretty similar.

And if you were to slip in a document that said, for example:

March 2021 Finals

…It would be virtually invisible when someone was hunting for your secret document.

That’s what I did. The document I was looking for was completely mistitled to look like all the other docs, and I overlooked it at least a dozen times. I also hunted in every other place on my computer multiple times before I finally started opening every document and stumbled across what I was looking for.

I know this is an odd topic.

But for someone out there right now, you’re pretty happy about this accidental discovery and you’re about to use it to help you sleep better