Hide My Files

This simple tool allows you to hide your folders in a very easy way. Hide My Files allows you to select any folder on your system and lock (hide) or unlock (show) it with a simple click of a button.

In addition, you are required to set a password, so that you are the only person who can hide or show your folders at any moment.

The first time you run the program, you are asked to set your initial password. However, you can change it anytime later. The program's user interface is totally clear and intuitive. It offers you a tree-view of your file system, which allows you to locate any folder you want to protect or unprotect very quickly. Then, all you have to do is click on the "Lock" or the "Unlock" button, according to your needs. That is all.

Even though the program somehow restricts the access to any of your folders, it does not actually hide it from the system, and it does not encrypt it or its contents either. The program just activates the "Hidden" attribute of the folder, and also adds the "{21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}" string to the folder’s name. The effect of this last action appears to forward you to the contents of your desktop anytime you try to browse the protected folder. However, both actions can be easily undone by a user with some knowledge with just a couple of console commands, granting this user total access to the folder.

In short, Hide My Files might be an acceptable temporal solution to restrict direct access to your folders. However, you will need a more advanced tool to really protect them from advanced users.