Hide Folders is a Windows utility from FSPro Labs that password-protects files and folders on a computer’s own drives. It can make them invisible, inaccessible, read-only or unable to run programs. You can try this commercial software before buying. It works on NTFS, FAT, FAT32 and exFAT volumes.
Hide Folders does not encrypt anything. A driver intercepts and filters file system operations, so protection switches on and off instantly regardless of data size. The file system stays unchanged. Protection therefore exists only while that driver is loaded on the computer where the program is installed.
Five protection methods
- Hide removes the item from view, though it still opens by its full path. An application folder can therefore disappear while its programs keep running.
- Lock leaves the item visible but refuses access.
- Hide & Lock makes it both invisible and inaccessible.
- Read Only allows opening files but not changing them.
- No Execute stops an EXE from running or, applied to a folder, every EXE inside it.
Building the protected list
Each entry in the Hide Folders list carries its own method. You can add items by dragging them from File Explorer into the window or through Explorer’s right-click menu. There is no limit on the number of folders or amount of data. You can export and import the list as a file.
Paths accept wildcards: * matches any run of characters and ? a single one. The pattern D:\Documents\*.docx covers every Word document in that folder and its subfolders. Wildcards cannot stand in for a drive letter, and the Windows folder, system folders and the Windows partition root cannot be protected.
Switching protection on and off
Enable and Disable apply to the whole list at once. Hide Folders can turn protection back on by itself when the screen saver starts or the PC is locked. It can also do this when the PC enters standby or hibernation, or sits idle for a set time. Ctrl+Alt hotkeys toggle it without opening the window, and the tray icon’s color shows the current state.
Programs added as trusted processes, such as an antivirus scanner or backup tool, can still read protected data while everything else is blocked.
Password and removal protection
A password guards the program window, protection changes and the uninstaller, and a recovery email address allows an online reset. Deleting the Hide Folders folder does not reveal hidden data, and hidden folders stay hidden in Safe Mode. Protection does not travel with a disk, though. Files on a drive moved to another computer become visible there. This is why FSPro Labs offers Hide Folder Ext for external drives.
Wiping tracks
When protection is enabled, Hide Folders can remove traces of protected items: Recent folder and Jump List links, Explorer address bar entries and Recycle Bin items deleted from protected folders.
Remote and command-line control
Remote control runs a built-in web server on a chosen port. You can then switch protection on or off from a browser elsewhere on the network, using a separate password. The command line adds or removes paths, enables or disables protection and reports its status. You must supply the password to remove paths or disable protection.
