There are a few ways to hide things on a windows system
Namely
- attributes: this setting can be applied from two environments
- Cmd: there exists a command called “attrib” so once in the command prompt just type “attrib +s +h +r <file/folder path or name>” {without the quotes} were the attributes that you are applying are s; stand for add system attribute, h stand for add hidden attribute, r stand’s for read only attribute. To view attributes of a file or folder then enter the directory it is in and enter “attrib”, it will show you the attributes, to take out the attributes do the same thing that you did to put the attribute i.e. “attrib –s –h –r <file/folder path or name>; where the minus takes out the applied attrib, and plus is to apply the attrib
- GUI: right click on the specific file /folder, click on properties in the menu. Check the box labeled hidden, and the folder will become hidden. To view this file or folder you have to turn on an option. Go to the control panel (classic view) open folder options click on the view tab, under the “advanced settings” click the “show hidden files and folders” radio button, and apply the setting. Now you will be able to view your file or folder. If you want to take the setting out, the right click; properties; uncheck the hidden check box.
NOTE: the above technique is the most basic form of hiding things, one way to protect the secrecy of the file or folder is by not letting any one change the folder option, this can be done by editing the registry, caution :incorrect editing of the registry can lead the OS to malfunction, : try this at your own risk. Go to run type “regedit”, go to HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\Curr entVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\SHOWALL …. Once there modify the “checked value” to “0”
When you do this even if you click on the “show hidden files and folders” radio button and click apply it, it will automatically put the setting back on the “do not show button”, if you want to view the file/folder the change the above value back to “1”
- Renaming folder: just rename the folder
1. choose the folder you want to protect. [Eg: c:\myFolder]
2. Copy the following text
{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} (copy with brackets)
3. Right click on your folder [Ex: c:myFolder] and then rename it as :
myFolder.{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
And when you double click on it nothing will be present in it and looks like a recycle bin and also u cannot view it,and for viewing it again do the reverse process below,
Reverse process:
- Cmd
1.Start->Run-> CMD
and press ENTER. after when you are in DOS Shell appeared type this :
”c:>ren myFolder.{645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E} myfolder”
Right click on the folder, click on the rename option then rename the folder back to myFolder
Note: here are other extensions
a. {871C5380-42A0-1069-A2EA-08002B30309D}
b. {645FF040-5081-101B-9F08-00AA002F954E}
c. {21EC2020-3AEA-1069-A2DD-08002B30309D}
d. {0DF44EAA-FF21-4412-828E-260A8728E7F1}
e. {208D2C60-3AEA-1069-A2D7-08002B30309D}
f. {20D04FE0-3AEA-1069-A2D8-08002B30309D}
g. {2227A280-3AEA-1069-A2DE-08002B30309D}
h. {2559a1f0-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}
i. {2559a1f1-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}
j. {2559a1f4-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}
k. {2559a1f5-21d7-11d4-bdaf-00c04f60b9f0}
l. {2728520d-1ec8-4c68-a551-316b684c4ea7}
m. {3c5c43a3-9ce9-4a9b-9699-2ac0cf6cc4bf}
n. {3D6BE802-FC0D-4595-A304-E611F97089DC}
3. Using ASCII
Note: alt+0160 is the same as space command
Right click on the folder you want to rename, delete the name then hold down the “ALT” key then type “0160”(using the number pads no the side of the keyboard), click out side, and bang you have a folder which is “nameless”. In order to finish the operation, Once again right click on the folder go to properties. Once there click int the coustomise tab, then click the “change icon” button. Change the icon to a icon with out a picture, apply the setting. Now the folder no longer exists,
Access:
The only way to enter an “alt+0160” dir is to enter it into the command line. You type cd “alt+0160”. To enter the dir if it has one space. If two spaces then cd “alt+0160 alt+0160”, this is to say two space. But if you don’t know the amount of space char used then it is going to be difficult to enter the dir. Oh! And don’t forget to put it into brackets. And it treats alt+0160 and space differently, by this I mean if you want to enter a folder name “alt+0160 space alt+0160” {basically three space keys} but it is not the same as “alt+0160 alt+0160 alt+0160” so it is necessary to know precisely what is the name of the dir. And also the fact that my system can recognize the name by pressing tab, so you type [cd “], and then press tab it will give you the name directly. Then all you got to do is press enter
- Cacls: this is a techniques that is done using the command prompt
Displays or modifies access control list (ACL) files.
Syntax
cacls FileName [/t] [/e] [/c] [/g User
ermission] [/r User [...]] [/p User
ermission [...]] [/d User [...]]
Displays or modifies access control lists (ACLs) of files
filename Displays ACLs.
/T Changes ACLs of specified files in
the current directory and all subdirectories.
/E Edit ACL instead of replacing it.
/C Continue on access denied errors.
/G user
erm Grant specified user access rights.
Perm can be: R Read
W Write
C Change (write)
F Full control
/R user Revoke specified user's access rights (only valid with /E).
/P user
erm Replace specified user's access rights.
Perm can be: N None
R Read
W Write
C Change (write)
F Full control
/D user Deny specified user access.
Wildcards can be used to specify more that one file in a command.
You can specify more than one user in a command.
Abbreviations:
CI - Container Inherit.
The ACE will be inherited by directories.
OI - Object Inherit.
The ACE will be inherited by files.
IO - Inherit Only.
The ACE does not apply to the current file/directory.
Note: the above is an extract of the cacls command.
Caution: a word of personal caution do not use this method unless is a very necessary, because this method is very unstable, and can lock you out, hence the folder, which depending on the control list will lead the folder to be unaccesable (even by an antivirus) and undeletable,
Eg(deny) : cacls “folder” /D administrator
Eg(access): cacls “folder” /P administrator:F
