Hide a folder on Windows 11 so Explorer cannot see it
By Param Nimbark. Last updated 2026-10-12.
Hiding a folder on Windows 11 with the Hidden attribute takes one checkbox, and undoing it takes one click on View, Show, Hidden items, which is why it has never kept a folder away from anyone who knows File Explorer. This guide shows the two levels Windows offers by hand, the Hidden attribute and Hidden plus System through attrib, and is honest about what each one survives. Then it shows the Seqtrix way: Hide Basic for clutter, Hide Deep to move the folder into a store Explorer cannot list, and the Lock my money folder template for anything that actually matters.
Installs from the Microsoft Store, no SmartScreen prompt. Free Starter plan, no account.
Direct installer for Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit, v0.16.0.
The manual way: the Hidden attribute, then attrib +h +s
Windows has no "make this folder invisible" setting. What it has is two file attributes, Hidden and System, that File Explorer uses to decide what to draw. Both are flags on the folder, not protection of its contents.
Level 1: the Hidden attribute (Properties, or attrib +h)
- Right-click the folder in File Explorer and choose Properties.
- On the General tab, tick Hidden and click OK.
- When asked, choose to apply the change to the folder, its subfolders and its files.
The same thing from a terminal, where /s applies it to everything inside and /d includes the directories themselves:
attrib +h "C:\Users\<you>\Documents\Private" /s /dThe honest caveat: Microsoft's own File Explorer help tells anyone how to reveal it. On Windows 11 it is View, then Show, then Hidden items; on Windows 10 it is a checkbox under Folder Options. The folder reappears, slightly faded, and everything inside opens as before. Typing the path into the address bar works even while it is hidden.
Level 2: Hidden plus System (attrib +h +s)
Adding the System attribute makes Explorer treat the folder like an operating system file. The Hidden items toggle alone no longer shows it; a second setting, Hide protected operating system files in Folder Options under View, has to be turned off as well. Run this in a terminal:
attrib +h +s "C:\Users\<you>\Documents\Private" /s /dTo undo it later, run the same command with -h -s. Microsoft's attrib reference notes that once the System or Hidden attribute is set, you must clear it before you can change any other attribute on that file, which is also why some backup and sync tools behave oddly around folders marked this way.
This level keeps a casual browser out. It does not keep out anyone who opens Folder Options, runs dir /a in a terminal, uses a third-party file manager, or simply searches for a file name they remember. And if the folder is found, the contents are still plain files.
The Seqtrix way: Hide Basic, Hide Deep, or encrypt it
Seqtrix is a Windows automation app with a security toolkit built in. Its Security Lock step has a Hide action with two levels, plus an Encrypt action for when hiding is not enough. All three are reversible from the Seqtrix dashboard under Secured Items, so you never have to remember a command to get a folder back.
Sets the Hidden and System attributes in one click, the same result as attrib +h +s, and records the folder so you can unhide it from the dashboard. Good for clutter and for keeping a glance away from something private. Not encryption, and the app tells you so in its own interface.
Moves the folder out of its original location into a store Seqtrix manages, keyed by its original path, and records where it came from. Explorer has nothing to list, Hidden items shows nothing, and a search of the original location finds nothing. Restore puts it back exactly where it was. It is a move, not encryption: shortcuts pointing at the folder break until you restore it, and someone with administrator rights who digs inside the Seqtrix data folder could find the files.
Turns the folder into an AES-256-GCM .sflocked bundle that opens only with the password you set. This is the only option on this page that protects the contents if the folder is found or copied, and it is what the Lock my money folder template uses.
From template
Open Templates in Seqtrix, search for Lock my money folder, then choose Use template (click the card). Set the folder and your password on the lock step before saving. The sequence creates a Private folder under Documents, sweeps any file with "statement" or "invoice" in its name out of Downloads into it, encrypts the whole folder with AES-256 using your password, date-stamps the locked bundle so next month's run does not overwrite it, and clears the file names from your Recent list. It is a free template.
Or hide a folder in four steps
- 1Install Seqtrix
Download Seqtrix v0.16.0 for Windows 10 or 11. Every install includes a 15-day trial of the Advanced plan, with no card and no account needed to begin.
- 2Add a Security Lock step and choose Hide
Create a new sequence, drop in a Security Lock step and pick Hide as its action. Set the target type to folder and browse to the folder.
- 3Pick Basic or Deep
Basic flips the attributes in place. Deep moves the folder into the Seqtrix store so Explorer cannot list it. Save the sequence.
- 4Run it, and restore from the dashboard
Click Run. To bring the folder back, open the Seqtrix dashboard, go to Secured Items and choose Unhide; Deep-hidden folders return to their original path.
Make it automatic (the part attrib cannot do)
Because the hide is a step in a sequence, it can run when something happens rather than when you remember. Three uses:
- • Panic hotkey: one key minimises every window, mutes the speakers and hides the folder, in that order.
- • Walk-away hide: a System Event trigger hides the folder after the PC has been idle for a while, and a second sequence restores it when you return.
- • Before you share the screen: the Safe to share my screen template hides the Desktop icons and your private folder before the call starts.
FAQ
No. The Hidden attribute is a display hint, not a permission. Anyone can turn on View > Show > Hidden items in File Explorer, type the path into the address bar, or list it from a terminal with dir /a, and the files inside open normally. It keeps a folder out of the way; it does not keep anyone out of it.
It probably has the System attribute as well as Hidden, which is what attrib +h +s or the Seqtrix Hide Basic action sets. Explorer keeps those out of view until you also turn off "Hide protected operating system files" in Folder Options > View. To remove the flags in a terminal, run attrib -h -s on the folder; Microsoft notes that the System and Hidden attributes must be cleared before any other attribute can be changed.
No, and the app says so in its own interface. Hide Deep moves the folder out of its original location into a store Seqtrix manages and records where it came from, so Explorer has nothing to list and Hidden items shows nothing. The bytes are still plain files, so someone with administrator rights who goes looking inside the Seqtrix data folder could find them. For anything genuinely sensitive, use the Encrypt action, which is what the Lock my money folder template does.
Yes. Hide is a step in a sequence, so you can attach a System Event trigger that fires after the PC has been idle, a hotkey for an instant panic hide, or a schedule for the end of the working day. Restoring is done from the Seqtrix dashboard under Secured Items.
Hide it if the goal is tidiness or keeping a casual glance away from something private. Encrypt it if the contents would hurt you if found or copied. Seqtrix offers both in the same Security Lock step: Hide Basic flips the attributes, Hide Deep moves the folder out of sight, and Encrypt turns it into an AES-256-GCM .sflocked bundle that opens only with your password.
Keep going
- Template: Lock my money folder
- Template: Safe to share my screen (hides the Desktop icons and your private folder before a call)
- Seqtrix vs AutoHotkey: scripts can call attrib, but they have no hide-to-vault or encrypt step
- Password-protect a folder on Windows 11
Hide your first folder in seconds
15-day Advanced trial on every install. No credit card, no scripting, offline by default. Telemetry stays off unless you turn it on in Settings > Privacy.
Installs from the Microsoft Store, no SmartScreen prompt. Free Starter plan, no account.
Direct installer for Windows 10 and 11, 64-bit, v0.16.0.