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Files and folders

Almost everything you do on a Windows PC eventually passes through File Explorer, and almost every complaint about it comes down to the same thing: Windows hides information by default and does not tell you it is doing so. Hidden files are hidden. File extensions are hidden. The Recent list quietly records what you opened. None of this is announced.

The guides in this section deal with that default secrecy directly. They cover the two separate mechanisms Windows uses to hide things — the Hidden attribute that a checkbox will reveal, and the System attribute that it will not — and they are clear about where hiding stops being useful and encryption has to take over.

Everything here works on Windows 10 and Windows 11, and where Windows 7 differs the difference is called out rather than glossed over. Commands are given in full so you can paste them rather than retype them.

What you'll learn

  • How to reveal hidden files and folders, including the ones the Folder Options checkbox will not show
  • The difference between hiding a folder, locking it, and actually encrypting it — and which one your Windows edition supports
  • How to clear Quick Access history and jump lists, and how to stop Windows recording them at all
  • Faster ways to select, filter and act on many files at once without a third-party tool
  • What to do with a file Windows says it cannot open, and how to tell whether opening it is even possible

6 guides in files and folders

  • How to Show Hidden Files in Windows 10 and 11

    Reveal hidden files and folders in File Explorer on Windows 7, 10 and 11 — including the protected system files the ordinary checkbox will not show.

    Files and foldersUpdated

  • How to Hide Folders in Windows 10 and 11

    Hide a folder in Windows using the Hidden attribute or attrib +h +s, and an honest account of what hiding protects against, which is very little.

    Files and foldersUpdated

  • How to Clear Recent Files in Windows 10 and 11

    Clear Quick Access recent files and jump lists in Windows, and switch the history off permanently so you are not clearing the same list every week.

    Files and foldersUpdated

  • How to Select Multiple Files in Windows

    Select several files at once in File Explorer with Ctrl, Shift, marquee dragging, checkboxes and Invert selection — plus selecting by file type using search.

    Files and foldersUpdated

Questions about files and folders

Does showing hidden files make my PC less safe?

No. The Hidden attribute is a display convention, not a permission. Showing hidden files changes what File Explorer draws on screen; it does not grant you or anything else new access. The risk is only that clutter such as desktop.ini and Thumbs.db becomes visible and easier to delete by accident.

Why can I see a folder's size but not its contents?

That is an NTFS permissions issue rather than a hidden-attribute one. The folder's metadata is readable but its access control list does not grant your account read access to the contents. Taking ownership through the Security tab is the usual fix, and it requires an administrator account.

Is there any way to password-protect a folder on Windows Home?

Not natively for a plain folder. Windows Home has no EFS and no BitLocker folder-level option. The realistic choices are a 7-Zip archive with AES-256 encryption, BitLocker on a whole removable drive, or upgrading to Pro. Batch-file 'locker' scripts do not encrypt anything and are trivially reversible.

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