How to Lock and Hide Folders in Windows Without Additional Software?

I wrote about ‘How to lock your PC automatically while you step out?‘ in my last post. Here is another article regarding privacy. Many try to find and install software to lock and hide private folders in the PC. But here is an easy method of locking and hiding folders in Windows without any additional software.

So, How to Lock and Hide Folders in Windows Without Additional Software?

Follow these steps:

1) Open Notepad and copy the contents of the code below. ( Or Click here to get the code in .doc format)

Update: The code given in earlier link is incorrect, please use this new link in .doc format

2) Change the password by replacing ‘type your password here‘ in the code with your password.

3) Save it as XYZ.bat (Note: Try to be innovative and save it in such a way that it sounds like a system file so that nobody will try to bother clicking it)

Update: If you are not sure how to change the file extension from .txt to .bat, check How to Change File Extension in Windows.

4) Close the file if it is still opened and double click XYZ.bat
5) It will create a new folder called ‘Locker’ automatically. (If you want the file name to be different, find and replace Locker in the code with the name of your choice). This new locker folder will be created in the same hierarchy as the .bat file.

6) Place the contents inside and double click XYZ.bat, it will ask whether you want to lock. Say ‘Y’ and now your folder will disappear.

7) To view again, double click XYZ.bat again and enter your password.

Frequently asked questions:

1. What if I no longer want to hide the folder?

Just delete the XYZ.bat file when the locker folder is in visible mode. Or you can rename the Locker folder to something else and the next time if you double click, it will create an empty Locker folder.

2. What if I deleted the .bat file when the Locker folder is not hidden?

You can download the code again, change the password and create the XYZ.bat file. Now paste that file in the same hierarchy as the Locker folder. It will work as before with the new password.

3. What if I deleted the .bat file when the Locker folder is hidden?

The contents are still there hidden, so don’t panic! Just download the code again, change the password and create the XYZ.bat file. Now paste that file in the same hierarchy as the Locker folder is hidden. Double click the .bat file and you can unlock the Locker folder with the new password.

Note: This trick is only to provide Privacy, so that nobody accidentally opens your private folders. It does not provide any ultimate security. Anybody can open XYZ.bat in any text editor and view the code. As I had mentioned it before try to keep this file in not an obvious place with a name that looks like a system file, so that nobody will have a chance to touch or doubt at this file.

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