Want to hide private files from others on Windows 11? You can easily do so without using any third-party app. Here’s how you can hide files in Windows 11.
Hide Files in Windows 11 From the File Explorer
You can hide files on Windows 11 without any software from File Explorer.
1. Press the Windows Key + E button to open the File Explorer on your computer.
2. Navigate to the folder or file you want to hide.
3. Right-click on the File/folder you want to hide and select Properties.
4. Switch to General.
5. Check the Hidden and click on Apply, then OK.
6. You will now be asked whether you want to apply changes to this folder or its subfolders and files. If you want to hide all subfolders and files in this folder, select the second option and click OK.
7. The file will be hidden on your computer.
How to View the Hidden File/Folder on Windows 11?
Once the file is hidden, you must enable the view hidden folders option to view those files.
1. Click on the Windows Key + E button to open the File Explorer.
2. On the top bar, click on the View drop-down button.
3. Select Show > Hidden Items.
4. Check the hidden items option to view the hidden files.
5. Move back to the folder where you have hidden a file. You will be able to view the hidden files.
This is how you can view the hidden files and folders on your Windows 11 computer. To hide the file again, uncheck the Hidden Items option in Step 4.
How to Unhide Files/Folders in Windows 11?
Now that you know how to hide or view the files & folders on Windows 11 without any software, it’s time to know how to unhide the hidden files. If you unhide the file, the file will appear even when the hidden items are enabled/disabled.
1. Press the Windows Key + E button to open the File Explorer.
2. Navigate to the path containing the hidden file/folder.
3. Right-click on the hidden item and select Properties.
4. Switch to General.
5. Under the Attributes, uncheck the Hidden option.
6. You will be asked whether you want to apply changes to this folder or its subfolders & files. If you want to unhide all subfolders & files in this folder, select the second option and click OK.
7. After making the changes, click on Apply and OK.
Hide Files on Windows 11 using Command Prompt
Command Prompt is another great utility for hiding files and folders on Windows 11 without any software. Here’s how to use it.
1. Type in Command Prompt on Windows 11 search. Right-click on the CMD and select Run as administrator.
2. Execute the command attrib +h “full path of file”
In the command, replace the full path of file with the actual location of the folder you want to hide. This will immediately hide your file or folder.
4. To bring back the hidden file, execute the command: attrib -s -h “full path of file”
In the above command, replace the full path of the file with the actual location of the folder you want to unhide.
This guide explains how to hide files on Windows 11 without software. Follow these simple steps to hide any file or folder you want on your Windows 11 computer.
