How to create an invisible folder in Windows

As the people trying to sneak in your privacy are getting smarter, it's high time you start protecting your stuff. Now, before you put big stakes on this article being a tutorial for ethical hacking or that cool matrix thingy of zeroes and ones, let me warn you, you are about to be disappointed. This is a simple article on a simple tweak to create an invisible folder.

Is this article for you?

If you have some information that could cause alien invasions or start a world war, then no, this article might not be for you. But hey, it won't hurt to give it a shot.

If you use a shared computer and possess some personal data that you don't want anyone to see, this article is for you. 

Why create an invisible folder when you can just hide them?

The answer is simple: because everyone knows about hidden folders. Since the Flinstones' times, people have been hiding their personal stuff in them. However cool it may sound, this is a bad idea because the last thing that you would want is to see your grandma's shivering cursor reaching for that check-box in front of Hidden items.

 

So how do I create an invisible folder? 

1. Create a folder by right clicking anywhere without selecting any particular item and then going all the way down to new and then clicking on folder.

2. Right click on the folder that you just created and select properties.

3. Navigate to customise tab.

4. Click on change icon.

5. Select a blank icon from the list of icons shown and hit OK.

6. Now you will have a folder without any icon.

But hey, your work is not done yet. We still need to remove the folder name:

7. To remove the folder's name, just select the folder by single clicking on it and press F2. This will rename the folder.

8. Now all you need to do is to rename the folder to a blank character. To do so, press shift key and without releasing it, type 0160 on numeric keypad.

You will now have a folder with no name and no icon. You, sir are a legend!

What if I don't have numeric keypad?

In case you don't have a numeric keypad, you need to follow the steps up to seven as stated above. After getting rid of the icon, you need to start your On-Screen Keyboard. Just press the Windows and R buttons simultaneously (Win+R) and once you get to see the Run prompt, enter 'osk' in the text field. This will bring up the On-Screen Keyboard.

Easy-peasy! 

Now click on Options in the lower-middle-right of the On-Screen Keyboard. This would open an options dialog. Check the third check-box from top that says Turn on numeric key pad.

Now press alt (on your physical keyboard) and 0160 (on the On-Screen Keyboard) simultaneously. 

Video walk-through: