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Windows 2003/2008/Vista/XP / Shareware / 3,889 downloads
Hide Folders 2009 effectively protects access to an unlimited number of files and folders on your computer. Do you need to hide your files from prying eyes? Or you want to protect your files from being deleted? Hide Folders 2009 safely hides and locks your private data from other users and grants access only if you specify the original password. Smooth user interface guarantees that you never get lost in the program control - several self-explained buttons in Hide Folders 2009 Control Panel will change you imagination about Windows file security! Moreover, you can use hot keys, integrate Hide Folders 2009 into Windows Explorer context menu and cease to run Control Panel at all. Advanced users will find helpful abilities to protect files using wildcards and set a list of trusted programs, e.g. backup and antivirus that can access the protected data bypassing the protection. Every user with a desire to have well-protected files on their system will find Hide Folders 2009 fits their need.
- Publisher
- Homepage
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Limitations
Yes - 30 day timeout
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Uninstaller
Yes
Reviews of Hide Folders 2009
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port8001Reviewing 2.3.5 (Jun 14, 2002)
this can done by simply hiding a folder in the normal folder options, then remove this feature from the folder options with windows power tools.
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reidynReviewing 1.0 Beta 1 (Feb 26, 2001)
From their web page: "Windows 2000/NT users don't need this because they have embedded access control".... True, they have access control, BUT the folders are still visible. It would still be cool even in 2000 to be able to totally HIDE a folder.
Discuss Hide Folders 2009
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Mar 3, 2009 - 3:22 PM
The MAZZTer
Based on how this tool probably works a warning is in order:
- This tool does not change how files or folders are stored on the disk, just how Windows can access them. Tools which use raw disk access (such as rootkit detection tools) will likely be able to circumvent this and read files and folders you've hidden or locked.
- Rootkit detection tools will probably mark folders you hide with this tool as possible indications of a rootkit, as it probably uses the same techniques. Similarly this tool itself may be marked as a rootkit.
- All a user has to do to circumvent this program is to uninstall whatever driver component it installs. Any user with Administrator access can do this. Then after a reboot the tool will no longer function and all previously hidden and locked files and folders will be readable.
- Just because a folder or file is hidden doesn't mean it can't be accessed (that's probably the distinction from locked) if someone knows the exact path.
- If all else fails, booting into a Linux LiveCD will offer immediate read (and with the right tools, write) access to your hidden or locked files. It's also worth mentioning LiveCDs ignore file permissions on NTFS drives and will allow full access.
The best way to hide or lock files is to encrypt them so a password is always required to view the file contents (make sure it's a strong password). To hide files you can archive them and encrypt the archive (password protections on most archives still allow you to view archive file names, encryption of the archive file itself may be necessary). However all of this can be a bit unwieldy.
My favorite way to "hide and lock" files with encryption is to use TrueCrypt, which creates a disk in a file, and encrypts it using a very strong encryption (you get to pick from several) and has many options for fine tuning the encryption, including a form of encryption that can be impossible to detect (hidden volume). Once you start up TrueCrypt you can select the file, enter your password, and immediately have full access to the virtual disk directory tree until you unmount the TrueCrypt file or shut down the computer.
My apologies if any of this information is wrong, as I have not tried this program. But based on how I know Windows works plus some knowledge of how rootkits have gone about doing the things this program does I have a fairly good idea of how this tool would have to function.
The MAZZTer
Based on how this tool probably works a warning is in order:
- This tool does not change how files or folders are stored on the disk, just how Windows can access them. Tools which use raw disk access (such as rootkit detection tools) will likely be able to circumvent this and read files and folders you've hidden or locked.
- Rootkit detection tools will probably mark folders you hide with this tool as possible indications of a rootkit, as it probably uses the same techniques. Similarly this tool itself may be marked as a rootkit.
- All a user has to do to circumvent this program is to uninstall whatever driver component it installs. Any user with Administrator access can do this. Then after a reboot the tool will no longer function and all previously hidden and locked files and folders will be readable.
- Just because a folder or file is hidden doesn't mean it can't be accessed (that's probably the distinction from locked) if someone knows the exact path.
- If all else fails, booting into a Linux LiveCD will offer immediate read (and with the right tools, write) access to your hidden or locked files. It's also worth mentioning LiveCDs ignore file permissions on NTFS drives and will allow full access.
The best way to hide or lock files is to encrypt them so a password is always required to view the file contents (make sure it's a strong password). To hide files you can archive them and encrypt the archive (password protections on most archives still allow you to view archive file names, encryption of the archive file itself may be necessary). However all of this can be a bit unwieldy.
My favorite way to "hide and lock" files with encryption is to use TrueCrypt, which creates a disk in a file, and encrypts it using a very strong encryption (you get to pick from several) and has many options for fine tuning the encryption, including a form of encryption that can be impossible to detect (hidden volume). Once you start up TrueCrypt you can select the file, enter your password, and immediately have full access to the virtual disk directory tree until you unmount the TrueCrypt file or shut down the computer.
My apologies if any of this information is wrong, as I have not tried this program. But based on how I know Windows works plus some knowledge of how rootkits have gone about doing the things this program does I have a fairly good idea of how this tool would have to function.