For the delicate situations in which you need to protect sensitive or personal data stored on a shared computer, or you just want to make sure nobody can access it behind your back, password-protecting those important files and folders is a must. However, to make sure no one is tempted to open them the best option is to make then invisible on top of the mandatory password protection.
HidesFiles is a tiny app that lets users hide any kind of data not just on your computer’s hard-drives but also on removable media such as USB flash drives. All files and folders hidden with HidesFiles remain invisible to all types of access (local, network, Internet) and cannot become visible without your username and password.
Installation & Requirements
HidesFiles installation requires users to perform a few simple steps: download the archive, extract and run the executable file and go through the standard setup wizard. At first run, you’ll have to create your user account and fill in a username, password, choose a secret question and provide its answer which you can use for password recovery.
HidesFiles requires only 1 MB of free hard-drive space and runs on all versions of Windows XP, Vista and 7.
Interface
The plain interface allows users to hide their files and folders in multiple ways. You can use drag & drop, the “Hide with HidesFiles” option available in Windows Explorer context menu, use the “Hide File”/”Hide Folder” buttons from the toolbar or the same options from the File menu. Whatever procedure you choose the process is very easy. All of the hidden files and folders will remain listed in the UI and reverting them to visible state can be done using the “UnHide Selected File/Folder available as a button in the toolbar, as a right-click menu option in the UI and in the File menu.
Besides the complete invisibility of files and folders along with reliable password-protection, HidesFiles has a few other useful capabilities. From its UI users can access their hidden data without having to make it visible in Windows. Data can be hidden even on USB flash drives, external hard drives and other removable storage devices. And last, but not least, even if HidesFiles is uninstalled, hidden data remains hidden. The trial version is not time-limited but it only allows hiding a total of 5 files.
Pros
– Quick and simple setup process that doesn’t require Administrator rights.
– Supports FAT, FAT32 and NTFS file systems.
– All hidden data can be viewed, accessed and “unhidden” from the program’s interface.
– Can also hide files/folders on removable storage devices.
– Files remain hidden even after HidesFiles is uninstalled.
– Support documentation includes a manual and a F.A.Q.
Cons
– The program’s Help option sends the user to a URL with no content, instead of the correct one.
– During our testing HidesFiles wasn’t able to hide several files.
Alternatives
– My Lockbox
– Wise Folder Hider
Conclusion
HidesFiles offers all the tools one would need to protect sensitive data and no useless features that would only make it resource consuming and complicated to use. Except for some occasional glitches, HidesFiles does its job pretty well, although considering it’s not free there shouldn’t be any.
