To hide a single file or many files, the easiest way is set their attributes files to Hidden attrib. With Hidden attribute, your files will disappear from your Windows Explorer but actually your files still in there. For common peoples, this way is working. Unfortunately, Windows XP is providing an option to allow user can display files with Hidden attrib and once this option is enable, you Hidden files will shown.

The option is located at Explorer option; just click Tools -> Folder Options, click View tab and click Show hidden files and folders option under Hidden files and folders section and then click OK. And your ‘secret’ is exposing now. So, to make it safer, just hide that option. If you hide it at least you don’t make it easy to enable that option. This trick will use Registry Editor.

1. Click Start -> Run, enter regedit in textbox then press Enter.

2. In Registry Editor, navigate to registry path: HKEY_CURRENT_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Explorer \ Advanced \ Folder \ Hidden.

3. Find Type value on right panel in Hidden key. By default, Type value has group value.

4. To make this trick be works, just empty its value by double click Type value, empty its data and then click OK button.

5. And if you did it right, you’ll see the result like picture below.

6. Close Registry Editor.

7. Now, try to open Explorer Options again.

Make sure before you hide the option, set the option to Do not show hidden files and folders first.
(article no:00127)