In last month’s edition, we talked a little
about how to apply security attributes to folders on a Windows XP computer to
ensure that users sharing the system can protect sensitive information from
each other.
In a similar vein, this month we will cover
how to take the folder security a step further, by actually hiding folders
containing sensitive information from view.
Firstly, as system administrator, you should
follow the procedures described in last month’s piece to apply the appropriate
attributes to the folder or folders in question. You then need to apply the
HIDDEN attribute to the folder(s) by following these steps:
1.
Launch Windows Explorer and highlight the folder
concerned.
2.
Right-click on the highlighted folder and select
the Properties menu item, then select the GENERAL tab as shown below in Figure
1.
Figure
1
3.
At the bottom of this dialogue box, there is a
check box marked HIDDEN. Check this box and hit the APPLY button. The folder
will now have the “hidden” attribute.
To ensure that the folder is in fact hidden
from view, you need to make sure that Hidden or System folders are actually
hidden from view, since this option can be switched on and off.
To check this, select the TOOLS menu Windows
Explorer and the FOLDER OPTIONS item. The dialogue box in Figure 2 will appear.
Check whether the radio button against the DO NOT SHOW HIDDEN FILES AND FOLDERS
item is selected or not. If it is not, then select it and hit APPLY.
Figure
2
Hit the OK button and exit Windows
Explorer. Next time you launch Windows Explorer or My Computer. The folder
concerned will no longer be listed.
This attribute can be applied to individual
files as well as folders if you require.
