We have previously covered MyLockbox which is a free software to password protect your private folders. There is another similar folder locking tool called HiddenDIR. HIddenDIR is a small free tool that helps you protect your privacy by hiding in a few moves your private folders, invisible to anyone who has access to your PC, hidden folders visible only if you have access to the program that you can save in any directory or USB device.
You can download the HiddenDIR freeware from the RCPSoft web site. The download is in form a ZIP archive which contains a portable edition of the HiddenDIR program. This requires Microsoft .NET Framework to be installed on your computer. If you have not already installed, then you can visit Microsoft web site to download and install Microsoft .NET Runtime.
The user interface of HiddenDIR is pretty simple. To hide a folder, just click on the Hide button and choose a folder to hide. This would set the hidden attributes for that folder and for regular users it would be hidden. To unhide a folder, select a folder from the list and check the checkbox labeled Select to Unhide, then click on the Unhide button. This would make that folder visible again in the Windows Explorer by removing its hidden attributes.
If you want to password protect the HiddenDIR program, then you can click on the Password button. This would set a password of your choice and it would be asked each time someone tries to run this portable program.
Unlike My Lockbox, the HiddenDIR tool hides the folders by just setting the hidden attributes to that folder and any advanced Windows user can easily find those “hidden” folders. But if you like this feature to hide and unhide your private folders, then give HiddenDIR a try. You can download HiddenDIR from http://www.rcpsoft.net/hdir.html.