In today's material we will talk to you about how to hide an application on Android. We will not consider the ethical side of this issue. It doesn’t matter for what reasons you want to do this: hide a VKontakte application from a girl, hide a photo gallery from your wife, or simply remove a program you don’t regret from your eyes, all this can be done using special programs.
There is no point in considering the method of disabling applications in the settings, since this method does not work on most programs. The task is to hide the icon from the Android desktop, and the program itself can be launched.
Let's move on to the list of the most popular programs, with which you can hide applications in android. Note that they work on system 2.3 and higher. Some of them may require .
If you have forgotten your password, enter 123456789+987654321.
This is not the entire list of existing utilities that will help you hide necessary files. There are many more of them, we are just talking about the most popular ones, in our opinion.
Conclusion. If you don’t want to delve into the settings for a long time, choose the first or third. For those who want to completely change the settings of their phone - 2.
That's all. Write in the comments what did you choose and why?
Greetings, dear visitors to the site “Computer Smart!”
In this article, I want to introduce you to one simple, but at the same time very effective way to keep your data from prying eyes, that is, to hide your files and folders from other users.
In our age information technologies the problem of the security of your data is very relevant, because even if you are the only user of your personal computer, this may not protect your data from various kinds of intruders who, in one way or another, can remotely (remotely) access your computer and your personal files and folders.
There are many programs on the Internet, paid and free, that are designed to protect files and folders on your computer, but you need to understand all of them, set the correct settings, and in some cases, if the folder hiding program is incorrectly deleted or damaged, you yourself may lose access to your folders and files. In my next articles I will review the most simple, effective and free programs to protect your data from unauthorized access by third parties, and in this article we will analyze the simplest and effective method- how to use the usual WinRar archiver as a program for hiding folders.
We discussed downloading, installation and basic options of the WinRar archiver in. And at the end of that article, I promised to devote a separate topic to how to use the “Set Password” option to hide your files and folders from strangers.
So how do you do this? Let's look at the following example - I will create a “Secret Data” folder on my computer (you, in turn, can create any other folder to practice hiding folders), you can put some data there (not necessarily secret, we’re just we are training). For me it looks like this:
A dialog menu appears for archiving your folder, the options for which we discussed in. Now we are interested in the button on the bottom right “Set password”:
Click it and you will be taken to the following dialog menu:
Here we need to enter your password, then in the next line enter it again (this is for your own good, so that if you make a typo in the password, you do not lose access to your folders, otherwise you need to enter the password again, and if they do not match, then you will realize that you made a typo somewhere). Please note that when entering a password, you will not see which characters (letters and numbers) and in which layout (Russian or English) you are entering. General recommendations and rules for composing strong password described in . In short, to make your password strong and resistant to hacking, try to come up with passwords that are at least 8 characters long (preferably 10 or more), which include, in addition to lowercase letters, at least one capital letter, as well as at least one number. In more detail, you can see all the recommendations for choosing a password in the article at the link in the previous sentence.
To visually control your password, you can check the “Display password as you enter” checkbox, and then you will see exactly what password you are entering and in what language. Use this option if no one is looking at your password behind your back. In this case, there is no need to re-enter the password for verification, since you visually check whether it was entered correctly.
I also recommend that you check the “encrypt file names” option, which hides all file names inside the archive, and if someone tries to see what file names are stored in your password-protected archive, he will not be able to do this without entering a password, not to mention already that he will not be able to view the contents of these files.
I don’t recommend using the lowest button in this menu - “Organize passwords” at all, because in this case anyone who sits down at your computer will be able to see all your passwords that you will store in this menu. WinRar honestly warns you about this when you click on this button.
So, I entered the test password “Password123″ for the archive being created (note that all passwords are sensitive to uppercase and lowercase letters, and for example the passwords “Password123″ and “password123″ are two completely different passwords because the first one has a capital letter , but not in the second one), activated the “Display password as you type” and “encrypt file names” options, and is ready to start creating an archive with a password:
Click the “OK” button, then “OK” again in the next window, and watch the archiving process:
If you have small files, the archiving process will happen almost instantly, and you may not even notice it. As a result, we receive a file next to our folder with secret data with an archive of all this data, protected by the password we specified.
When we try to see what is inside our created password-protected archive, a window immediately pops up requiring us to enter a password to open the file:
When entering incorrect password an error will be generated and the data inside the archive will not open. Please note that since we activated the “encrypt file names” option when creating the archive, a person trying to open the archive will not even see which files (their names and extensions) are hidden in the archive until entering the password. If this option had not been activated during archiving, we would have seen the names of all the files and their extensions that are stored in the password-protected archive, but we would not have been able to open them and view their contents.
To open our files inside the archive, enter the correct password and click “OK”
This opens the WinRar program, inside which we see our folder, and we can look at any files inside it
If we need to unzip data to some place on our computer, then click the “Extract” button at the top, and in the window that appears, indicate the path where to extract documents from the archive. After working with your documents, do not forget to delete them so that there is no unprotected folder with these documents on your computer that anyone can access.
By the way, another important point - if you remember, next to our created archive we still have the original folder with secret documents.
This folder must be deleted so that your secret documents do not remain in open form on your computer. Please note that when you delete a folder, it is not completely removed from your computer, but is placed in the Recycle Bin, which is usually located on your desktop Windows desktop. To completely remove your file or folder from your computer, you must also empty this Recycle Bin. Find the “Trash” icon on your desktop, and right-click on it and select the “Empty Trash” menu item.
So, friends, in our article today, we have learned the easiest way to protect your personal data from unauthorized access by strangers by learning that WinRar is an excellent program for hiding folders. I hope you found this article helpful, and if you have any questions, please ask them in the comments.
Post navigationEvery user has their own confidential folders and files on their computer that they would like to protect from prying eyes. For example, at home it is necessary to protect a child from information not intended for him, and at work, for one reason or another, it may be undesirable to show other employees some of your work materials. Well, besides, tell me, hand on heart, do you always calmly allow your colleagues to use your work computer or your household members to use your home computer? Hardly... And the reason here lies not only in the desire to limit access to confidential information, but also in the subconscious fear of losing one’s own materials due to the illiterate actions of other users - that is, for example, when one’s own child actively begins to master the art of working with files and folders with all the ensuing sad consequences for you. It is worth noting that the need to protect confidential information from prying eyes is relevant not only if such data is constantly stored on a work or home computer, but also when transferring it to other users via e-mail or on various media (CD/DVD disks, USB drives, floppy disks, etc.). It often makes sense to also think about protecting folders and files. operating system and applications from being changed, deleted or moved in an unknown direction, which is often managed by insufficiently prepared users. If this is your case, then it is wiser to hide such folders altogether, say, from the eyes of household members, and this action alone can significantly extend the performance of your computer, since hidden folders can be used in the usual way (for example, by launching application programs from the Start menu), but you won’t be able to delete them, rename them, or move them. As for confidential information, it is better to block it - blocked folders will be inaccessible either for viewing or editing, and therefore the documents contained in them will be reliably protected from any changes. If you don’t want other users to be aware that some information is being hidden from them, then you should combine blocking with hiding. Well, if this doesn’t seem enough to you, then no one forbids you to also encrypt the most secret materials.
Protect folders and files with built-in Windows tools
Theoretically, you can hide your folders and files using the built-in Windows features- to do this, just enable the “Hidden” attribute in the properties of the corresponding objects. Folders and files hidden in this way will not be visible in Explorer to other system users, but only if the “Do not show hidden files and folders” checkbox is enabled in the properties of the parent folders containing them. In principle, this may be enough to protect your data from the most unprepared audience. However, objects hidden in this way will be visible in applications that do not use the standard dialog for displaying files and folders (FAR, Total Commander etc.), therefore such protection is more than unreliable.A more reliable option for protecting data using built-in Windows tools is to use the Encrypting File System (EFS), which allows you to encrypt files by enabling the “Encrypt contents to protect data” option in Explorer (Properties > General > Advanced). It is impossible to read files encrypted in this way without knowing the password, however EFS system allows you to protect folders and files only in file system NTFS.
Therefore, to protect personal folders and files, it is much better to use specialized utilities. These solutions will allow you to more securely hide folders and files (they will not be visible if you disable the "Do not show hidden files and folders" checkbox), as well as block access to them and even encrypt the data itself.
Programs for hiding, blocking and encrypting folders and files
There are a lot of programs on the market for hiding/encrypting folders and files, and the level of protection implemented in them differs markedly. Some solutions only provide for hiding folders and files and/or blocking them (it happens that similar options are available for disks). Others additionally support full file encryption (Table 1), which ensures data protection even when booted in another operating system or the disk is installed on another computer. We do not set a goal to identify the best existing solutions, since everything here depends on the tasks facing the user, but simply as examples we will give the most attractive, in our (obviously subjective) opinion, diverse tools. Here, by the way, it is immediately worth noting several nuances. Firstly, it is quite possible that, by default, protected data will be inaccessible to other users only during normal loading of the OS, and when loading Windows into safe mode(SafeMode) access to them will be open. This can be explained very simply: in a safe Windows mode loads only the drivers necessary for the system to operate, and skips all additional ones (including those responsible for hiding data), which leads to a similar result. So it is possible that to protect data in SafeMode, you will need to make some settings in the utilities (usually just enable the corresponding checkbox). Secondly, other users will be able to access hidden or blocked data by booting into another operating system if several are installed on the computer, but the protection program is configured in only one. There is another way - rearrange HDD with protected information to another computer as an additional one, boot into it, after which you can easily access the data. With external media (USB, flash, CD-RW, etc.) it’s even easier - just install them on another computer - and the protection is gone. However, in real life, quite often such protection (if, for example, we are talking about a hard drive, there is only one OS on the computer, and you know for sure that other users will not be able to connect it to another computer) may be quite sufficient. In addition, if you accidentally forget the password to your data (we are all guilty of this), you will always have a reliable way to access it on another computer. Well, if you have top-secret materials stored in your arsenal, and the attackers who are eager to get to them are professionals, then you can’t limit yourself to just hiding or blocking the data - you need to encrypt it. Encrypted data cannot be read either when booted in SafeMode or when booted into another OS or on another computer. But if you manage to forget the password to the data, then you can safely “give up” on these top-secret materials - no one, including you personally, will be able to get to them.Table 1. Functionality of solutions for hiding, blocking and encrypting folders and files (click to enlarge)
Universal Shield 4.3
Developer: Everstrike SoftwareDistribution size: 1.86 MB
Spreading: shareware Universal Shield is a very convenient tool for protecting personal files, folders and drives (including network drives) by hiding and encrypting them (seven encryption algorithms are supported, including AES with a 256-bit key). It is possible to hide files that match a specific mask (say, C:*.doc). It is possible to set different access rules (read, write, visibility and delete), which allows you to choose a variety of combinations of parameters - for example, you can make files accessible for reading and writing and prohibit their deletion. This access option allows you not only to prevent the deletion of personal data, but also application files, which is often no less important. If no activity has been performed on the computer for a certain period, the data can be blocked automatically. For greater security, it is possible to use a special Stealth Mode, which hides all user-visible information about the installation of Universal Shield - the program shortcut on the desktop and in the Start menu, as well as the corresponding folder in Program Files. Access to the program in this mode is possible only by pressing a pre-agreed key combination. There is support for "trusted processes", which allows you to backup files, checking them for viruses and similar operations in a protected state. Access to program settings requires entering a master password. The demo version of the program is fully functional for 30 days, the cost of the commercial version is $34.95. You can protect data in two ways - using the wizard that automatically starts when you first load the program (then it can be activated by the File > Universal Shield Wizard command or the Wizard button ) or manually. If the choice is made in favor of the master, you will have to perform several operations sequentially. First, select a protection option - that is, indicate to the program whether the data will be hidden or encrypted, or whether it will have limited access options. And then, in two steps, the data to be protected is selected, during which you can not only explicitly specify it, but also use file masks. Protecting data manually is no more difficult - the Protect button and the File > Protect Object command are responsible for this operation. For example, by clicking on the Protect button, you will have to define the data type (disk, folder, file or mask) on the left side of the window that opens, and on the right side, specify the protected object itself on the disk and configure its protection parameters. Correction of the installed type of protection is made through the properties of the object (Properties button), and refusal of protection is done by simply deleting the object from the program window. Temporary removal of protection is carried out from the utility itself by pressing the Locked button or using hot keys (the latter is much faster and more convenient).
Securing your files by encrypting them requires a little more time and effort. First, in the same way as discussed above, the basic protection parameters are configured (the Protect button). And then the protected object that appears in the utility window is additionally encrypted (Encrypt button) indicating the encryption algorithm and password. Decryption is performed by clicking on the Decrypt button, and, of course, is impossible without knowing the password.
Additionally, Universal Shield allows you to restrict access to special Windows folders (My Documents, Favorites, Control Panel, etc.), protect the desktop from changes (so that users cannot delete, add or change shortcuts and icons on the desktop), restrict access the control panel and prevent the date and time on your computer from being changed. This can be done through the wizard, or by using the File > Security tricks command.
There is a cheaper, simplified version of Universal Shield, Lock Folder XP (1.38 MB; $24.95), which limits the ability to protect drives, folders and files to hiding them. In addition, this utility does not support trusted processes and the use of hot keys is limited (however, the main function of quickly enabling/disabling protection is present), as well as limited functionality in terms of regulating access to special Windows folders and system settings. Setting up data protection in Lock Folder XP is possible through a wizard or manually - in both cases you will need to determine the type of data to be hidden and indicate which, for example, folders you want to hide. The Locked/Unlocked button or pressing the Ctrl + Win key combination is used to temporarily enable/disable protection.
Folder Guard 8.1
Developer: WinAbility Software CorporationDistribution size: 3.29 MB
Spreading: shareware Folder Guard is a simple and convenient solution for restricting access to folders and files, as well as preventing access to a number of Windows settings. Restricting access to personal data is carried out by hiding it, setting read-only access, or blocking it. Hiding is implemented in two options - you can make folders and files hidden or assign folders as empty (Empty). In the second case, the folders will be externally visible, but when opened they will look empty, although in reality they will contain information - this option protection is reasonable in relation to standard folders Windows, completely hiding them will tell other users that information on the computer is blocked, which is undesirable. Protected folders will not be accessible to other users of the system even when Windows boots in safe mode, however, for this you will need to enable the corresponding checkbox in the settings. Access to the settings of the program itself is provided only by entering the master password; in case you forget this password, there is a function for restoring it using the free Emergency Recovery utility. The ability to operate the program in Stealth Mode has also been implemented, in which its own shortcuts and files will be hidden. The demo version of the program is fully functional for 30 days, the cost of the commercial version depends on the license type: personal license - $29.95, business license - $59.95.
You can protect your data using a wizard that starts automatically when you load the program (of course, it’s easy to disable the wizard from starting), or manually. When working with the wizard, specify a folder with documents, determine whether to set a password for access to the folder, set the visibility option for the folder (visible, hidden or empty) and determine the level of access to it (full access, no access, read-only). To control the level of access to files of a certain type, the use of file masks is additionally allowed. When protecting manually, the procedure will be the same, with the exception that you will have to perform them yourself - first select the folder of interest in the program window, and then set all the required settings by clicking on the corresponding buttons in the program window (Read-Only, No Access, Visible, etc.) or by selecting the desired commands in the context menu. To remove the protection, you will have to perform the same set of actions, but in reverse order.
It is possible to set different restrictions for different users (the corresponding users will first have to be added using the Protect > User List command) - this is very convenient, since there will be no need to regularly remove protection in case of manual work on the computer. It is possible to configure a list of “trusted programs” (Protect > Trusted Programs) - that is, an antivirus, backup program, etc., which will allow you to carry out the corresponding operations without removing protection. The key combination Ctrl+G and the Toggle Protection button are responsible for switching from protected mode to normal mode. In addition to protecting folders and files, using Folder Guard you can also protect basic OS settings from being adjusted (Command Protect > Permissions). In particular, block access to the properties of the taskbar, Start menu and a number of other windows, prohibit saving display properties (if they have been changed), block changes to folder properties and Internet settings Explorer, do not show desktop icons. And also prevent changes to parameters critical for system operation by closing access to the control panel and setting a series of restrictions: access to the system registry, adding/removing printers, using the “Run” command, etc. You can also hide it in My Computer, Explorer, and standard dialog boxes Open/Save certain drives and block burning of CD/DVD discs. Different users may have different sets of such restrictions.
There is a cheaper version of Folder Guard - MySecretFolder (1.35 MB; personal license - $24.95, business license - $3.95). This utility is easier to use than Folder Guard, but its capabilities are limited to hiding and blocking folders, and installed settings protection will be the same for all users. Setting up data protection in MySecretFolder is quite simple - you just need to specify a folder, select a protection option for it (hiding or blocking) and click on the Protect button. Temporary disabling of protection is carried out using the Unprotect button.
Folder Lock 6.2.1
Developer: NewSoftwares, LLCDistribution size: 2.78 MB
Spreading: shareware Folder Lock is an effective and reliable solution for protecting personal files, folders and disks by blocking, hiding and/or encrypting (AES algorithm with 256-bit key). For greater security, blocking and encryption can be used simultaneously. The original data that needs to be protected can be located not only on the hard drive, but also on USB flash drives, memory cards, CD-RW drives, floppy disks and laptops. All protected data is placed in a kind of closed lockers (Lockers), access to which is possible only after entering the master password. If necessary, there can be many such lockers, which allows several users to use the same version of the program to protect their own data. The functionally limited demo version of the program can be used completely free of charge for 30 days; it limits the size of protected areas (Lockers) and the number of files allowed to be placed in one area, and it is also impossible to protect data on USB drives and external drives. The commercial version costs $29.95.
The technology for working with Folder Lock is as follows - first, for each set of folders and files, its own protected area is created (a locker in the interpretation of the developers of this program) - Locker, protected by a password and placed by default in the "My Documents" folder. When entering a password for the locker being created, the program evaluates the level of its reliability and informs the user in color: red, yellow or green (the most high level security passwords are green). To protect against keyloggers, the password can be entered using the built-in virtual keyboard.
Then the tab with the desired type of data protection is activated - Encrypt or Lock - and folders and files are added to the created locker. To do this, for example, in case of blocking, click on the Lock files & folders button, indicate a folder or file on the disk and click on the Add button. If necessary, you can also block access to exe files in this way. To complete the operation, click on the Lock Now button, and specified files and the folders are locked. After this, you will be able to access your protected folders and files only if you know the path to the locker and password (of course, if the locker is located on removable media, then you will also have to insert this media). Encryption of folders/files is carried out according to the exact same scheme. It is worth noting that in this program the protected data is actually moved to the protected area, and this can be done using guaranteed data destruction technology.
The process of installing the provided protection can be carried out automatically if the computer is inactive after a specified period of time. In the special Stealth Mode, the program can hide all traces indicating that data protection is installed on the computer. In particular, it prevents the display of its own shortcuts on the desktop and in the Start menu, as well as its folder in Program Files, hides installation/uninstallation data in the corresponding section of the control panel, etc. There are also tools for clearing the clipboard, startup histories, searching for documents, etc. In addition, for greater security, the program keeps a record of all unsuccessfully entered passwords to remove protection, which allows the user to timely detect the manifestation of unhealthy interest in his own computer on the part of other users.
File Lock 6.1.4
Developer: TopLang softwareDistribution size: 917 kb
Spreading: shareware File Lock is a compact utility for ensuring the security of confidential information by blocking or hiding drives, folders or separate files on hard drives, floppy and CD/DVD drives. Please note that hiding drives means hiding all folders and files on them - the drives themselves will remain visible. It is possible to protect files in accordance with the specified masks and encrypt files. If desired, this or that restriction can be tied to time, which makes sense when using the program on home computers, for example, to set the time interval allotted to the child for games and other entertainment. It is possible to operate the utility in hidden mode, in which the utility will not be displayed in the Start menu, on the desktop, or in the Add/Remove Programs module - in this mode, the utility window can only be opened using a hotkey. It is possible to configure permissions for trusted processes. In addition, File Lock allows you to create numerous user settings - unique for each user, which is important if several users work on a computer. With appropriate settings, each user will be able to fully manage only their own folders and files, while a user with administrator rights will have access to all items. The demo version of the program can be downloaded and used without any restrictions for 15 days, the cost of the commercial version is $29.95.
To protect a file, folder or disk, just click on the Lock button (in the case of a file or folder, you can simply drag this object from Windows Explorer to the utility window or use the corresponding command from context menu conductor; however, in the latter case, you must first enable the corresponding option in the utility). And then select the type of protection (that is, block or hide) and, if necessary, to automate the process, also set up a schedule. Temporarily disabling/enabling data protection is done using the Deactivate File Lock and Activate File Lock commands from the Tools menu or by pressing the provided keyboard shortcuts (the latter is much more convenient).
Encrypting a file is also easy (the Encrypt File button is responsible for this) - specify the file, click on the Encrypt button and enter the key. As a result, a copy of the original file will be created, but in encrypted form, which cannot be read without knowing the key. The decryption process is performed according to the exact same scheme, only you have to click on the Decrypt button.
Hide Folders 2009 (3.1)
Developer: FSPro LabsDistribution size: 1.39 MB
Spreading: shareware Hide Folders 2009 - a simple utility for protecting folders and files from unauthorized access by hiding and/or blocking them or setting read-only access. Protected folders will not be accessible to other users, including the system administrator, even when Windows starts in safe mode. And to prevent other users from guessing that there is protected data on the computer, the program can remove traces of the installation of protection and can hide itself. For example, it may not appear in the list of frequently downloaded programs, not show the uninstallation line in the control panel, hide itself in the list of running processes and its icon in the system tray, etc. The program also includes support for “trusted processes”. Without knowing the master password, it is impossible to access the utility settings. The demo version of the program (there is a Russian localization) can be downloaded and used without any restrictions for 30 days, the cost of the commercial version is 500 rubles.
Protecting your documents is a snap with Hide Folders 2009. Just click on the "Add" button, specify the desired folder and select the desired protection mode. In this case, it is possible to use file masks to protect certain types of files. There is another way to protect folders and files - by dragging them from Windows Explorer onto the program window. A list of all protected folders is visible in the program window; deleting any folder from this list will remove protection from this folder. Switching from protected mode to normal mode is carried out using hot keys or by pressing the corresponding buttons from the program itself. If necessary, it is also easy to configure the program to automatic switching on protection when starting the screensaver, entering standby/sleep mode and/or after several minutes of inactivity.
My Lockbox 1.3
Developer: FSPro LabsDistribution size: 1.33 MB
Spreading: free My Lockbox is a free utility for protecting personal folders by hiding them. Hidden folders are inaccessible without knowing the password when booting into Windows normal and safe modes. To hide a specific folder, you should specify it in the utility window or drag it onto this window from Explorer and click on the Lock button, and to return visibility, select and click on the Unlock button. To gain access to the utility, you must enter a master password, and activating the master password request is possible not only through the Start menu, but also via a hotkey, which is somewhat faster. Hiding options are limited by the lack of display of the program icon in the system tray.
Hide Folders 2.2
Developer: GPLDistribution size: 1.2 MB
Spreading: free Hide Folders is a simple free utility for hiding folders with confidential information that will be invisible to other users even when booting into Windows safe mode. Installing protection is extremely simple - you need to specify the folder to hide on the disk (Add Folder button) and click on the Hide button to hide it. Temporary removal of protection is performed by clicking the Unhide button, and its complete removal by clicking the Remove button.
Free Hide Folder 2.1
Developer: Cleanersoft.comDistribution size: 743 kb
Spreading: free Free Hide Folder is a simple free utility for protecting personal folders by hiding them. Hidden folders are inaccessible without knowing the password, even when booting into Windows Safe Mode. Hiding folders is easy - just select a folder and click on the Hide button. The technology for returning visibility to a folder is similar, but you will have to use the Unhide folder. Access to the utility itself is possible only after entering the master password.
File encryption programs
File encryption programs are indispensable when it is necessary to transfer confidential information by mail and on various media (CD/DVD disks, USB drives, floppy disks, etc.), since some of these programs allow the recipient to decrypt data without installing it on his computer. This is convenient, since the sender can, for example, send an encrypted document by email (having previously agreed on a password with the recipient) and not worry about the fact that the recipient does not have the appropriate encryption/decryption software - the latter will still be able to decrypt the document simply by specifying the password . As examples of such solutions, we will focus on two programs Max File Encryption and Animabilis RS File Encryption, of which the first is more functional, as it allows you not only to encrypt documents, but also to hide them using steganography (Table 2).table 2. Hiding solutions functionality,
blocking and encrypting folders and files
Max File Encryption 1.8
Developer: Softeza.comDistribution size: 1.09 MB
Spreading: shareware Max File Encryption - convenient program to encrypt files of any type (including Word documents, Excel and PowerPoint) using the Blowfish algorithm. It can be used to encrypt multiple files at once and allows you to encrypt even very large files(up to 4 GB). Encrypted files are saved in the program's own format or in EXE format - the latter option allows you to decrypt files if Max File Encryption is not installed on your computer. In addition, encrypted files can be hidden in regular files(so-called media) - graphic, audio and video files, and even in applications and dll files, and the files that carry encrypted information remain fully functional. The program can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for 15 days, after which residents Russian Federation and CIS countries you will need to pay 300 rubles. The encryption technology is simple - just create a list of source files by sequentially selecting them in the left panel of the utility window and clicking on the Add button, and then encrypt by clicking on the Encrypt button and selecting the encryption method, entering the password and specifying the source file. When finished, the program will ask whether the source files need to be deleted from the disk. To decrypt in the utility environment, select the encrypted file and click on the Decrypt button, followed by entering the password. And if the encrypted file was saved in EXE format, then you just need to run it and enter the password.
Animabilis RS File Encryption 1.3
Developer: AES SoftwareDistribution size: 1.1 MB
Spreading: shareware Animabilis RS File Encryption is a simple tool for encrypting files of any type, including Word, Excel and PowerPoint documents using the Blowfish algorithm. Encrypted files are written in the program's own format or converted to a self-extracting EXE format, which allows you to decrypt files if Animabilis RS File Encryption is not installed on your computer. After encryption, the program can ensure the deletion of source files by writing a random set of characters to the appropriate area of the disk a specified number of times. Program (available Russian version) can be downloaded and used completely free of charge for 30 days, after which you will need to pay 300 rubles. The encryption technology is approximately the same as in the utility discussed above - select the file, click on the "Encrypt" button, enter the password and indicate the source file. You can also enable the corresponding checkbox to delete the source file. Decryption is possible both in the utility environment and without it (if we are talking about an encrypted file in EXE format).
Conclusion
The issue of secure storage and transfer of personal folders and files is relevant for any user. At work, it is advisable to protect your own materials from other employees, at home - from household members. This approach will save you from many problems. In particular, you won’t have to worry that something will happen to valuable materials due to the fault of someone at home, or they will simply be stolen and used not in your favor by other employees, since, for example, locked files/folders cannot be accessed by other users. open, read, much less change, move, rename or delete. The only problem is which of the solutions in your particular case will be the most suitable. It all depends on many circumstances. If you need to hide or block folders and files on your own computer from untrained users, then the capabilities of any of the listed utilities are quite sufficient. True, from the point of view of convenience, the utilities considered are far from straightforward. Unfortunately, not everyone allows you to enable/disable protection using hotkeys, they know how to hide their own presence in the system, and, again, not everyone can automatically enable protection, for example, if the user is not at the computer. If the users are professionals, and the materials on the disk are top-secret, then you will definitely have to resort to encrypting the folders, and when transferring confidential documents to other users by mail or on any media, it is wiser to encrypt the corresponding files. As for hiding/blocking drives, it should be recognized that although the mentioned capabilities are supported by some of the programs reviewed, they are at a very limited level, so to solve such a problem it is more reasonable to use solutions such as Security Administrator, WinLock, Deskman, etc. but this is a topic for a separate article.27
Sep
2011
WinMend Folder Hidden 1.4.5.3
Year of manufacture: 2011
Genre: Security, hiding files/folders
Developer: WinMend.com
Developer's website: http://www.winmend.com/
Interface language: Multilingual (Russian present)
Assembly Type: Standard
Bit depth: 32/64-bit
Operating system: Windows XP, Vista, 7
System requirements: PC
Description:
The WinMend Folder Hidden program is designed to hide files/folders on local partitions of an internal drive or external storage devices: flash drives or portable drives. At the same time, the user will be able to review the list of hidden files/folders or gain access to them only after entering the correct password. Reinstalling the operating system or connecting a drive/flash drive to another computer does not show hidden files/folders or open access to them.
01
Jan
2012
WinMend Folder Hidden 1.4.5.4 Portable
Year of manufacture: 2011
Genre: Data Protection
Developer: WinMend.com
Build Type: Portable
Bit depth: 32/64-bit
01
Jan
2012
WinMend Folder Hidden 1.4.5.4
Year of manufacture: 2011
Genre: Data Protection
Developer: WinMend.com
Developer's website: http://www.winmend.com/
Interface language: Multilingual (Russian is present)
Assembly Type: Standard
Bit depth: 32/64-bit
Operating system: Windows 2000, XP, 2003, Vista, 7
Description: WinMend Folder Hidden is a program for hiding files and folders. At the same time guaranteeing absolute system security, this application can also quickly hide files and folders on local partitions and/or portable devices. Hidden files and folders will always be safely hidden, even if the device is accessed from others...
14
Mar
2011
WinMend File Copy 1.3.5
Version: 1.3.5
Year of manufacture: 2011
Genre: File copying
Developer: WinMend.com
Developer website: http://www.winmend.com
Interface language: Russian
Platform: Windows 7, Vista, XP
Description: WinMend File Copy is a free tool for quickly and conveniently copying files, which, according to the developers, is three times faster than copying in the usual way, which is achieved thanks to the presence of a unique software algorithm. Also, the advantages of the utility include resuming copying from the point where it was interrupted, the presence of a batch copying mode, as well as displaying a list...
27
Mar
2011
WinMend Registry Cleaner 1.5.9 Portable
Year of manufacture: 2011
Genre: Working with the registry
Developer: WinMend.com
Developer's website: http://www.winmend.com/
Interface language: Multilingual (Russian is present)
Platform: Windows 2000, XP, XP x64, Vista, Vista x64, 7, 7 x64
Description: WinMend Registry Cleaner cleans the system registry of incorrect or outdated information. Allows you to create registry backups and restore the registry from backup copy. The scanner has a number of settings that allow you to search for registry problems of a certain category. There is a registry optimizer. There is a function to search for "incorrect" labels. Also in...
13
Mar
2011
WinMend Data Recovery 1.3.8 + RUS
Version: 1.3.8
Year of manufacture: 2011
Genre: Data Recovery
Developer: WinMend.com
Developer's website: http://www.winmend.com/
Interface language: English + Russian
Platform: Windows 2000, XP, Vista, 7
Description: WinMend Data Recovery is Windows application for data recovery from hard drives, Compact Flash, Memory Stick and other media. WinMend Data Recovery recovers files and data lost as a result of accidental deletion, formatting, virus attacks, problems when creating partitions or loading, improper shutdown of the computer, formatting of the storage medium. By...
29
Mar
2010
CloneCD 5.3.1.4 + Portable CloneCD 5.3.1.4
Year of manufacture: 2010
Genre: Software Drive emulator, CD/DVD copying
Developer: SlySoft
Publisher: SlySoft
Developer website: SlySoft
Interface language: English + Russian
Platform: Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000/XP/XP64/VISTA/VISTA64/Windows 7 compatibility: FULL
System requirements: 500 MHz Pentium-class, 64 MB RAM. 1 MB of free hard disk space.
Description: CloneCD is a powerful CD replicator and is intended only for exact (1:1) copying of CDR/RW discs, including protected ones. The program works in RAW mode (hence the user needs a drive...
11
Sep
2014
Anvide Lock Folder 3.17 Silent install
Year of manufacture: 2014
Genre: Data Protection
Developer: Anvide
Developer's website: http://anvidelabs.org
Interface language: Multilingual (Russian is present)
Assembly type: Silent install
Bit depth: 32/64-bit
Operating system: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1
System requirements: -Processor with a clock frequency of 800 MHz or more powerful. -RAM 128 MB or more. -Free place on a hard drive of 20 MB.
Description: Anvide Lock Folder is a program for protecting folders from unauthorized access. With Anvide Lock Folder you can add the desired folder to the list of protected...
28
Mar
2010
CloneCD 5.3.1.4 Final
Year of manufacture: 2010
Genre: Drive emulator, CD/DVD copying
Developer: SlySoft
Developer website: www.slysoft.com
Interface language: Multilingual (Russian is present)
Platform: Windows 98/98SE/ME/2000/XP/XP64/VISTA/VISTA64
System requirements: IBM-compatible personal computer with a minimum 500 MHz Pentium-class microprocessor 64 MB RAM 1 MB hard-disk space
Description: Easy to use and at the same time powerful program to create exact copies of any CD - even those that are copy-protected. Direct copying is allowed, as well as working with disk images (creating and burning). Support...
28
but I
2012
Firmware iOS 1.0 - 4.3.5
Year of manufacture: 2007 - 2011
Genre: Software Update
Developer: Apple
Interface language: Multilingual (Russian is present)
Platform: iPhone, iPod, iPad, Apple TV
System Requirements: iTunes
Description: Official and original iOS firmware 1.0 - 4.3.5
03
Feb
2010
Year of manufacture: 2009
Genre: Disc recording
Developer: Nero AG
Developer's website: http://www.nero.com/
Interface language: Multilingual (Russian is present)
Platform: Windows XP, Vista, 7
Description: Nero 9 is a set software The world's most trusted next generation digital media and home entertainment center. It features cutting-edge functionality that makes enjoying digital media easy. This easy-to-use yet powerful multimedia suite gives you the freedom to create, read, copy, record, edit...
08
Mar
2011
Folder Protect 1.8.9
Year of manufacture: 2011
Genre: Folder protection
Developer: NewSoftwares.net, Inc.
Developer's website: http://www.newsoftwares.net/folderlock/
Interface language: English
Platform: Windows 2000, 2003, XP, Vista, 7
System requirements: Pentium III, 512 MB RAM, 10 MB hard disk
Description: Folder Protect is a program that allows you to password protect and set different levels of access to your files, folders, programs and extensions. Folder Protect goes beyond the usual file locking and data encryption, allowing you to customize your security and choose between blocking file access, hiding, deleting...
28
Feb
2017
The KMPlayer 4.1.5.8 repack by cuta (build 4) 4.1.5.8 RePack
Year of release: 2017
Genre: Multimedia player
Developer: KMP PANDORA.TV
Developer website: http://kmplayer.com/
Interface language: Multilingual (Russian is present)
Build type: Repack
Bit depth: 32/64-bit
Operating system: Windows XP, Vista, 7, 8, 8.1, 10
Description: KMPlayer is a media player that supports playing all popular audio and video formats, including DVD, VCD, AVI, MKV, Ogg Theora, OGM, 3GP, MPEG-1/2/4, WMV, RealMedia and QuickTime. The main features are built-in codecs and flexible settings. In addition, KMPlayer can work not only with internal, but also with external filters and...
17
Jan
2010
Folder Lock 6.2.1.0
Year of manufacture: 2009
Genre: File protection
Developer: Newsoftwares
Developer's website: http://www.newsoftwares.net/
Interface language: English
Platform: Windows XP, Vista
System requirements: minimum
Description: Folder Lock is a well-known program for protecting certain files and folders, hiding them from prying eyes! The size of the file or folder can be any, even 50 GB! Surely you have personal folders on your computer at home or at work that you do not want to show to other household members or work colleagues. And you would like to keep all personal information locked... Now you have...
23
Feb
2012
Anvide Lock Folder 1.65 + Skins
Year of manufacture: 2012
Genre: Deny access to folders
Developer: Anvide Labs
Developer's website: http://anvidelabs.dm0.ru/anvidelockfolder.html
Interface language: Russian
Assembly Type: Standard
Bit depth: 32/64-bit
Operating system: Windows XP, Vista, 7
Description: Anvide Lock Folder is a program for protecting folders from unauthorized access. Using Anvide Lock Folder, you can add the desired folder to the list of protected objects and set it to “protected” status. After this, other users will no longer be able to view its contents. Nice, not overloaded Anvide interface...
25
Jun
2012
Firmware iOS 4.4 - 5.1.1
Year of manufacture: 2010-2012
Genre: Software Update
Developer: Apple
Developer website: www.apple.com
Interface language: Multilingual (Russian is present)
Platform: Apple TV, iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, iPod touch 3G, 4G, iPad 1, 2, 3
System Requirements: iTunes
Description: Official and original iOS firmware from iOS 4.4 to iOS 5.1.1
Firmware for: Apple TV, iPhone 3G, 3GS, 4, 4S, iPod Touch 3G, 4G, iPad 1, 2, 3 When downloading firmware, you can select specific folders for downloading in uTorrent!
The security of your data is the main concern for many users. Private information needs to be protected, but how can you do this if you don’t want to lock your entire phone? A great way is to hide the application icon. If the shortcut is not visible, then no one will be able to launch this program. In this regard, many users are interested in how to hide an application on Android. This is quite easy to do using standard functions or third-party software.
When will you need to hide shortcuts?
Every user has some private data on their phone. These could be personal photographs, any documents or accounts in in social networks or banks. Of course, you can, but you will have to enter it every time, which is very inconvenient. In this regard, some users prefer to simply hide the shortcuts so that scammers or very curious friends cannot get to your private data.
Removing the shortcut from the desktop
If you just need to hide some icon from the page on the main screen, you don’t have to install anything or go into the phone settings. All manipulations are performed directly on the desktop. To hide an application on Android, follow these steps:
After these steps, you will clear the screen page of this shortcut, but keep in mind that the icon will not disappear anywhere in the list of all programs.
Hide completely
But how to hide an application even from the general list of programs? This can also be done using standard settings in Android versions from 4 and above. Some phone manufacturers do not provide this feature. To hide applications, use the following instructions:
Hidden applications will be displayed in the same list, with a check mark next to them. Finding hidden shortcuts will not be possible until you return them back.
How to hide pre-installed programs
The above method allows you to hide any applications. If you have problems with standard software, you can try an alternative option. Users will have to go into the settings of this app and then disable it. Don't know how to find a specific application page on your phone? Follow a few simple steps:
This method allows you to hide the application icon of most standard Google services such as “Press”, “Movies”, “Maps” and more. Now you know how to hide pre-installed and downloaded applications on Android. But if the standard phone functions do not work for some reason, you can try to perform these manipulations using third-party applications.
File managers and specialized programs
If you could not find the application menu or its specific settings, you can use AppMng 3. This is a functional program distributed free of charge in Google Play. With its help, you can clear the cache, view the memory status, or hide programs. To do this you need:
The program will automatically redirect you to the settings page. This is very convenient and will save your time. In the second tab you can find a list of hidden programs.
No less effective is specialized software called AppHider. It will also help you remove a program from your watch list, but to use it you will need to open Root rights. You can find AppHider in the official store Play Market. The main advantage of this program is that the user can set a password to unlock the visibility list. Thanks to this, even advanced users will not be able to restore the hidden application.
To hide the desired icon, follow these steps:
- Run the program and then give it superuser rights.
- Click on the “+” icon to add the program to hidden ones.
- Select the required application (or several) from the general list.
- When prompted to set a password, click Set it to select a password.
- Enter the number combination and then click Continue.
- Confirm your address mailbox recovery.
Now, to make the program visible again, you will have to enter the PIN code. This software will provide a high level of security for your data.