There are many files and folders that we keep on our hard drive, some of them we want to be as visible and handy as possible if we are going to use them daily, however, there are other types of files or documents that can keep confidential information and that can We want them not to be available to anyone who can use our PC. That is why we will show below how to hide files or folders from Windows 10 search.
The truth is that there are several options that the Microsoft system offers us to search for a file stored on our computer. The most used is to use the search function of the browser itself, although we can also search for that file from the search box on the taskbar or by pressing the Win + S shortcut.
Undoubtedly, the fastest is to use the search function of Windows 10, since from the browser, we either know the path of the folder or file to look for or the process may take several minutes, it will depend on the number of files and folders that we have stored on the disk.
However, we may have certain files or folders that we do not want to be shown in the search for privacy or security reasons. In this case, what we have to do is hide these files or folders from the Windows 10 search. It is important to know that this search includes by default files and folders from user profile folders, such as Desktop folders, documents, images and downloads. Therefore, if we have files that we do not want to appear as results of that search, we will have to tell the system not to index them.
Delete files from Windows 10 indexing
To prevent certain files and folders from appearing in Windows 10 search results, what we have to do is access the system indexing options and indicate that we do not want them to be indexed. For it:
- We open the search for Windows 10, Win + S, or we go to the text box of the taskbar and write Indexing options.
- We click on the result to open the Indexing Options advantage.
- Click on the Advanced Options button.
- This will open a new window in which we have to select the File types tab .
- Automatically we will be shown a list with all the types of files that Windows 10 indexes or indexes in its search function.
- We look for in that list the type of file that we do not want to be shown among the search results and we uncheck the corresponding box that appears next to each one of them.
- With everything configured to our liking and having unchecked the type of files or folders that we want to be shown in the results, click on OK .
- Then a window will appear where we will be asked if we want Windows 10 to rebuild its search indexes in which we have to click OK again.
From that moment on, every time we do a search for Windows 10, we will see how those files that we have removed from the system indexing no longer appear among the results.
From the file or folder properties
Another way to hide certain files or folders from Windows 10 search is to change the “Hidden” attribute from the Properties window. Of course, it is important to know that we will only make sure that the files or folders hidden in the Windows 10 search do not come out if they are inside any of the folders indexed by the system search.
That is, if the file or folder that we want to hide in the search results are within the paths included in the indexing of Windows 10, what we can do is go to the corresponding file or folder and click on it with the right button. of the mouse to access its Properties .
In the window that appears, we check the box for the Hidden attribute and click OK . That file or folder will no longer be visible from the file browser, nor will it appear in Windows 10 search results.