Instructions for hiding files and folders in Windows 10 Search

In Windows 10, the Cortana box or Windows Search item can help you search all files and folders in your computer. However, if you don't want others to view certain files or folders, you can hide them in Windows search results. Let's see how to hide a folder so it doesn't appear in the search results of File Explorer, Cortana or Search item in the taskbar!

Hide Files and Folders from Search results in Windows 10

To start, click the Cortana or Search icon on the Taskbar and type indexing options . Then, click Indexing Options in the results that appear.

Modify Included Locations

Included Locations are listed in the Indexing Options dialog box. To hide these files and folders, click Modify.

All folders displayed in the search item are included in the Change selected locations box in the Indexed Locations dialog box.

To search for the folder you want to hide, click the arrow next to Local Disk (C :) or another hard drive.

In the directory tree, navigate to the folder you want to hide and uncheck the box next to that folder.

Note: You can only hide files by unchecking the folder containing the files. So, if you want to hide a specific file in the folder that contains many other files, move the file to a new folder. Or you can create a folder containing all the files to hide.

The folder you unchecked will be added to the User folders in the Summary of selected locations section.

Click OK.

Instructions for hiding files and folders in Windows 10 Search Picture 4

Rebuild the index

Now, we need to rebuild the index to exclude the selected folders.

Go back to the Indexing Options dialog box and click Advanced.

Note: The folder you selected is hidden listed in the Exclude column in the Indexing Options dialog box.

You need administrative rights to access advanced indexing options. So, update your account password if required.

Instructions for hiding files and folders in Windows 10 Search Picture 5

In the Indexing Options window, click Rebuild in the Troubleshooting section.

Note that index rebuilding can also fix problems with Windows search.

Instructions for hiding files and folders in Windows 10 Search Picture 6

The dialog box displays a message that rebuilding the index may take a long time to complete, click OK.

Close the Indexing Options window and wait until the index rebuild process is complete. At that time, the folders and files you choose to hide will disappear completely from the search results of Windows.

Good luck!

You can see more:

7 ways to turn off Windows 10 laptop screen
17 shortcuts contain Shift useful in Windows
Automatic computer shutdown timer for Windows 10, Windows 8, Windows 7, Windows XP

David Pac

Update 26 May 2019

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