Reference number: CH000009 How to hide a file in MS-DOS.
Issue:
How to hide a file in MS-DOS.
Solution:
There are two methods of hiding files in MS-DOS. The first method is by using the attrib command as seen below. attrib +h c:\autoexec.bat This command will hide your autoexec.bat file so a standard user browsing your hard disk drive would not be able to see the file. To make the file unhidden use -h instead of the +h so the line would look like the below example. attrib -h c:\autoexec.bat Although the file is hidden, a user could still type edit c:\autoexec.bat and still be able to edit the file, or if the user typed attrib this would list all files with their attributes. The other method uses ASCII characters when creating the directory or renaming it. Below are the steps required for creating a directory with these characters. Type md (hold down ALT and type 987 while
continuing to hold ALT, once typed in let go of alt and you should get a solid block). Press enter to create the directory. To get into this directory, a user would have to type cd and hold ALT while typing 987 to get the block. When pressing enter you would then be able to get into the directory. Note: Windows 3.x and Windows 95 will not be able to access these directories, and must be accessed through DOS. However, users running Windows 98 and above have the capability of opening these directories from windows; therefore, if you are using this method for privacy or security, your procedure could be easily bypassed. I cant remember what characters I typed. How do I delete the directory now? See our ASCII dictionary definition that lists a complete listing of ASCII characters or if you have use the "?" wildcard where the ASCII character is.
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