The Windows operating system has many hidden and not very obvious functions that will be useful to many users. If you want to hide any data, then it is not necessary to put a password on a directory or archive - on the contrary, it can cause suspicion. You can make a transparent folder and place it in a place that is accessible only to you. Let's see how this can be done on the two most popular operating systems, Windows 7 and 10.
This guide will not use third-party programs to change the visualization of the operating system. All actions can be performed without additional software and special knowledge. Also, this procedure does not harm - it can be attributed to the category of small life hacks when working with the OS.
Stages
So, to make a transparent folder in Windows 7 or 10, we need to change two components:
- Invisible picture. You need to make the directory icon transparent, and when you hover over the cursor, only the outline of the frame appears.
- Empty title field. If you remove the picture, but leave the name, you still cannot make a transparent folder - the text will remain anyway. Therefore, with the help of one command we will remove the name completely.
Now let's get started. It is worth saying that the procedure is practically no different on both operating systems.
Change the icon
First you need to go to the folder properties. To do this, right-click and select the item of the same name in the menu. Open the "Settings" tab. Here you can select the icon options. To change it, click on the "Change Icon" at the very bottom of the window.
You will see a window with a choice of icons. You can go to another directory and select a third-party icon. But to make the folder’s background transparent, you need to scroll through the standard list until you find an invisible icon. Highlight it and click on OK.
Now you need to close the window with the properties, but before that remember to click on the "Apply" button to save the changes. Please note that in the list of standard icons there may be several transparent options. Some of them may not work - find the right one.
Pay attention to the directory icon - the icon has disappeared, but only the name remains. Now try to remove the text.
Delete the name
If you simply erase the name using the Backspace key on the keyboard and apply the changes, nothing will come of it - instead of the last inscription, the text "New folder" will appear.
In this case, you need to use a special team. Click on the field with the name of the directory so that the cursor for typing appears. After that, hold down the Alt key and enter the number 255 on the side numeric keypad on the right. If the combination did not work, then check if you have Num Lock turned on.
The second option is a combination using the same Alt key, but with a 0160 postscript. As a result, you can make a transparent folder on Windows 10 or 7.
Work result
As a result, the user receives an invisible icon without a name, whose location is known only to the creator. However, you can stumble upon it, if you accidentally hit the cursor - a selection frame appears. You can get rid of it in the operating system settings or change the design theme. The fact is that on Windows 10, the default theme is Aero with additional effects. If you change the design to an older one, the frame will appear only if you click on this shortcut.
Transparency in Explorer
We figured out how to make a transparent folder, if it is on the desktop. But how to get rid of the identification marks, if we are talking about a window in the explorer? Indeed, data on files and directories (size, type, and so on) are displayed on the right. The answer is quite simple - you need to change the type of display of icons.
To do this, right-click on an empty spot in the window to open an additional menu. After that, in the "View" section, select any of the categories of icons of different sizes and tiles. Now, if you select any other folder or click on an empty spot in the explorer, the frame around the folder will disappear.
We examined all options for creating transparent directories in Microsoft operating systems. These methods will be useful to those who do not want to clog their computer with additional software to customize the appearance of the OS, since such programs can seriously affect the performance of the system as a whole.