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Applies to all editions of Windows Vista.

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See also

What is a hidden file?

Although you usually can't see a hidden file, it's an ordinary file in all other respects. You can choose whether a file is hidden or visible by changing its properties to designate it as hidden. You can hide rarely used files to reduce clutter, but keep in mind that hidden files still take up space on your hard disk.

Note

Note

You can hide confidential files from other people, but you should not rely on hidden files as your only means of security or privacy.

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