Hide a file or directory using the Windows API from C

Question

I want to modify a C program to make some of the files it creates hidden in Windows. What Windows or (even better) POSIX API will set the hidden file attribute?

Solution 1

You can do it by calling SetFileAttributes and setting the FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN flag. See http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa365535%28VS.85%29.aspx

This is not POSIX though. To create a 'hidden' file under a normal POSIX system like Linux, just start a filename with a dot (.).

Solution 2

Windows and UNIX-like systems have different views on what exactly is a hidden file. On UNIX-likes conventionally file names starting with a dot are considered "hidden". Windows file systems on the other hand have a "hidden" attribute for files.

So for POSIX you should probably just create your files with a starting dot in the file name.

On Windows you can use the SetFileAttributes function.

Solution 3

Use CreateFile with the FILE_ATTRIBUTE_HIDDEN flag

Solution 4

You are looking for the GetFileAttributesEx, GetFileAttributes and SetFileAttributes set of methods in the Win32 API.

Starting point of the documentation

• http://msdn.microsoft.com/en-us/library/aa364946(VS.85).aspx

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Comments

[RBerteig]

Do remember that the hidden attribute is just a hint, and is really only respected by DIR and Explorer...