Removing Hidden Files from Search or Reseting Search

Brazuca · Aug 5, 2009

I have some files in my PC that have passwords and such in them. I put them in hidden, but I noticed that after you click the file once. That file begins to appear on the search bar if you type the file name.

For example I have a file called "abc.txt" (It's hidden)
Before I ever click to see it. It does not show up on the search.
After I click to see it. It shows up if I even put "a" on search.

I am talking about the search bar right under program files. When you click on the windows start button.

*So my question is. Is there anyway for me to reset this everytime I finish vieweing these files?*

Kari · Aug 5, 2009

Hello Brazuca, welcome to The SevenForums.

It is really simple: hidden files are always shown if you have chosen "Show hidden files, folders and drives" in Folder Options. Hidden files are never shown if you choose "Don't show hidden files, folders and drives" in Folder Options.

You find Folder Options by clicking the Orb (start menu) and tyoing "Folder Options" in search field. Choose then "View" and then one of the above mentioned options.

Kari

Brazuca · Aug 6, 2009

Search

Thank you for the welcome. I already know how to do that though.

What I mean is that after I access a hidden file it begins to show up on the search.

http://img80.imageshack.us/img80/836/leek.jpg
The leeme file is hidden and did not show up on the search however after I accessed it once it began to show up in the search.

I take it the reason these hidden files begin to show up on search is for easier access to them. But I want hidden files to not appear on the search.

Is there anyway to do something like...
a) reset the search list so it doesn't show recently accessed items.
or
b) not show hidden items.

Kari · Aug 6, 2009

Brazuca said:
Thank you for the welcome. I already know how to do that though.

What I mean is that after I access a hidden file it begins to show up on the search.
...

...

Is there anyway to do something like...
a) reset the search list so it doesn't show recently accessed items.
or
b) not show hidden items.

Sorry to say, Brazuca, but at least my system doesn't react like that. RC build 7100. What build do you have? (EDIT: I do not believe this to be a build issue. Search works just as I'm telling)

Here:

Two files here, aaaaa.ccc (not hidden) and aaaaa.bbb (hidden). I have opened the hidden file to edit or read or whatever reason:

I go to Folder options and choose "Show hidden Files", then I search for files containing "aaaaa". Search displays 2 files:

I go back to Folder Options and choose "Don't show hidden Files". When I click APPLY, the hidden file aaa.bbb disappears instantly from search results and won't come up in later searches:

My first answer was and still is correct to the question you asked. Hidden files are never shown in search results. After working with your hidden files you have to remember to go back to Folder Options and choose "Don't show hidden Files".

Kari · Aug 6, 2009

Reading you question one more time I realized we were talking about two different search possibilities. You are talking search in Start Orb > Search, I was talking and giving an example about search function in Folder Window:

What I told you is still valid: Hidden files are never shown in search results!

Here's one more example, this time searching from Start Orb > Search.

Same files, file aaaaa.ccc is not hidden and file aaaaa.bbb is hidden. I choose "Show hidden Files" from folder options, here's the result:

Then I change my Folder Options by choosing "Don't show hidden files" and make a new search. My hidden file aaaaa.bbb is nowhere to see:

A file does not change it's visibility status even if you edit or read it. None of your hidden files are shown in search results as long as you have chosen not to show hidden files.

This is a fact.

Kari

EDIT: As Brazuca in the next post tells, this issue was not so simple. It seems that if you use "Recent Items" feature, also your hidden files are showing in the search results.

To completely hide hidden files from your search results you have to disable "Recent Items", as well as choose "Don't show hidden files" in Folder Options.

Brazuca · Aug 6, 2009

I figured out what I had to do.

The "Recent Items" panel wans't appearing. So I made it appear.
After that I "cleared recent items list" and the hidden items no longer appeared when I used the search.

Whether they are hidden or not after you access them. Even if it is a folder it begins to show up on the search.

For the item to not show up on the search it has to be hidden & it can't be on the recent items list.

So now all I have to do is keep the files hidden and clear the recent items list when I am done looking at the files.

johngalt · Aug 6, 2009

But if you turn off recent items then they appear? Weird. Sounds like a bug report is in order....

Kari · Aug 7, 2009

johngalt said:
But if you turn off recent items then they appear? Weird. Sounds like a bug report is in order....

Yeah, have to agree. Never used recent items, never noticed.

Nice you could fix the issue, Brazuca.

Kari

Brazuca · Aug 7, 2009

It's like this in Vista too. They show up on the task bar search if they are in the "recent items" list even if they are hidden they still show up on the taskbar search. Whether "Show hidden files" are on or off.

Also thanks Kari for showing me that folder search feature. I thought it was the same thing as the taskbar search so I always kept "show hidden items".

I didn't know 7 had a recent items list. Appearently the list still exists even if it is not showing on the taskbar. So after making the recent item list appear I was able to fix my problem by clearing it every time I finish viewing a hidden file. I also put "Do not show hidden files" encase someone uses the folder search.

TGSoldier · Aug 7, 2009

I think it's just a simple matter of after he accesses the hidden file, he forgets to tick the "Don't show hidden files" options.. Which is basically what Kari has been drilling from the start because like he said, hidden files don't show up in searches.

Just a little emphasis

Kari · Aug 7, 2009

Brazuca said:
I didn't know 7 had a recent items list. Appearently the list still exists even if it is not showing on the taskbar. So after making the recent item list appear I was able to fix my problem by clearing it every time I finish viewing a hidden file. I also put "Do not show hidden files" encase someone uses the folder search.

That is very strange behavior. Hidden is and should be hidden, you shouldn't be forced to manually clear the list after viewing a hidden file.

I have to check this. Never used recent items list but now I feel I want to play a little.

Kari

Brazuca · Aug 7, 2009

TGSoldier said:
I think it's just a simple matter of after he accesses the hidden file, he forgets to tick the "Don't show hidden files" options.. Which is basically what Kari has been drilling from the start because like he said, hidden files don't show up in searches.

It still shows up on the taskbar search under "All Programs" after you access it even if you have "Do not show hidden files" I tried it multiple times.

It does this because no matter what file you access whether they are hidden or not they still appear on the recent items list. (The recent items list exists even if you do not have it showing on the taskbar.)

And apparently when an item is in the recent items list when you search for it in the taskbar search it WILL appear in the search results even if it is hidden and "Do not show hidden files" is checked.

Kari · Aug 7, 2009

OK. Done some testing now, different variations. Conclusion is simple: if you let windows store recent items, also the hidden files are shown in search results even if the "Recent Items" menu is not shown in Start Menu.

To be sure no hidden files are shown in searches you have to uncheck both of these choices:

1. "Store and display recently opened items..." in Taskbar properties > Start Menu. Here you decide if Windows is allowed to store a list of recent items or not.

2. "Recent Items" in Taskbar Properties > Start Menu > Customize. Here you decide if the above mentioned list is shown in Start Menu. If you have unchecked the choice above but leave this checked, the Recent Items menu is shown but always empty. If you uncheck this but leave the one above checked, your hidden files are still shown in search results.

In my opinion this really is a bug. If I choose to hide a file, it should absolutely not show in search results. It would be far better to have for example a control panel item for search options, where I could choose if I want to include hidden files in my searches.

Kari

Brazuca · Aug 7, 2009

Thank you Kari. I unchecked the two boxes and removed the "Recent Items" and now I no longer need to keep cleaning the recent items list.

I think they should remove hidden items from appearing on the recent items list since most people would expect for hidden items to not appear in there anyways.

Kari · Aug 7, 2009

Brazuca said:
I think they should remove hidden items from appearing on the recent items list since most people would expect for hidden items to not appear in there anyways.

In my opinion this definitely is a bug. If I make a file hidden, I have the reason for that. Simple, hidden is hidden and visible is visible.

Glad it works for you now.

Kari

johngalt · Aug 7, 2009

As I said before - perhaps a report is in order....

Kari · Aug 8, 2009

Feedback sent. Complete with typos.

kelapa · Aug 11, 2012

Brazuca said:
Thank you Kari. I unchecked the two boxes and removed the "Recent Items" and now I no longer need to keep cleaning the recent items list.

I think they should remove hidden items from appearing on the recent items list since most people would expect for hidden items to not appear in there anyways.

Hello,

can i sweep all my recent document files?

i want to delete it.

where?

thank you

bonnieschmidt · Dec 5, 2012

I have the same problem in Windows 8. Does anyone know how to find the Recent Items in Windows 8?

You guys can say "hidden files don't show up in searches" all you want, but they do.

Parshva · Mar 4, 2013

no tgsoldier he said he dint forget to check on hide files, and brazuca how did u solve ur problem after clearing recent items still it appears......

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