![]() ![]() You may need to include the full path of the files involved when you enter the actual file names. The redirection symbol ( >) writes the contents of one file into another location. Where type is the old DOS command, file1 is the file to be hidden in the stream, and file2 is the file that will contain the stream. Enter a command using the following format: To get a command prompt, press Windows+R (the Windows key plus the letter R) to open a Run dialog box. Armed with this knowledge, here’s how to add a stream to a file: You can create a hidden application using a command prompt, in which file streams are always referred to using the format filename:streamfile. How to create a file with a hidden streamĪ simple example shows us how to hide an application inside a file stream. Fortunately, these products are free and, as I explain below, easy to download and use. Removing or copying your data out of a stream requires special tools. If the encrypted file is hidden within a stream, it’s less likely to be seen by casual users in the first place. Or an intruder could use password-guessing tools to try to open the file, which could expose you to insider-trading charges. But if this file can be seen by others, and has a name like ProposedMerger.doc, your co-workers could ask you to explain it or decrypt it. It’s true that you can protect private information by converting it, for example, into a password-protected. If you have a legitimate reason to hide files - a parent who doesn’t want children or casual visitors to run across certain information, for example - you can easily copy any file into a stream using simple commands that are built into Windows. ![]() Major antivirus products, such as ZoneAlarm and McAfee Antivirus, have this capability. This means that streams aren’t typically used by malware to distribute itself, but to hide files within streams only after the malware has already infected your system.īecause NTFS streams are hidden from most Windows file functions, it’s a good idea to make sure that your antivirus software is capable of scanning for malware hiding in ADS. Fortunately for honest Windows users, the “stream” portion of a file is lost during browser and FTP downloads. When you do, Windows Explorer still displays the size of the text file as just 1K!īecause streams are such an effective hiding place, some malware may try to hide in the NTFS stream of an otherwise innocent-looking file. ![]() zip file inside the stream of a 1K text file. ![]() When data is stored in an NTFS stream, it is essentially invisible to Windows Explorer, text searches, and most of Windows’ other routine file functions. The separate stream can also be used to store other things, such as information you can enter on the Summary tab of some files’ Properties dialog boxes. This makes Windows more compatible with Mac operating system files (which consist of a resource fork and a data fork). Using NTFS, which is an improvement over the older FAT-32 file system, data can be stored in a separate “fork” or “stream” of any file or folder. What the heck are Alternate Data Streams?įor many years, a feature called Alternate Data Streams (ADS) has been supported by drives formatted as NTFS (Microsoft’s so-called New Technology File System, which is typical of Windows NT, 2000, XP, and later). If you’re running a modern version of Windows, you can use a little-known feature called Alternate Data Streams to hide your confidential files inside other files or folders. TOP STORY Hide sensitive files with Alternate Data StreamsĪlmost every small business and individual PC user has some sensitive or private files to keep away from prying eyes. ![]()
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