Operating in the Stealth Mode

If you don't want other users to see the files of MySecretFolder present on your computer, you can configure MySecretFolder to operate in the "stealth mode". To enable or disable this mode, run the configuration utility of MySecretFolder, select the Options page, and use the Operate in the "stealth mode" option.

When you enable the stealth mode, then in addition to protecting your secret folder, MySecretFolder will also do the following:

Hide the shortcut to MySecretFolder configuration utility, if it appears on Windows Start menu. Note that only the shortcut that appears in the top portion of Start menu (or, if you use Windows XP, in the top portion of Start - All Programs menu), as created by MySecretFolder installation utility, gets hidden in the stealth mode. If you move the shortcut to some other location, or rename it, it will NOT be hidden in the stealth mode.
Hide the group of MySecretFolder shortcuts that are installed on the Start - Programs (or Start - All Programs) menu by the installation utility of MySecretFolder. Note that if you move or rename this group of shortcuts, it will NOT be hidden in the stealth mode.
Hide the shortcut to MySecretFolder configuration utility, if it appears on Windows Desktop. Note that if you move the shortcut to some other location, or rename it, it will NOT be hidden in the stealth mode.
Hide MySecretFolder from the Add/Remove Programs command of Windows Control Panel. This way, other users would not be able to see the presence of MySecretFolder in the list of the programs installed on your computer.
Hide the installation folder of MySecretFolder. This way, other users would not be able to see or disrupt the operation of MySecretFolder by deleting its files.
IMPORTANT: Unlike other items listed above, the installation folder of MySecretFolder becomes actually hidden only after a user logs on to Windows. (It is necessary to keep the installation folder visible until the user has logged on, because otherwise the hotkey component of MySecretFolder cannot initialize properly.) When the user logs on to Windows, the installtion folder of MySecretFolder becomes hidden, and it remains hidden until the user logs off. This should not be a problem if your computer is not on a network, but if it is connected to a network, and the installation folder of MySecretFolder is located on a shared drive, then a network user may discover it while browsing the shared drive when no user has logged on to it, or after the user has logged off, but the computer has not been shut down. To avoid such a possibility, do not install MySecretFolder on a shared drive.
Another situation that you should keep in mind could occur if you use Fast User Switching facility of Windows XP. After the first user logs on to Windows, the installation folder of MySecretFolder becomes hidden, and if another user logs on to Windows as well, the hotkey of MySecretFolder will not be available for the second user. If the first user logs off while the second user is still logged on, the installation folder of MySecretFolder becomes visible, and the second user may discover its existance, by browsing the hard drive of the computer. To avoid such a situation, disable Fast User Switching, to make sure that only one user can be logged on to Windows at any given time.

Note:

You may have some third-party software installed on your computer that takes a relatively long time to initialize. (For example, some anti-virus programs are known to do that.) Such programs may cause Windows to delay the loading of the MySecretFolder's driver, which in turn may cause the stealth mode not to become effective until a few seconds after the Desktop appears on the screen. As a result, the shortcuts to MySecretFolder may still be visible for a short period of time, after the user starts working with Windows, before the stealth mode of MySecretFolder begins to operate and hides the shortcuts. If this problem occurs on your computer, simply delete the shortcuts to MySecretFolder from the Desktop and/or Start Menu, and use the hot key combination to control MySecretFolder instead of the shortcuts.

Important:

Since all files and shortcuts to MySecretFolder are hidden in the stealth mode, you cannot use them to run MySecretFolder configuration utility or to unprotect your secret folder! The only way to control MySecretFolder in the stealth mode is by pressing the hot key combination. Be sure to set up the hot key before you enable the stealth mode, otherwise you will lock yourself out of the program. (If that happens, use the Emergency Recovery Utility to restore control of MySecretFolder.)