As you well know, when you install a program in Windows 10, it automatically appears in the list of programs, and everyone who uses your computer will be able to see it. It may have ever crossed your mind to hide some of the tools you have in the operating system. Well, there are three ways to achieve it. We are going to explain this to you in detail.
Windows 10 doesn’t really have any explicitly and natively created way to hide installed programs, but there are three ways to fix it.
For these ways to come to fruition, you must follow the steps that we will indicate. If you make a mistake, you can create a system failure since we will enter sensitive parts of Windows, such as it may be the Registry Editor.
The reasons for hiding the programs that you have installed can be several, such as:
- Install a parental control application and not want it to be seen if your kids realize that it is there.
- Hide applications you do not want anyone else to use, especially if you share the computer with family or friends. Of this, only you will use according to what software.
- It might be a work computer, and you’ve installed a game. In this way, no one will notice that it exists.
The three forms available are the ones we have covered below.
By Windows Registry Editor
With this system, you will create a new DWORD value in the Windows Registry, which will mark the programs you want to hide.
The steps are quite simple, but you must be very careful.
- Press the key Windows + R.
- Now in the Run window, write Regedit and click OK.
- As you are already in the Registry Editor, you must find the following location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Uninstall.
- For 32-bit applications installed on a 64-bit PC, you should go to this location: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE \ SOFTWARE \ Wow6432Node \ Microsoft \ Windows \ CurrentVersion \ Uninstall.
- Now inside the Uninstall folder, choose which application you want to hide.
- Right-click on the folder, choose New, and then DWORD Value (32 bits).
- Change the name of the new value to SystemComponent and double-click on that value to enter 1 in the information field, then click OK.
- Close the Registry Editor immediately.
From that moment on, you will hide the application completely every time someone goes to the list of applications.
If you want it to reappear, you must carry out the same steps but eliminate the SystemComponent value.
Using the Group Policy Editor
The Group Policy Editor is an MMC (Microsoft Management Console) snap-in with which you can manage policy settings on objects in different groups.
This Editor works on Windows 10 Pro and higher versions, so in Windows 10 Home, it is disabled.
- Press the keys Windows + R, type gpedit. msc, and click OK to enter Group Policy Editor.
- Go to the following location: User Configuration> Administrative Templates> Control Panel> Programs
- Now in the right pane, double click on Hide the “Programs and Features” page.
- Once done, you can select Activated.
- Now click on Apply and then OK so that everything you have just done is saved.
This is another way to go to the system applications and see a message saying that the system administrator has disabled programs and features with all installed applications hidden.
If you want the applications to be seen again, edit the policy again and select Not configured. Only that.
Use third-party software
The tool that we are going to use is Hide From Uninstall List, and what it allows you is to hide one or more software configurations in the Windows Programs configuration.
In this way, you will achieve the same as in the previous case, but no message will appear, warning that the administrator has done nothing.
Its operation is very simple:
- As is evident, you must download and run (no installation required) Hide From Uninstall List.
- Now right-click on the application you want and choose Hide from the Programs and Features List.
- If you want to hide all the applications, you have to click on Edit and then click on Select all.
- Then, once they are all selected, right-click on any of them to click Hide in the Programs and Features List (Hide from Programs and Features List).
If you want them to be shown again, click on the hidden program or programs, and this time give the option to Show.
As you have seen, it is extremely easy to ensure that your Windows programs do not appear in the list. It doesn’t matter which option you choose, because they all work very well.
