When working on confidential content, it is necessary to keep it safe from prying eyes. This is particularly the case for individuals who work in sensitive divisions of an organizational unit (e.g. officials from the Business Intelligence department of a company). Unfortunately, Windows does not provide any default feature to hide actively open files, folder and programs. This can however, be done with the help of Magic Boss Key which is a free application to instantly hide active program windows by using a hotkey. We are familiar with Win+M hotkey but this only minimizes the open windows, not hides them.
With Magic Boss Key, you can hide the browser, folder, and applications windows, as well as, all your desktop icons and taskbar. Items can also be excluded from the list of content to be hidden. This application can also be helpful for privacy cautious people and those who might be willing to hide some active applications from their boss. For example, lets say you are browsing through Facebook or playing a computer game at work. In the event that your boss suddenly arrives, the selected content can be easily hidden via a simple hotkey.
To hide any active item(s), launch Magic Boss and check any item that you would not wish to hide. For example, you may wish to keep your Excel sheet open if your boss suddenly arrives while you are playing Chess Titans. In such a case check the checkbox of the folder, application or browser that should be visible when you execute the command to hide the content. The default hotkey is F12, pressing F12 automatically hides the unchecked items, whereas pressing F12 again, bring them back.
In case any of the application or folder does not show up in the list. Click on Refresh to reload the available items. The Options button enables downloading additional language files for changing the language of the app, changing hotkey (the available options include F12 or left+right mouse button for show/hide functions), enabling the application on startup, muting sound, enable hiding taskbar and desktop icons.
Although when the content is hidden, it also disappear from the taskbar, there still might be some important items still pinned to your taskbar which might be confidential in nature. Therefore, being able to hide the taskbar is indeed quite a handy option.
Magic Boss Key is a kind of application that delivers a utility for a diverse range of users. It provides privacy options for home users and even lazy game playing employees. A very thoughtful feature of this app is the option to hide sound from a related application. As when you hide a game window from your boss, the last thing that you would like him to hear is “Die Alien Invaders Die”. It works on Windows XP, Windows Vista and Windows 7.
