# Picture Vault

Here is a way to hide your secret stuff in an image file.

1\. First, select all the files you want to hide and create a compressed zip archive with those files by right-clicking after selecting them and choose 'Send to' and then 'Compressed (zipped) folder. Give the new archive a name of your choosing. I will go with the super secure Secrets.zip name.

[![image.png](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/scaled-1680-/YTEimage.png)](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/YTEimage.png)

2\. Next we need an image. I downloaded this JPEG image of a minion to use.

[![image.png](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/scaled-1680-/GSqimage.png)](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/GSqimage.png)

3\. Now I use the this copy command to hide my zip file to look like an ordinary image.

```shell
copy /b minion.jpg+Secrets.zip minionsecrets.jpg
```

[![image.png](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/scaled-1680-/3Gaimage.png)](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/3Gaimage.png)

You will get a confirmation that the file was created.

[![image.png](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/scaled-1680-/Zbhimage.png)](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/Zbhimage.png)

Now, go back to your folder and you will see another 'image file' that looks like and ordinary JPEG image and it even opens as an image.

[![image.png](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/scaled-1680-/giYimage.png)](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/giYimage.png)

4\. How do I open it up to see the hidden files? In order to open this file you will need a program like [7-Zip](https://www.7-zip.org/) installed. This is because Windows Explorer just sees the file as an image. First copy the path of the secret image by holding down the Shift key and right-clicking it. Then select 'Copy as path'.

[![image.png](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/scaled-1680-/0Llimage.png)](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/0Llimage.png)

Then open your 7-Zip program and paste the path you just copied for the file into the location bar of 7-Zip and hit enter.

[![image.png](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/scaled-1680-/78Ximage.png)](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/78Ximage.png)

And there you go, your files are shown and can be extracted.

[![image.png](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/scaled-1680-/SErimage.png)](https://bookstack.taylorhome.run/uploads/images/gallery/2023-03/SErimage.png)