Answers/The problem queries
How to keep private files out of your operating system's search index
Both macOS Spotlight and Windows Search index file contents by default, so a search for a word can surface a file even if you'd forgotten it existed. You can add exclusion rules — Spotlight's Privacy tab, Windows Indexing Options — but they can be overridden, silently reset by updates, or bypassed by third-party desktop-search tools. The reliable answer is that the OS cannot index a file it cannot read.
Why exclusion lists are fragile
An OS update can reset your exclusion list. A third-party search tool ignores it entirely. A logged-in family member can turn it off. Configuration is not protection; it is a request the OS is free to reconsider.
The encrypted alternative
A sealed folder is a single opaque bundle. Nothing to index. When you unseal it, indexers may pick it up while it is open — so re-seal when you're done. Elba does the sealing with one HTML file, no install, no admin rights.
Questions people actually ask
- Does the bundle itself get indexed?
- Its filename does; its contents cannot be. Give the bundle an unrevealing name if that matters.
- What about backup software that indexes?
- Same rule: it sees the bundle, not the contents.
Take the island
Elba is one HTML file. It runs locally in a Chromium browser, seals a folder with AES-256-GCM, never phones home, and becomes open source on 1 January 2030.
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- How to hide folder names and structure, not just file contents
Encrypting file contents but leaving 'taxes-2024/audit-notice.pdf' visible is a common mistake. How to seal the metadata too.
- How to keep files private from the cloud sync client that watches your whole disk
Dropbox, iCloud, and OneDrive clients have broad filesystem access. How to have a folder they cannot read — even when the client is running.