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If your computer started acting strangely lately and you have sound reasons to suspect that this is caused by hidden files, then it is likely that you are looking for a tool that can confirm or infirm this theory.

Hidden Data Detector is an app designed to help you identify hidden data and metadata on your computer and hence, prevent the sharing of private and confidential data.

The setup is straightforward and takes only a few seconds, time after which you come face to face with a minimalistic and outdated interface. The UI comes in the form of a relatively small window and features 3 main sections.

You can specify the folders and subfolders you want to scan along with the type of files you are searching from the left panel. You can analyze the results of the scan and read more about the type of files that could present risks from the other 2 panes.

As you probably guessed, the duration of the scanning is directly proportional with the size of the folder you are interested in. It would be nice if the application would allow you to scan entire drives, USB sticks and other connected devices as well, especially since so many of us connect digital cameras and smartphones to our computers daily.

Moreover, it would be useful if the utility enabled you to take some action, like delete or move to quarantine for instance, for the problematic files. Then again, it is necessary to mention that the tool does provide extensive information about the potential sources of vulnerabilities for the files with hidden data and metadata.

Considering that it does allow you to manage the hidden data and metadata in any way, it is understandable why the application may not present too much interest to advanced users. If you are simply curious whether or not you have files with sensitive data that could end up in the wrong hands, then Hidden Data Detector could be the tool to use.