NonUserVisible

Nonuservisible is a technical designation employed within Microsoft Windows operating systems to indicate that a particular user interface element should remain hidden from the standard user view. The flag is typically applied to controls, icons, or menu items that are considered nonessential or potentially confusing to general users, yet which may still be required by system processes or developers. When a UI element is marked as nonuservisible, Windows Explorer and other shell components omit it from display, though the element still exists in memory and can be accessed programmatically if necessary.

The nonuservisible property originated in Windows NT as part of the system’s policies for stealth administration tools. It allows administrators to reduce visual clutter without disabling functionality entirely. In Windows 10 and later, the attribute can be set in the registry, usually under keys such as HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Policies\Explorer, where a DWORD value named "NonUserVisible" is assigned. Developers can also apply the attribute via the Windows API when building custom shell extensions or modifying system icons.

Because the attribute does not affect security directly, it is primarily a usability measure rather than a protection mechanism. Its use is documented in the Microsoft Technet library and in the Windows Driver Kit (WDK) reference, where it discusses invisible UI elements in driver installation wizards. Since the flag is not enforced by UAC or other privilege-differentiating layers, a user with administrator rights can still view or manipulate nonuservisible items by enabling advanced view options or using specialized tools.