Hiding and Unhiding Lists and Libraries in SP2010

In SharePoint designer you gain the ability to hide lists. This provides some obscurity capability in that unless the users know list name they most likely won’t be able to find the list. This does not mean that the lists are secure, security by obscurity has been proven to fail every time.

How to hide a list:
First Hiding only takes 2 button clicks.

Using SharePoint Designer open the property page of the List and in the settings area check “Hide from browser” then save.

The list will now be hidden.
Though this does not prevent direct linking to the list if for example the user knows the name of the list or has a URL to it. This can be leveraged by having direct links that one can use to access the list directly after the list is hidden.

Working with Hidden lists
Once a list is hidden it is hidden from not only the browser it is also hidden from SharePoint designer.
Note I personally think that having the list hidden from SharePoint designer is a bug and have filled a report with Microsoft.

If you need to work with it and you do not have the information to work with the list saved elsewhere (Meaning the list Query information) you will need to unhide it.

Unhiding a list
1. Using SharePoint Designer
2. Select All Files in the Site Objects area in Navigation
3. Select List folder
4. *Important* Right Click to bring up the context menu (Left clicking will bring up the list views)
5. Select Properties from the Context menu
6. Deselect Hide from browser
7. Save Changes (The List will now be viewable via all site content in the browser and in the List and Libraries Site Object in SharePoint Designer)