I screwed up, user profile Hidden... help!

billder99 · 06 Jun 2010

I was just in Windows Explorer, planning to modify my Startup programs. Navigated to "C:/ Windows7_OS / Users" and right-clicked on my User Profile "Bill". From the right-click menu, I selected "Properties", and then on the "General" tab, there is a checkbox under Attributes called "Hidden". I thought, "oh great, I will check this and then I will be able to see all of my hidden files". NOT!!!

I selected "Hidden", and clicked "Apply"... crap. Now my User Profile "Bill" is hidden, and I cannot figure out how to unhide it. Everything associated with my User Profile is now hidden... application shortcuts, My Favorites, etc...

Can anyone tell me how to "Un-Hide" my User Profile? (you don't need to tell me I am an idiot... I already figured that out)

Brink · 06 Jun 2010

Hello Bill, and welcome to Seven Forums.

You can select Show hidden files, folders, and drives in folder options to see the hidden files, then uncheck the hide box to unhide it again. Be sure you select the Apply changes to this folder, subfolders, and files option when you uncheck Hide and click on OK.

Hope this helps,
Shawn

fishnbanjo · 06 Jun 2010

Go to Start, type cmd in the Search programs and files box and it will appear at the top. Right mouse click to run as Administrator which brings you to a terminal, or OS, screen.

Type cd .. and if not back to C:/ do it until you are then type cd Users, once here type attrib -h username (username signifies the one you wish to unassociate being hidden) then type exit and you should be good to go.

billder99 · 06 Jun 2010

Hi Fishn' & Brink,

Nice replies, you gave me 2 methods, but I'm having problems with each... when my User Profile was hidden, it is hiding everything. I have been working on this for two hours, and I still can't figure it out:

Going through Control Panel, my selection for Folder Options has dissappeared... is there another way to go to Folder Options? This seems like the simplest approach.
Windows Explorer 8, desktop shorcut is gone, also in Start/All Programs my Accessories file is gone... I cannot find an icon to open Win Explorer
Going thru CMD, at the c:\ , you say "right click to access as Administrator", but I only get a small pop-up menu that does not give me this option... two questions: (1) Am I supposed to be right-clicking inside the CMD box at the prompt or elsewhere for Administrator access? (2) My user profile is "Bill", so at the "c:\users>" prompt I should type in "attrib(space)-h(space)Bill".. is that correct?... the command line demands exact syntax

Thanks very much for helping with this... I am about ready to vomit

Brink · 06 Jun 2010

Bill,

For Folder Options, check these two tutorial to see if they may be able to help you open Folder Options to use.

Folder Options - Open

Folder Options - Enable or Disable - Vista Forums

For the command prompt:
It will need to be in a elevated command prompt where you right click on the command prompt shortcut and click on "Run as administrator".

Copy and Paste the command below to see if it will be able to help unhide it for you after restarting the computer.

attrib +r -s -h C:\Users\Bill /S /D

If all else fails, then you might try a system restore using a restore point dated before you hid your user profile to try and fix it.

billder99 · 06 Jun 2010

Brink,

Glory be and halejulah. Thank you so very much. Going thru the tutorial you provided, you last option was to use REGEDIT. I really hate doing registry changes as I have not the slightest clue as to what I am doing. It was my last option, however, as I could not access anything else. Did exactly as instructed and VOILA! All is good again.

What can I do for you? Thank you note to supervisor? Please send me the correct contact information and I will do so promptly.

Much Thanks,
Bill Doyle

Brink · 07 Jun 2010

You're most welcome Bill. Hearing from you that you got it sorted is plenty good enough for me. :)

Hey2you · 15 May 2011

Encountered the same problem. To avoid the reg edit function route try using directions given by fishnbanjo except run as an administrator. To do this:

Go to Start, type cmd in the Search programs and files box then use Ctrl+Shift + Enter (instead of enter). Then follow directions given by fishnbanjo in post #3 above.

Fishnbanjo, your answer was spot on and easy to follow - thank you!

evananon · 12 Jun 2014

Thank you for the info Hey2you:

CTRL-Shift-Enter | Open App. administratively, when admin option unavailable.

A forwarding of info favor for anyone who needs it:

cd | Change Directory
cd.. | .. Changes folder location closer to root by one level at a time.
cd\ | \ Symbol returns cmd prompt to the root of drive, with no intermediary steps.

Open Files, Applications, or Folders:
cd "C:\folder_name\folder_name\folder_name" (Goes to the specified folder.)
Note: Quotes only required, when spaces exist in names. C:\ is not specific. Use applicable drive letter.

cd "folder_name" | Enters a sub-folder within the current folder.

"C:\folder_name\folder_name\folder_name\application_name" (Opens an Application at the end of a path.)
"C:\folder_name\folder_name\folder_name\file_name" (Opens a file at the end of a path.)

dir | Provides a directory of the folder (a list of all files and folders).
dir /p | Provides one page of the directory (with "press any key to continue").

help | Provides cmd.exe commands.
cmd /? | Provides cmd.exe command line switches.

I screwed up, user profile Hidden... help!

I screwed up, user profile Hidden... help!

CMD Navigation and Command Hints