Windows 7: I screwed up, user profile Hidden... help!

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)

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

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.

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

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.

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

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

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!