Windows 7 - Show - Hide Hidden Files - Add to Context Menu

Brink

How to Add "Show/Hide Hidden Files" to Context Menu in Vista and Windows 7

Information

This will show you how to add or remove Show/Hide Hidden Files to the desktop, library, and folder window context menu for all users to be able to toggle "Show" or "Don't show" hidden files, folders, drives, and protected operating system files in Vista and Windows 7.

Note

When you right click on the Desktop and click on Show/Hide Hidden Files, the hidden files (faded files) will instantly show or hide. You will need to refresh (F5) any other opened inactive window to see the hidden files show or hide in them.

When you right click on a blank area in the main window of a library or folder and click on Show/Hide Hidden Files, the hidden files (faded files) will instantly show or hide in that window. You may need to refresh (F5) with any other opened inactive window to see the hidden files show or hide in them.

EXAMPLE: "Show/Hide Hidden Files" Added to Context Menu

OPTION ONE

To Add "Show/Hide Hidden Files" to Context Menu

1. Do either step 2 or 3, or step 4 or 5 for what you would like.

2. To Toggle Show or Hide ALL Hidden Files with Notify Sound Played
NOTE: When you click on the Show/Hide Hidden Files context menu item using this option, you will hear the notify.wav file play only if Window Media Player is set as the default program for .wav files. If you do not have Window Media Player turned on in Windows Features, then you will get an error instead of the sound playing.
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below, and save it to your desktop.
NOTE: This includes all "hidden files, folders, or drives" and "hidden protected operating system files".
Add_Show_Hide_ALL_Hidden_Files_to_Context_Menu_with_SOUND.zip

B) Go to step 6.

3. To Toggle Show or Hide ALL Hidden Files without any Sound
NOTE: This option is if you did not want to have the Notify.wav play when you use the Show/Hide Hidden Files context menu item, or if you get an error from using step 2 since you have Windows Media Player turned off in Windows Features.
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below, and save it to your desktop.
NOTE: This includes all "hidden files, folders, or drives" and "hidden protected operating system files".
Add_Show_Hide_ALL_Hidden_Files_to_Context_Menu.zip

B) Go to step 6.

4. To Toggle Show or Hide Hidden Files with Notify Sound Played
NOTE: When you click on the Show/Hide Hidden Files context menu item using this option, you will hear the notify.wav file play only if Window Media Player is set as the default program for .wav files. If you do not have Window Media Player turned on in Windows Features, then you will get an error instead of the sound playing.
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below, and save it to your desktop.
NOTE: This includes only all "hidden files, folders, or drives" and not "hidden protected operating system files".
Add_Show_Hide_Hidden_Files_to_Context_Menu_with_SOUND.zip

B) Go to step 6.

5. To Toggle Show or Hide Hidden Files without any Sound
NOTE: This option is if you did not want to have the Notify.wav play when you use the Show/Hide Hidden Files context menu item, or if you get an error from using step 4 since you have Windows Media Player turned off in Windows Features.
A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below, and save it to your desktop.
NOTE: This includes only all "hidden files, folders, or drives" and not "hidden protected operating system files".
Add_Show_Hide_Hidden_Files_to_Context_Menu.zip

B) Go to step 6.

6. Open the downloaded ZIP file, and extract (drag and drop) both the .reg and .vbs files to your desktop.

7. Right click on the extracted .vbs file, click on Properties, click on the General tab, and unblock it.
NOTE: If you do not see a Unblock button, then the file is already unblocked.

8. Right click on the extracted and unblocked .vbs, and click on Copy.

9. In Windows Explorer, navigate to and open the C:\Windows folder. Right click on a empty area in the C:\Window folder, click on Paste, then cick on Continue and Yes (UAC) if prompted. Close the Windows Explorer window.

10. Right click on the extracted .reg file and click on Merge.

11. Click on Run, Yes (UAC-Windows 7) or Continue (UAC-Vista), Yes, and OK when prompted.

12. Show/Hide Hidden Files has now been added to the context menu.

13. You can delete the download files left on your desktop now if you would like to.

OPTION TWO

To Remove "Show/Hide Hidden Files" from Context Menu

NOTE: This is the default setting.

1. Click on the Download button below to download the file below, and save it to your desktop.
Remove_Show_Hide_Hidden_Files_from_Context_Menu.reg

2. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.

3. Click on Run, Yes (UAC-Windows 7) or Continue (UAC-Vista), Yes, and OK when prompted.

4. Show/Hide Hidden Files has now been removed from the context menu.

5. In Windows Explorer, navigate to and open the C:\Windows folder, right click on the file below, click on Delete, and Yes (if prompted).
Toggle_Show_Hidden_Files_On_Off.vbs

OR

Toggle_Show_Hidden_Files_On_Off_with_SOUND.vbs

6. You can now delete the download reg file if you would like to.

That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

mickey megabyte · 04-30-2011

thanks shawn - this is a time saver!

i thought it wasn't working at first on my main pc, until i rtfm'ed and realised it isn't on the file context menu - tried it on the desktop, et voilà it worked.

----------------------------

strangely, it seems to work differently on my (32bit - if that makes any difference) netbook - it needed a reboot to kick in (expected), and works on the desktop without doing an f5 refresh, and without playing the notify sound either

- i prefer it this way, so it's not really a problem.

maybe it's something i tweaked long ago, and have forgotten about

Brink · 04-30-2011

Hello Angelo,

Are you still getting that error? That error refers to the line below in the VBS file. Double check to make sure that you have the C:\Windows\Media\Notify.wav file at that location. It should be by default in Windows 7.

command2.Run "wmplayer.exe C:\Windows\Media\Notify.wav", 0, False

Is WMP set as the default program?

mickey megabyte · 04-30-2011

that error came from having 'uninstalled' wmp a while back - my fault, i forgot to delete the attachment after realising its cause and editing my post the first time - so i modified the script to not play the sound - please ignore the error, nothing to do with blocked-ness.

the strange desktop f5 behaviour still persists though, i'm not complaining. i need to press f5 on my main computer, but not netbook.

Brink · 04-30-2011

Yeah, the script refreshes the last active window in 64-bit when you right click on the desktop instead of the desktop itself, and not in 32-bit for some odd reason. I can't find a way around just having to manually refresh the desktop in 64-bit.

However, it refreshes just fine in a active Windows Explorer window in both 32-bit and 64-bit.

mickey megabyte · 04-30-2011

Quote: Originally Posted by Brink

Yeah, the script refreshes the last active window in 64-bit when you right click on the desktop instead of the desktop itself, and not in 32-bit for some odd reason. I can't find a way around just having to manually refresh the desktop in 64-bit.

However, it refreshes just fine in a active Windows Explorer window in both 32-bit and 64-bit.

yes - it was playing havoc with my post as i was testing - had to rewrite it a few times, as my browser was getting refreshed too

Brink · 04-30-2011

LOL.

pranavjindal999 · 05-17-2011

I'M GETTING THIS PROBLEM, i followed all steps as written but it shows this dailogbox. this trick toggles the hidden files and folders but i'm getting this annoying dialog box, same is happening in the "show/hide file extensions"

pls help

mickey megabyte · 05-17-2011

i used to get that error too, but only because i had uninstalled windows media player.

do you have it on your system?

also, check to see that you have notify.wav in C:\Windows\Media

oh, and welcome to sevenforums, pranavjindal999!

pranavjindal999 · 05-17-2011

Quote: Originally Posted by mickey megabyte

i used to get that error too, but only because i had uninstalled windows media player.

do you have it on your system?

also, check to see that you have notify.wav in C:\Windows\Media

oh, and welcome to sevenforums, pranavjindal999!

thnx, i got it.

i hv disabled windows media player thats why it occured. thnx

but is there any way by which i can leave the media player disabled and get rid of this dialog box??

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