File and Folder - Hide or Unhide

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    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide

    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide

    How to Hide or Unhide a File or Folder in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
    Published by
    Designer Media Ltd


    How to Hide or Unhide a File or Folder in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8

       Information
    This tutorial will show you how to set the hidden attribute of a file or folder to be hidden or unhidden in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.






    OPTION ONE

    Through the File's or Folder's Properties Page


    1.To Hide a File or Folder
    A) Right click on the file or folder, and click on Properties.

    B) Check the Hidden box, and click on OK. (see screenshots below)
    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide-file1.jpg

    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide-folder1.jpg
    C) If this is for a folder and it has a subfolder or file in it, then you will also need to select (dot) to only hide the folder or to hide the folder and all of it's subfolders and files in it. Click on OK. (see screenshot below)
    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide-folder2.jpg
    D) In Folder Options, make sure that Don't Show hidden files, folders, and drives is selected (dotted).
    3. To Unhide a File or Folder
    A) Open Folder Options, select (dot) Show hidden files, folders, and drives, and click on OK. (see screenshot below)
    NOTE: This way you will be able to see the hidden file or folder to be able to unhide it.
    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide-folder_options-1.jpg
    B) Right click on the file or folder, and click on Properties.

    C) Uncheck the Hidden box and click on OK. (see screenshots below step 2B)

    D) If this is for a folder and it has a subfolder or file in it, then you will also need to select (dot) to only unhide the folder or to unhide the folder and all of it's subfolders and files in it. Click on OK. (see screenshot below step 2C)

    E) In Folder Options, select (dot) Don't Show hidden files, folders, and drives, and click on OK. (see screenshot below step 3A)



    OPTION TWO

    Through the Command Prompt


       Note
    This will show you how to hide or unhide a file or folder using the ATTRIB command.

    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide-about_attrib.jpg

    While you can run this command in a non-elevated or elevated command prompt, you would get the best results using a elevated command prompt.

    1. Open a elevated command prompt, then do either step 2, 3, 4, 5, 6, 7, or 8 below for what you would like to do.

    2. To Hide a specific File
    A) Open Folder Options and uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types option and click on OK. (see screenshot below)
    NOTE: This way you will be able to see the file extension in your file's name to use in the command below.
    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide-folder_options.jpg
    B) In the command prompt, type the command below and press enter.
    NOTE: Substitute Full Path of File with extension within quotes below with your files's full path and name with the extension included within quotes instead.

    Code:
    ATTRIB +H "Full Path of File with extension"
    NOTE: For example, if I wanted to hide a text file named File with the file extension .txt on my desktop, I would type this command below.

    Code:
    ATTRIB +H "C:\Users\UserName\Desktop\File.txt"
    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide-attrib_hide_file.jpg
    C) In Folder Options, make sure that Don't Show hidden files, folders, and drives is selected (dotted).

    D) The file should now be hidden. Go to step 7.
    4. To Unhide a specific File
    A) Open Folder Options and uncheck the Hide extensions for known file types option and click on OK. (see screenshot below step 3A)
    NOTE: This way you will be able to see the file extension in your file's name to use in the command below.

    B) In the command prompt, type the command below and press enter.
    NOTE: Substitute Full Path of File with extension within quotes below with your files's full path and name with the extension included within quotes instead.

    Code:
    ATTRIB -H "Full Path of File with extension"
    NOTE: For example, if I wanted to unhide a hidden text file named File with the file extension .txt on my desktop, I would type this command below.

    Code:
    ATTRIB -H "C:\Users\UserName\Desktop\File.txt"
    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide-attrib_unhide_file.jpg
    C) The file should now be unhidden. Go to step 7.
    5. To Hide a specific Folder
    A) In the command prompt, type the command below and press enter.
    NOTE: Substitute Full Path of Folder within quotes below with your folder's full path within quotes instead.

    Code:
    ATTRIB +H "Full Path of Folder"
    NOTE: For example, if I wanted to hide a folder named Folder on my desktop, I would type this command below.

    Code:
    ATTRIB +H "C:\Users\UserName\Desktop\Folder"
    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide-attrib_hide_folder.jpg
    B) In Folder Options, make sure that Don't Show hidden files, folders, and drives is selected (dotted).

    C) The folder should now be hidden. Go to step 7.
    6. To Unhide a specific Folder
    A) In the command prompt, type the command below and press enter.
    NOTE: Substitute Full Path of Folder within quotes below with your folder's full path within quotes instead.

    Code:
    ATTRIB -H "Full Path of Folder"
    NOTE: For example, if I wanted to unhide a hidden folder named Folder on my desktop, I would type this command below.

    Code:
    ATTRIB -H "C:\Users\UserName\Desktop\Folder"
    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide-attrib_unhide_folder.jpg
    B) The folder should now be unhidden.
    7. To Hide a Folder and all Contents in the Folder
    NOTE: This will hide the selected folder along with all subfolders and files inside this folder.
    A) In the command prompt, type the command below and press enter.
    NOTE: Substitute Full Path of Folder within quotes below with your folder's full path within quotes instead.

    Code:
    ATTRIB +H "Full Path of Folder\*" /S /D
    NOTE: For example, if I wanted to hide a folder named Folder on my desktop along with all of it's contents, I would type this command below.

    Code:
    ATTRIB +H "C:\Users\UserName\Desktop\Folder\*" /S /D
    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide-attrib_hide_folder.jpg
    B) In Folder Options, make sure that Don't Show hidden files, folders, and drives is selected (dotted).

    C) The folder should now be hidden. Go to step 7.
    8. To Unhide a Folder and all Contents in the Folder
    NOTE: This will unhide the selected folder along with all subfolders and files inside this folder.
    A) In the command prompt, type the command below and press enter.
    NOTE: Substitute Full Path of Folder within quotes below with your folder's full path within quotes instead.
    Code:
    ATTRIB -H "Full Path of Folder\*" /S /D
    NOTE: For example, if I wanted to unhide a hidden folder named Folder on my desktop and all of it's contents, I would type this command below.

    Code:
    ATTRIB -H "C:\Users\UserName\Desktop\Folder\*" /S /D
    File and Folder - Hide or Unhide-attrib_unhide_folder.jpg
    B) The folder should now be unhidden.
    9. When done, close the command prompt.
    That's it,
    Shawn










  1. Posts : 1
    win-7
       #1

    hide folder


    hey hiii
    am using this trick but now am facing some problem..
    am nt remebr ma folder name so how can i access it from comand prompt??
    pls help
      My Computer


  2. Posts : 71,959
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #2

    Hello Navdeep, and welcome to Seven Folders.

    You could temporarily unhide all system files to see the hidden folder to see what it's name is.

    Hidden Files and Folders - Show or Hide

    Hope this helps,
    Shawn
      My Computer


  3. Posts : 3
    windows 7 home premium
       #3

    Thanks A LOT Shawn.
    Solved my problems :)
      My Computer


  4. Posts : 71,959
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #4

    You're most welcome Kevin, and welcome to Seven Forums. :)
      My Computer


  5. Posts : 50
    Windows 7 Home Premiun 64bit
       #5

    Shawn

    Is there a way to copy a hidden file folder so the copied folder is also hidden?
      My Computer


  6. Posts : 71,959
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #6

    Hello rwmol,

    When I copy a hidden folder and paste it somewhere, the pasted (copied) folder is still hidden for me. Is it not the same for you?
      My Computer


  7. Posts : 50
    Windows 7 Home Premiun 64bit
       #7

    No. Perhaps I should have given you a little more info. These folders are being copied to another drive. Copied files work just fine. Not so with folders.

    As an example, I created a folder named "test". Marked the attributes as hidden and copied it to another drive. The copied folder has hidden unchecked.
      My Computer


  8. Posts : 71,959
    64-bit Windows 11 Pro for Workstations
    Thread Starter
       #8

    What type (ex: internal, external, network, local, etc...) is the other drive, and how is it formatted (ex: NTFS, FAT32, etc..)?

    I was able to copy a hidden "test" folder from my desktop to another internal HDD, and it was still hidden as well.

    Until we can get this sorted, the context menu options in the tutorial below may help make it easier for you to set the copied folder as hidden again.

    File and Folder - Add "Hide" and "Unhide" to Context Menu
      My Computer


  9. Posts : 50
    Windows 7 Home Premiun 64bit
       #9

    I've tried it on two types of drives. NFTS internal IDE drive and UDF internal DVD RW. In both cases the folder is unhidden.

    Using the Context Menu method above doesn't really serve my purpose. Eventhough, effective for most people.

    Randy
      My Computer


 
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