Hidden Files and Folders - Show or Hide

How to Show or Hide All Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8​

   Information

This tutorial will show you how to have all hidden files, folders, and drives to show or don't show in Windows 7. These are set to be hidden by default in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8.

   Note

When you have these hidden files, folders, and drives set to show, the icon shows as transparent to indicate that they are set as hidden.

EXAMPLE: A Hidden and Normal Folder
EXAMPLE: A Hidden Protected Operating System File

OPTION ONE

To Hide or Show Hidden Files using Folder Options

NOTE: This option only affects the current user. 1. Open Folder Options.

2. To Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives
NOTE: This will also allow hidden drives to show despite if Hide empty drives in the Computer folder is checked. A) Select (dot) Show hidden files, folders, and drives. (See screenshot below)
B) Click on the Apply button.
3. To Don't Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives A) Select (dot) Don't Show hidden files, folders, and drives. (See screenshot above)

B) Click on the Apply button.
4. To Show Protected Operating System Files
NOTE: For example, desktop.ini files. A) If you have not already, do step 2.

B) Uncheck the Hide protected operating system files box. (See screenshot below step 5B)

C) Click/tap on Yes to confirm, and go to step 6 below. (See screenshot below) 5. To Hide Protected Operating System Files A) Check the Hide protected operating system files box, and go to step 6 below. (See screenshot below)
6. Click/tap on OK. (See screenshot above)

OPTION TWO

To Hide or Show Hidden Files using a BAT File Download

NOTE: This option only affects the current user. 1. To Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives
NOTE: This will also allow hidden drives to show despite if Hide empty drives in the Computer folder is checked. A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below. Show_hidden_files_folders_and_drives.bat


Download


B) Go to step 5.
2. To Don't Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below. Don't_show_hidden_files_folders_and_drives.bat

Download


B) Go to step 5.
3. To Show Protected Operating System Files
NOTE: For example, desktop.ini files. This also applies step 1. A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below. Show_protected_operating_system_files.bat

Download


B) Go to step 5.
4. To Hide Protected Operating System Files A) Click on the Download button below to download the file below. Hide_protected_operating_system_files.bat

Download


5. Save the .bat file to your desktop, and run it.

6. If prompted, click/tap on Run.
NOTE: If you like, you can stop getting the Run prompt by unblocking the downloaded .bat file.

7. You will now notice a command prompt quckly open and close while applying the changes to your registry.

8. When finished, you can delete the downloaded .bat file(s) if you like.

OPTION THREE

To Hide or Show Hidden Files using Registry Editor

1. Open the Start Menu, then type regedit in the search line and press enter.

2. If prompted by UAC, then click on Yes.

3. In regedit, navigate to the location below. (see screenshot below) For Current User Only:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

For All Users: (Must be logged in as an administrator to be able to do this option)
HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

4. To Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives
NOTE: This will also allow hidden drives to show despite if Hide empty drives in the Computer folderis checked. A) In the right pane of Advanced, right click on Hidden and click on Modify. (see screenshot above)

B) Type 1 and click on OK. (see screenshot below)
C) Go to step 8.
5. To Don't Show Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives A) In the right pane of Advanced, right click on Hidden and click on Modify. (see screenshot below step 3)

B) Type 0 and click on OK. (see screenshot below step 4B)

C) Go to step 8.
6. To Show Protected Operating System Files
NOTE: For example, desktop.ini files. A) Do step 4.

B) In the right pane of Advanced, right click on ShowSuperHidden and click on Modify. (see screenshot below step 3)

C) Type 1 and click on OK. (see screenshot below step 7B)

D) Go to step 8.
7. To Hide Protected Operating System Files A) In the right pane of Advanced, right click on ShowSuperHidden and click on Modify. (see screenshot below step 3)

B) Type 0 and click on OK. (see screenshot below )
8. Close regedit.

9. Log off and log on, or restart the computer to apply.
That's it,
Shawn

Related Tutorials

---

• How to Open Folder Options in Windows 7
• How to Hide or Show Empty Drives in Windows 7 Computer Folder
• How to Hide or Unhide a File or Folder in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Add or Remove "Hidden Files and Folders" from Folder Options in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Add "Show/Hide Hidden Files" to Context Menu in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Add "Hide" and "Unhide" to File and Folder Context Menu in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8
• How to Fix Libraries when Hidden and Empty in Windows 7
• How to Add "List Hidden Files" to Context Menu in Vista, Windows 7, and Windows 8

 

[Brink]

Hello Vijer,

Unfortunately not, but you could use the tutorial below to add "Show/Hide Hidden Files" to the context menu to make it easy to toggle when you like for this.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/156518-show-hide-hidden-files-add-context-menu.html

Hope this helps,
Shawn

 

[dj6]

To Brink

thank you very much, I have been searching where to hide the folders. I am using Windows 7 Home Premium and works perfectly as instructions shown.

thanks again


Darren

 

[Brink]

You're most welcome Darren, and welcome to Seven Forums.

 

[Brink]

Is there a way to change the view settings for a single folder? At least once a week I want to find something in AppData/... and have to change the setting back and forth....

Create a shortcut to it. Then you won't have to show it every time. (I know that question is old, but someone else might be looking for the same thing.)

I find this to be a great option to be able to quickly show and hide hidden files.

http://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/156518-show-hide-hidden-files-add-context-menu.html

 

[MrsHDixon]

Files and More.

I am not positive if this is where I should post but...here goes...just shove this post to wherever it should be and please excuse me if I placed it in the wrong section.
I have read the *File Tut* that was posted...excellent by the way. I am not sure what I should do.
I have the thumb gear looking thingy(quite techno minded aren't I ) on my desktop...it appears off and on and I am guessing by the Tutorial that transparent means it's showing...anyways I clicked to hide it and gone.TY.

Next I have pics and some folders reappearing after I delete them...oh heck...just take a peek at my desktop please and if anyone knows who that fedging pixie was that leaped into my computer and played appear and disappear and number not letter on some of my files....slap him/her for me please.
Okay all seriousness...here is my desktop and I just added a little map so you can see what I mean. More of the reappearing files are not marked....but the numbered ones and the ? are/is marked.
Thanks in advance for any help.

 

[Brink]

Hello Angela,

I can't make out the file and folder names, but you might see if using the free program Unlocker may be able to permanently delete the ones you like. Do you have this issue in other user accounts as well?

 

[MrsHDixon]

Hello Angela,

I can't make out the file and folder names, but you might see if using the free program Unlocker may be able to permanently delete the ones you like. Do you have this issue in other user accounts as well?

Hi Shawn and tyvm for your help. I guess I resized a little to small,I will add a larger picture so that you can take a closer look. I have a few issues with those darn pesky files.
As for other *does it happen with other user accounts. Not sure what you mean.
Also: Permanently delete the ones I like. I am not to sure I would do that. I have client graphs I like and definatey need to keep.
Thanks again in advance for your help Shawn...here is the larger version of my desktop.

 

[Brink]

Sorry, I meant that if you logged into another user account on your computer, does it do the same thing in that user account?

The text is still way to small for me to read in the screenshot, but usually when a number is added to a file name, it means that it's a duplicate since you already have a file name with the same name.

For example, if you copy/move another file named example.txt to your desktop, but already have a file named example.txt on the desktop. The one you are copying/moving to the desktop would be renamed example (2).txt.
example.txt
example (2).txt

I'm not sure about the files/folders dissappearing and reappearing after you delete them. Are you just saving them directly to your desktop?

 

[Hiromacu]

Hi!

Those .bat files to show/hide hidden stuffs are great! But every time I run them, all explorer windows are closing and my desktop rearrange after explorer restart. I don't like that. Is there any way to refresh explore.exe (and the desktop) instead of killing it?

Please help me! I want to use the code in a Rainmeter skin.

I hope somebody is reading this topic.

 

[oreo27]

Welcome to Sevenforums Hiromacu!

Since there is no command prompt command to do this, Shawn makes the change through the registry. In doing so, he needs to restart the explorer process for the change to take effect.

In Sevenforums, someone is always reading

 

[Hiromacu]

Thanks for the fast reply!

Ehh I'm sad! In this case I have to comment out the task kill lines, and refresh explorer/desktop manually.

 

[oreo27]

Thanks for the fast reply!

Ehh I'm sad! In this case I have to comment out the task kill lines, and refresh explorer/desktop manually.

Sure thing. Yes, you can certainly do that. Cheers. Have a look around the forums especially the tutorial area. I learned a lot of things from this section