Every Windows computer has so-called “hidden folders”. They are not visible on the user's screen for various reasons, but the correct settings will help to display them in order to make the appropriate changes. Next, we will describe in detail all the nuances of working with hidden folders.
How to enable hidden folders on Windows?
It should be borne in mind that some files on the computer are hidden from the user for a reason. Typically, such folders store critical information required for the operation of specific programs or the operating system as a whole. In no case should you delete them, which is why the developers “hid” the files in such a clever way.
Making them visible (we will use Windows 7 as an example, but on other versions everything is done by analogy) is quite simple:
- Open “Computer” via “Start” or a shortcut, in the upper left corner, on the taskbar, find the “Organize” button (in Russian localization “Organize”), click on the “Folder and search” item, a new “Folders option” window will open.
- Go to the “View” tab and in the “Advanced settings” window, among the various settings, in the “Hidden files” subsection, mark the checkbox with the inscription “Show hidden files”.
- Click "Ok", look in the desired folder and check the result - the files should be displayed as semi-transparent shortcuts.
- If it becomes necessary to discard the changes - just move the checkbox up one line and save the changes again, system folders and files will disappear from the screen.
How to see hidden folders in Windows 10?
Since the "dozen" changed its interface by default (it can be returned to the classic one, but we will talk about displaying in a "tablet", tiled appearance), it is worth mentioning separately the settings for hidden files.
- To show them, click on the "Start" button, find the "Explorer" item, a new window opens.
- Above, in the taskbar, we find the "View" menu, a little lower and to the right, next to the "Current view", put a checkbox opposite the "Hidden items".
- An alternative option - press the key combination Win + Q, the search opens. In it we enter “Explorer parameters”, open the corresponding window. Then everything happens in the same way as described in the first paragraph - on the "View" tab we find the corresponding item for displaying files and folders.
Showing hidden folders in Windows Vista
If you still cannot part with this version of the operating system, let's say a few words about the differences in the settings here. In the classical form, they repeat point 1, in the form of the “Home page” from the Control Panel you will need to go to “Design and personalization”, click on the link “Show hidden files and folders”. If necessary, the user can make a file or folder invisible on his own, in any modern Windows. Just right-click on the icon, go to its properties and check the “Hide” box.
Seeing hidden folders is useful for more than just changing settings. Sometimes they hide viruses that deliberately hide information from the user. If you find one of these suspicious folders - do not rush to delete it, first carefully analyze the contents.
Are you aware that not all files and folders are shown in Windows 7 Explorer? Some of them are hidden. This is done, first of all, for security reasons, because a user with administrative rights can accidentally or unknowingly delete, move, rename something ...
However, protecting Windows 7 by hiding files is a double-edged sword: on the one hand, the user will not see them and cannot damage them, and on the other hand, this creates additional possibilities for masking malware.
So which is better? Make hidden files visible or keep them as they are? Optimal, according to the author, is as follows:
- if you would not consider yourself an experienced user - let hidden files remain hidden, their visibility will still mean nothing to you;
- if you are well versed in the structure of the system, are able to "by eye" distinguish a malicious file from a legitimate one - enable the display of hidden files.
How to display invisible files in explorer?
For Windows 7 users, the entire procedure is as follows.
- Open Control Panel from the Start Menu
or the “Run” program, to start which you need to press “Windows” + “R” on the keyboard and enter the command in the “Open” field: control.
- Open “Folder Options”.
- Click on the "View" tab. Scroll all the way down the Advanced Options list. Open “Hidden files and folders”, then put a checkmark next to the item “Show hidden files, folders, drives”.
- Here, a little higher, there is one more parameter responsible for showing invisible files: “Hide protected system files”. By default, it is selected, that is, protected files are not shown to the user. Uncheck this item and click OK.
- After you uncheck "Hide protected system files", Windows 7 will ask you if you thought well and if you foresee the possible consequences of this choice. If you are sure of the correctness of your actions, click “Yes”.
Now on the desktop, as well as in other directories, you will see some translucent elements:
These are the files marked with the "hidden" attribute (a few words about the attributes will be said below).
How to remove the visibility of hidden files
To restore the original settings for the visibility of files, you need to reopen the "Folder Options" - "View" and click the "Restore Defaults" button.
How do I hide my file or folder?
Not only Windows 7 files can be hidden from prying eyes, but also user files. And you yourself can make any of your documents invisible, provided that the display of hidden files in the folder options is disabled. How to do it?
File attributes
Files created in Windows can have attributes - characteristics that give them special properties. Here are the most important ones:
- "Only for reading". This attribute marks files that are read-only by the operating system. They must not be changed as this may break Windows functionality.
- "System" - files marked with this attribute have a higher degree of protection than "read-only". System files are critical to Windows and therefore do not appear in File Explorer.
- “Hidden” - files and folders with this attribute are also not shown in the explorer. Hidden files are important to a varying degree for the functioning of Windows; often they are invisible only for the convenience of viewing data in directories.
- "Archive" is a deprecated attribute inherited by the NTFS file system from its predecessor FAT. In earlier versions of Windows, it was marked with data for backup.
When you checked “Show hidden files, folders and drives” in the folder options settings, you made files with the “Hidden” attribute visible.
When you unchecked the Hide protected system files option, you made files with the System attribute visible.
Compare what the "C: Drive" directory looks like with showing only hidden files:
and like this - hidden and system:
This means that to hide your custom file or folder, you need to change its attributes accordingly. For this:
- open the context menu of the required file with the right mouse click and select “Properties”.
- open the “General” tab and in the “Attributes” section check the box “Hidden”, then click OK.
The same action can be performed using the command line by executing the command in it: attrib + h “C: UsersUser_1DesktopMoya_Papka” / s / d
- attrib- launching the system utility attrib.exe, which sets the attributes of files and folders;
- + h- setting the attribute “hidden”, the “+” sign means “assign the attribute”, and “-” - remove it;
- "C: UsersUser_1DesktopMoya_Papka"- the path to the folder or file, the attributes of which we change, if the path contains non-Latin characters or spaces - quotes are required;
- parameter / s means “apply an action to all attached files and subdirectories of a folder”;
- parameter / d means "process files and directories".
Other programs for working with hidden files
You can also view hidden and system files through alternative file managers - Total Commander and its analogues.
To do this, in the settings of Total Commander, as well as in the properties of Windows 7 folders, the option “Show hidden and system files” must be active. In Total Commander it is found in the “Configuration” - “Settings” and “Panel Contents” menus.
To use Total Commander tools to make a file hidden or, on the contrary, visible, you need to open the “Files” menu, select “Change Attributes” and set the appropriate settings in the window of the same name.
Another file manager - console FAR Manager, by default shows all hidden and system files of Windows. Here, what is not visible in the explorer appears shaded.
At the bottom of the table is the command line, with which you can assign the desired attributes to any file or directory:
There are other tools for working with hidden Windows files, but what we've covered here is sufficient in most cases.
The Windows operating system is a complex program code that provides interaction between many different kinds of files stored in strictly designated directories (folders). This provides a well-functioning logical structure that makes the OS stable in operation. Therefore, for security purposes and to ensure its performance, the system provides hidden system folders. They usually contain important system files, damage, modification or deletion of which is fatal for the operating system, but there are exceptions. In this topic, we will consider how to open hidden folders in Windows 7 using the regular method in the OS interface and using the file manager.
Enabling the display of hidden folders permanently in Windows 7
If you need to display all hidden system folders on your computer on an ongoing basis, you need to do a number of simple steps to configure their parameters. This is done as follows. We go to "My Computer" from the shortcut on the desktop, or just press the keyboard shortcut "Windows + E". Next, open the "Organize" tab and select the "Folder and Search Options" item.
Once in the section of interest to us, we immediately go to the "View" tab. Here is a complete list of settings for displaying folders and files in Windows 7. The option we need is at the very bottom of this list.
For folders containing protected system files, there is a separate option to hide them from the eyes of inexperienced users. It should be disabled if you want these folders and their contents to be always visually available.
By disabling this option, the system will immediately issue a warning with an explanation of why it is undesirable to activate it.
For the made settings to take effect, press the "OK" button.
note: for a clear idea of \u200b\u200bwhich folder is considered hidden and which is not there are visual differences. Thus, those folders whose appearance is paler are hidden, which means that work with them and their contents must be carried out consciously.
In addition, there is a separate option in the settings of all folders in Windows 7 - the stealth attribute. Operating them, you can individually assign or disable this function for each of them, system and created personally.
Displaying hidden folders with the file manager
In order not to open hidden folders in Window 7 on a permanent basis, you can use third-party software, such as the file manager "Total Commander". In its interface, go to the "Configuration" tab and go to the settings section.
In it, select the item "Panel Content", where we set the appropriate checkboxes, as shown in the screenshot below.
Then we click "OK" and see that the hidden system folders have become available.
These are folders that have the Hidden attribute set. Usually folders with this attribute do not appear in Explorer. In order for hidden folders to appear, you need to make changes to the operating system settings. In this article, you will learn how to show hidden folders in Windows 7.
In order to force the Windows 7 operating system to show hidden folders, we need to open any folder and press the ALT button on the keyboard.
After pressing the ALT key, a number of drop-down menus will appear under the address bar: File, Edit, View, Service and Help. Here we need to open the drop-down menu "Tools" and select the item "Folder Options".
After that, you will see a small window called "Folder Options". In this window, you can configure all the basic parameters related to the display of folders, files and drives in Windows Explorer 7.
It should be noted that if you cannot open the "Folder Options" window through the drop-down menu, then you can use the search in. To do this, open the start menu and type "Folder options". After that, the Windows 7 operating system will find the required program and offer to open it.
So, you have opened the "Folder Options" window, in order to show hidden folders in Windows 7, you need to go to the "View" tab and find the options that are responsible for showing hidden folders.
You need two parameters:
- "Hide protected system files" - it must be disabled;
- "Show hidden files, folders and drives" - you need to enable it.
After making changes, close the window by clicking on the "OK" button to save the changes. After that, you will be able to see hidden folders and files. Now, if there is such a need, you can uncheck the "Hidden" attribute and the folder will become normal. To do this, right-click on the folder and select "Properties". After that, disable the "Hidden" function and close the window.
After you have removed the "Hidden" attribute, you can turn off the display of hidden folders. Further, this folder will be displayed in any case.
The Windows operating system allows a huge variety of activities related to technical processes. Today we will talk about hiding folders and files on your computer. About why this is done and how to find them.
Let's start with the fact that in some cases the hiding of certain documents is provided by the developers of this system. By default, some important elements are hidden so that the user cannot accidentally delete them and damage the normal functioning of the system. Sometimes users hide them in order to remove personal data or just important information from prying eyes. In any case, sometimes it becomes necessary to find them, let's see how to do it.
First you need to find the shortcut “ My computer", In the window that opens, select the menu item" To arrange"By opening this menu, click on the section" Folder and search options"And click the left mouse button.
Then a new window will open “ Folders settings". You must go to the section " View", Scroll the menu to the very bottom, where to find the item" Hidden files and folders". Then just switch to the item where the hidden files will be shown, apply and click " OK«.
All documents not displayed after this operation will be shown. They will stand out in a slightly dimmer color.
A similar operation must be repeated in Windows 8. First, you should open the same shortcut “ My computer«, And then find a check mark at the top and open an additional section if it is not open by default.
In the menu that opens, select " View"And click on the icon" Options«
In the window that appears, we repeat the same actions as in the previous algorithm, and you can also uncheck the box “ Hide protected system files“If you need it for a specific purpose. After that, all folders that are not displayed will become visible, but differ in color.
Display in Windows 10
The actions are absolutely the same as in Windows 8, all sections and items are saved in their places, so it's unnecessary to paint.
It is much easier, in my opinion, to display hidden documents using a third-party program, for example, Total Commander. In the program, find the section " Configuration". In it, select the item " Customization«.
In the menu that opens, select the subsection " Panel content"And then just check the boxes next to" Show hidden files"And, if necessary," Show system files«.
Apply and click " OK". All documents are displayed, which is what we wanted.
It is worth mentioning that the developers hide the system elements for a reason. Their removal, modification and damage can lead to failure and errors in the system, so they should be treated especially carefully and carefully. If you are trying to find hidden files on someone else's computer, the question of morality arises. The user hid these files for a reason, which means that it is wrong to look at them - respect everyone's privacy.
