These are folders that have the Hidden attribute set. Typically, folders with this attribute are not displayed in Explorer. To hidden folders began to appear, you need to make changes to the settings of the operating system. AT this material you will learn about 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 series of drop-down menus will appear below the address bar: File, Edit, View, Tools and Help. Here we need to open the "Tools" drop-down menu and select the "Folder Options" item.
After that, a small window called "Folder Options" will open in front of you. In this window, you can configure all the basic settings that relate to the display of folders, files and drives in Windows 7 Explorer.
It should be noted that if you are unable to 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". Thereafter operating system Windows 7 will find desired 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 in order 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 remove the "Hidden" attribute and the folder will become normal. To do this, right-click on the folder and select "Properties". After that, turn off the "Hidden" feature and close the window.
After you have removed the Hidden attribute, the display of hidden folders can be disabled. Further, this folder will be displayed in any case.
The Windows operating system has hidden objects. They exist in fact, but they are not visible in the explorer. Accordingly, the user will not be able to accidentally delete, move or change them. Typically, these directories store system data. But if you need to view their content, you won't be able to do it in the usual way. Let's figure out how to open hidden folders, set their visibility and "mask" a separate directory.
This is what the hidden folder looks like
If ordinary objects that you yourself created suddenly “disappear” from your device, malware may be to blame. In this case, you need to check the system with an antivirus, and not deal with the attributes.
If you know the path to the invisible directory, here's how you can open hidden files:
- Go to "Start" - "Run". Or press the Win+R keys.
- In the input field, write the full path to the directory. The name of a particular object must be specified with an extension.
- Click OK.
Or another way:
- Open any local drive. You can also open the "My Computer" menu.
- In the address bar at the top of the window, enter the path to the file or folder.
Visibility setting
Here's how to show hidden folders:
- Go to "Control Panel". It should be in the start menu. If it's not there, you'll have to reconfigure it. Right-click on the taskbar, select "Properties", the "Start" tab and then "Settings". In the list that opens, find the "Control Panel" and set the "Display" option to it.
- Go to Folder Options. Window in the Appearance and Personalization category.
- View tab.
- Scroll down to the "Hidden" section.
- Put a marker next to "Show".
- Save your changes.
- If the object is still invisible, uncheck "Hide system files".
Now you will be able to see the hidden objects: they will be transparent and dim. This is how you distinguish them from regular directories.
There are several other ways to access this menu. These options are relevant for Windows version 7 and above.
- Open any directory.
- Click "Organize" in the top left corner.
- "Folder and search options".
- Every directory has a menu bar. If it's not visible, hold down the Alt key.
- In this line, click on "Service".
- Item "Folder Options".
It is not recommended to enable display if you just want to see what is inside the directory. Activate this option only if you need something specific. Files are hidden for a reason, but to protect the system.
Attributes
You have learned how to show hidden folders. Now you can figure out how to hide the visible object:
- Click on it with the right mouse button.
- "Properties".
- Check the Hidden checkbox. If it is not there, then it simply does not fit. Click "Others". The required attribute will be there.
- "Apply".
- To remove the option, on the contrary, uncheck the box.
Hide folder in Windows
Command line
If files have become invisible due to a virus, you can remove attributes from them using commands.
- Go to "Start" - "Programs" - "Accessories".
- Right click on "Command Prompt".
- Select "As administrator".
- A window will open with a black background and white font.
- Enter the command "sd [Path to hidden object]". Press Enter.
- Write or copy the line "attrib -s -h -r -a /s /d *.*" without quotes. All attributes will be removed.
- Asterisks "*.*" denote all possible object names with all possible formats.
Third Party Programs
To change the visibility of masked directories in the Total Commander file manager, follow these steps:
- Open "Configuration".
- "Settings".
- Panel content section.
- "Show hidden files" option.
Another popular manager is Unreal Commander:
- Menu "Configurations" - "Settings".
- Go to the "View" section and the "Files" subsection.
- Check all the boxes in the "Display" area.
- Apply.
And for Nomad.NET:
- "Tools".
- "Options".
- Security tab.
- There will be an option there.
To show hidden files, you just need to check one box in the folder options. You should not delete something in directories that were originally hidden. Usually they contain data reserved for the needs of the system or important utilities.
On the computer. They are there, but they are not visible.
one . Right-click on the file or folder and select "Properties".
2. A window will open. Check the Hidden box and click OK.
The file (folder) will disappear. In fact, it will remain in the computer, we just hide it in this way.
By the way, many users are able to open hidden files and folders. So consider whether something is worth hiding in this way.
How to open (show) hidden files and folders
If there is no such item, then click on the Start button and open the Control Panel. Among the icons, find and open "Folder Options" (Appearance and Personalization → Folder Options).
In Windows 10, you need to click on "View" at the top of the window and select "Options".
Put a dot on the item "Show hidden files, folders and drives" (below) and click "OK".
Files and folders that are hidden will be lighter than regular files and folders.
Regular folder:
How to make a hidden folder normal
- Right-click on the file or folder you want to make normal and select Properties.
- Uncheck the Hidden box and click OK.
How to disable showing hidden files and folders
Open any folder on your computer. Click on the word "Organize" (at the top of the window) and select "Folder and Search Options".
If there is no such item at the top of the window, click on the Start button and open the Control Panel. Among the icons, find and open "Folder Options" (Appearance and Personalization → Folder Options).
In Windows 10, to do this, click on "View" and select "Options".
A window will open. Click on the "View" tab (top).
Put a dot on the item "Do not show hidden files, folders and drives" (below) and click "OK".
On a note . In Windows 10, you can make it easier: View → Show or hide → Hidden items.
The computer has a lot of hidden files and folders in the Local Disk where the operating system is located (usually it is Local Disk C). This is necessary so that you do not accidentally spoil something.
If you delete any of these files or any folder, even if you just change the name, then the computer may stop working or start to freeze seriously. So be careful with system hidden files and folders!
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Often, operating room users Windows systems, in particular one of its latest versions- Windows 7, there is a need to make hidden folders visible in Explorer. You will learn how to do this from this short note. There are two main ways to enable the display of hidden folders in Windows 7. Each of them is quite simple, just one is shorter and the other is longer.
Method one. It is he who is shown to schoolchildren and students in computer science lessons. Find the “My Computer” shortcut on the Desktop, left-click on it. At the top, in the very corner of the left side of the screen, you will see the “Organize” item. Click on this word with the left mouse button. In the window that appears, select "Folder and Search Options".
Another Windows 7 "Folder Options" window will appear. Click on the second tab. In the advanced options, find the item “Hidden files and folders”, put a “tick” on “Show hidden files, folders and drives”.
Don't forget to click "Apply" and "OK" before closing the window. Everything, after performing these simple steps, hidden folders will be displayed on your computer.
Method two. It is not particularly different from the first and, in principle, is similar to it. So, to get started, open the “Control Panel” from the “Start” menu.
You will have a Windows 7 window open, where you will need to find the item “Folder Options” - “Show hidden folders”.
The exact same “Folder Options” window will open, which we could see using the first method. Using the slider, find the “Hidden files and folders” item, check the “Show ...” box, save the changes by clicking on “Apply” and then “OK”.
As you can see, making hidden folders appear in Explorer or the same Total Commander is not difficult. It is up to you to choose how you will do it. Good luck!
I believe the article was helpful!
Compared to Windows XP, the interface of the seventh version of the OS has undergone dramatic changes. The way hidden files are displayed in this operating system is also different from its predecessor. And without showing hidden directories, do not execute fine tuning Windows. This article will tell you how to display folders hidden from the user.
How to show hidden folders in Windows 7
There are several ways to display hidden directories in a standard file manager, but they all come down to opening the folder properties window. So, standard version action is:
- open "Explorer";
- click on the "ALT" button;
- in the top menu, click on the line "Service";
- in the drop-down list, click on the inscription "Folder Options";
- expand the "View" tab;
- in the window, scroll through the list of parameters to the very end;
- move the bottom switch to "Show";
- also, if you want to show hidden files and Windows folders 7, which are also system files, uncheck the box next to the text "Hide protected files";
- click OK or press ENTER on your keyboard.
To check, open the explorer and go to the section with installed Windows. The Program Data directory should appear at its root. Note that files and folders that have been hidden by a developer or administrator appear as translucent icons - their colors blend into the background.
Additional ways
There are several more simple ways to open directory display options. For example, you can expand the Start menu and type the word "Settings" into the search bar. Then it remains to click on the item of the same name.
You can also show Windows 7 using the Control Panel configuration utility:
- So go to Control Panel.
- Click on the "Personalization" category.
- In the window that opens, select Folder Options.
- Go to the second tab from the left.
- Set the switches to the position indicated in the instructions above.
To re-hide files, simply return the radio buttons to starting position.
Command line
If working with directories is not necessary, but you just need to clarify their presence, there are enough funds command line. How to view hidden folders on Windows 7 using console commands? Follow the instructions below:
- Create a shortcut by opening the context menu of the desktop, and following the path to the menu, "Create" - "Shortcut".
- Enter "cmd" in the file location string.
- Set the name to be arbitrary.
- Run the shortcut as administrator.
- Enter the letter of the drive you will be working with.
- Navigate to the root of the directory where you want to show hidden folders in Windows 7 using the "cd" command immediately followed by the path to the desired folder, for example "cd C:\Windows".
- Type "dir /ah", after which the screen will display full list files and directories.
This method is the fastest, but it has one significant drawback - it will be difficult for a simple user to remember the commands and the order in which they are entered. For those who type slowly, this method is not suitable at all, since entering a long path will take too long.
Using third party software
Not only Explorer, but also third-party file managers, such as Total Commander, can show hidden folders in Windows 7. This approach is convenient if you often need to fine-tune the operating system, but not only experienced users work on the computer and the display of hidden directories in Explorer is not desirable.
How to view hidden folders on windows 7 help Total commander? Do the following:
- First, install a file manager. It is distributed under a shareware model, but does not require the purchase of a license.
- After installing and running Total Commander, click on the “Configuration” item. It is located in the top menu of the utility.
- In the drop-down list, click on the "Settings" line.
- On the left side of the settings window, select Panel Content.
- In the main part of the parameters window, check both boxes in the top line.
If inexperienced users work on the computer, who can accidentally erase important system information, then before showing hidden folders in Windows 7 using Total Commander, you should first remove its shortcuts from the desktop. After that, you can run the program by typing the text "total" in the search bar. Total Commander is not the only file manager that can show hidden files. For example, Far Manager, FreeCommander, File Navigator are also equipped with similar functionality. Moreover, in Far Manager, the setting in question is made by default.
As you can see from the article, it’s not difficult to show hidden folders in Windows 7, but always remember that they were hidden from the user for a reason and the correct functioning of everything often depends on them. software. After deleting the hidden directory, the operating system may not boot at all. Perform any actions with hidden folders only after first creating a system restore point or even a full partition backup.
