It can be really frustrating when you accidentally delete a file or folder, only to realise that you can’t see it anywhere on your computer. Fortunately, there’s a quick and easy way to show hidden files and folders on all the different versions of Windows – from Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and even Linux. Read on to find out how! How to show hidden folders and files in Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Linux
Table of Contents
How to show hidden files and folders in Linux
Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Linux all have hidden files and folders that you can access with a little bit of know-how. Here are four easy steps to show hidden files and folders in Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Linux:
1. Type the path to the file or folder you want to view into a terminal window on your computer.
2. If the file or folder is hidden, it will be hidden from the file explorer window as well. However, you can still view the file or folder by typing its full path into the terminal window.
3. The ls command can be used to list files and folders in a directory, including hidden files and folders.
4. To hide a file or folder again, use the Hidden=yes parameter when you save it to disk.
How to show hidden files and folders in Windows 8.1
Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Linux all have a hidden file system that can be accessed by following a few simple steps. If you want to show hidden files and folders on any of these operating systems, follow these steps:
1. In File History, select Recent Files (. . .) from the navigation menu and then double-click on an item named “Desktop”.
2. To show hidden files or folders on Windows 10:
3. In the search box at the top of the window, type “File History” and hit enter.
4. Open File Explorer and click on the Apps button (or press Win+A).
5. Click Start and type Control Panel into the search box.
6. Go to System > Preferences > Personalization and open Folder Options under User Accounts Journalling Settings by clicking on it twice (it may be hidden behind another setting).
7. Click on the tab labeled “Show hidden files, folders, or drives
How to show hidden files and folders in Windows 10
There are times when you might want to keep certain files hidden from other users on your computer. Maybe you don’t want them to see your personal files, or you’re working on a project that’s confidential. Fortunately, hiding files and folders is easy in Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Linux. To hide a file or folder, open the File Explorer (Windows 10) or the Finder (Mac OS) app, click on “View” in the toolbar at the top, and select “Show Hidden Files And Folders.” If a file is locked with a password, you’ll need to enter that password before Windows will allow you to view its contents. When you’re trying to find a file or folder, Windows 10 may not show it if it’s hidden. However, if you know the file or folder’s name or file size, you can type it in and Windows 10 will display it.
How to show hidden files and folders in Windows 7
Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Linux offer different ways to show hidden files and folders. Here’s how to show hidden files and folders in Windows 7:
1. Under the View tab, select Show All Items.
2. Files and folders that are hidden will be hidden by default, but you can show or hide files and folders by selecting the checkbox next to it.
3. To permanently hide files or folders from view, drag them to the bottom of the list so they disappear after a few seconds.
4. If you want to show hidden files and folders in another folder, you can use the following command: “C:\Users\YourUserName\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.IE5\A3ZW3BZ3\hidden-files-and-folders-in-windows”
Frequently Asked Questions
What are the different ways to show hidden files and folders in Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 and Linux?
There are different ways to show hidden files and folders in Windows 10, 7, 8.1, and Linux. In Windows 10, hidden files and folders can be shown by right-clicking on a file or folder and selecting the option from the File Explorer context menu (see picture below). In Windows 7 and 8.1, hidden files and folders can be shown by using the command prompt with the fsutil command. To do this, you first need to list all of the volumes in your computer with the fsutil command. For example, if you have two volumes in your computer called C: and D: , you would execute the following command: fsutil list VolumeName | find “hidden” . After finding the hidden files and folders on your system, you can then use the find command to specify which files and folders you want to view. For instance, if you wanted to view all of the hidden files and folders in your system that are hidden by default, you would use the following command: fsutil list VolumeName | find “hidden:*” .
Can I encrypt any of my sensitive data so that no one except me can access it without proper permissions?
Yes, you can encrypt any folders or files on your computer for added security. Windows 10, Windows 7, and 8.1 all support encryption by default. In order to encrypt a folder or file, follow these simple steps:
1. Open File Explorer by pressing the Win+E keys on your keyboard simultaneously.
2. Click the gear icon (three lines) at the top left of the file explorer window.
3. Select Encrypt Volume.
4. Click Next.
5. Type a password to protect the encrypted volume and click OK.
6. When prompted to confirm that you want to make changes to this volume (yes), click Yes.
7. Your encrypted volume will now be listed in File Explorer.
How can I show hidden files and folders if I am unable to open them with my standard file explorer?
If you are unable to open files and folders using your default file explorer, there are a few different file viewers that you can try. When trying out file viewers, make sure to select the “File List” option from the top menu bar. From here, you can see hidden files and folders just like any other file. To view them, you will need to use a special application called File Viewer. To find File Viewer, navigate to where you want to see hidden files and files, then hit “Open.” After opening it, files and folders will be highlighted in green.
Is it possible to permanently hide or delete specific files or folders from view in Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Linux?
Yes, it is possible to permanently hide or delete specific files and folders from view in Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Linux. To hide all files and folders from view in File Explorer, open it and type “hide”. To hide a folder, navigate to it and type “hidden” into the search box – this will display all the hidden items inside that folder. To hide a file or folder from view in Linux, use “mh” followed by the filename – for example: mh MyFile.txt . Alternatively, you can hide folders and files from view in Windows 10, Windows 7, Windows 8.1 or Linux by using either the File Explorer app or a Command Prompt window.
What happens if I accidentally delete a hidden file or folder on my computer?
If you delete a hidden file or folder on your computer, not only will it be erased, but the data inside it will also be inaccessible. You can restore files and folders that have been hidden by using Windows 10 File Explorer’s Advanced Features. On Linux, deleting a hidden file or folder does not actually remove it – instead, it creates an empty folder with that name which is visible to users on the system level. In Windows 7 and 8.1, you can use the Recovery Console to undelete files and folders that have been deleted unintentionally.
Conclusion
Thanks for reading our blog! In this post, we will be discussing how to show hidden files and folders in different operating systems – Windows 10, Windows 8.1, Windows 7, and Linux. Let us know if you have any questions or comments in the comments section below.
