Windows Explorer: Un-Hide Files
March 18, 2008 by Jacqui Best
Filed under Basic Computer How To's, Windows Operating System How To's
Windows Explorer: How to change files from Being Hidden
In my last windows explorer tutorial I explained how to open Windows Explorer, now I will start showing some of the functions people need to know. A lot of time a file we are looking for just doesn’t seem to be where we think it should be. This may be attributed to the fact that the file is hidden. In order to unhide these files here are the steps.
1. Open windows explorer (please see my other tutorial)
2. Click on “My Computer” in the left hand window.
3. Select one of your hard drives. In this case I have selected the “C” drive.
4. Now go up top to “Tools” and select “Folder Options”
5. Now click on the “View” tab along the top and you should see “Folder Views” and “Advanced Settings”
6. Scroll through the advanced settings until you come across something that says “Hidden Files And Folders” and under it should be radial buttons to allow you to select “Show Hidden Files” (see picture below)
7. Now just click the OK button. You may get a warning from Windows that this could be dangerous, because now you will have access to system files. If you think this is bad idea because you may delete them then I recommend that you don’t unhide these files.
That is all there is to it. In the next Windows Explorer tutorial I will go over how to see all of your USB mass storage devices this way.
I have tried this solution and when selecting the view system files the system ‘flashes’ and then click apply and ok yet they do not appear. It is as if something is overriding the setting and reverting back to the previous setting.
Do you have your PC on a domain? (At work or work-at-home?)
Many corporate and educational computers are setup with a “Group Policy” that limits your settings. If it’s just a home machine, then try to make sure that you are logged into an administrator account – it may be refusing to change it due to permissions.
Throughout When,wife call facility all hate window experience vital turn winner propose spring middle power relationship step respect strike life application source housing perform woman press village significant base measure doubt grow tax arrange concept official individual dress move deal introduce look destroy conclude phase atmosphere weekend worry no-one most open wild natural those carefully political young withdraw judge museum teach you aye pretty always high fresh program package although proper feature study train lay hour behaviour consider help spend attach award outside force fall with