Download Article
Download Article
This wikiHow teaches you how to enable viewing for hidden files and folders on a Windows 7 computer.
Steps
Download Article
-
Open Start. Click the multicolored Windows logo in the bottom-left corner of the screen. The Start menu will pop up.
-
Search for Folder Options. Click the search bar at the bottom of the Start menu, then type in folder options .Advertisement -
Click Folder Options . You'll find this at the top of the Start menu. Clicking it prompts the Folder Options pop-up window to appear. -
Click the View tab. It's at the top of the pop-up window. -
Expand the "Files and Folders" item if necessary. If you don't see a list of settings under the "Files and Folders" heading that's in the "Advanced settings" section, double-click the heading to expand it. -
Check the "Show hidden files, folders, and drives" box. This box will appear slightly indented below the "Hidden files and folders" heading near the middle of the section. [1] X Trustworthy Source Microsoft Support Technical support and product information from Microsoft. Go to source- If you don't see this checkbox under the "Hidden files and folders" heading, first double-click the "Hidden files and folders" heading to prompt it to appear.
-
Show hidden system files if necessary. If you want to be able to see hidden system files, scroll down and uncheck the "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)" box, then click Yes when prompted.- Doing this will unhide files which, if tampered with, can render your computer impossible to use. Only unhide system files if you know what you're doing.
-
Click Apply . It's at the bottom of the window. Doing so applies your settings. -
Click OK . This is at the bottom of the window. Clicking it closes the Folder Options window. You can now view hidden folders (and files) on your computer.
Advertisement
Community Q&A
Search
-
QuestionI couldn't disable the hidden option in the general tab of the properties window. Any tips?Community AnswerClick on File Explorer on the taskbar (make sure all applications are closed), then navigate to View at the top. Check "hidden items".
Ask a Question
200 characters left
Include your email address to get a message when this question is answered.
Submit
Advertisement
Video
Tips
- You can permanently unhide a file or folder by right-clicking the item, clicking Properties , unchecking the "Hidden" box, and clicking OK .Thanks
- Hidden files and folders will appear slightly transparent.Thanks
- Showing hidden files will allow some temporary files, such as the ones created on flash drives or by opening Microsoft Office files, to appear.Thanks
Submit a Tip
All tip submissions are carefully reviewed before being published
Name
Please provide your name and last initial
Thanks for submitting a tip for review!
Advertisement
Warnings
- If you choose to show hidden system files, be careful not to move, rename, delete, or otherwise mess with them. If you must edit a system file, back up your computer and then make a copy of the file to edit rather than editing the original.Thanks
Advertisement
About This Article
Thanks to all authors for creating a page that has been read 729,527 times.
Reader Success Stories
- "Thank you so much, it helped me a lot. I was looking for how to reveal a hidden file on my desktop. I tried right-click and looked for the un-hide button, but it was not there." ..." more
Advertisement
"Thank you so much, it helped me a lot.
I was looking for how to reveal a hidden file on my desktop. I tried right-click and looked for the un-hide button, but it was not there."
..."
more
"I'm very confused with my laptop, because I didn't know how to unhide a folder. This helped me a lot."
"Nice article; short, precise, and to the point. Let's see if it works or not."
"This helped so much. It solved my problem. Thanks a million."
"Fantastic. Helped me to save a lot time."
