How To See Hidden Folders In Windows

Download Article

Download Commodity

This wikiHow teaches you how to display the files and folders that are hidden by Windows. Y'all'll also learn how to easily search for any files, including those which were previously hidden, using the Windows File Explorer.

Steps

one

Open the File Explorer. You lot tin can do this by clicking the folder icon on your taskbar or by pressing Windows central + Eastward.^[1]
2

Click the View menu. Information technology's at the top of the window.

Advertisement
3

Check the box next to "Hidden items." It's in the toolbar at the top of the screen in the console called "Show/hide." This ensures that files and folders that were hidden are now available and searchable.
iv
Click the drive yous want to search. You should run across a list of drives and folders in the left console of File Explorer. Click the hard drive on which the file yous're looking for resides.
- If yous don't see any hard drives, click the pointer next to "This PC" in the left panel to expand all drives.
- If y'all desire to search all drives on your computer, click This PC in the left console instead of clicking a difficult bulldoze.
five
Type the name of the file you're looking for into the Search field. This is the typing area at the top-right corner of the window.
- If you don't know the item'due south proper name, endeavor typing an asterisk and then the particular's file type/extension. For example, typing *.jpg will display all files that end with ".jpg," which are JPEG images.
- If you don't want to search for hidden files and folders, you can just scan different folders to see what was previously hidden. Anything that was subconscious has a slightly grayed-out icon next to information technology. You can toggle "Subconscious items" off and back on to make these items disappear and reappear.
6
Printing ↵ Enter to review the results. Depending on the size of your hard drive and what you're searching for, it can take a little while for results to announced.
- If any previously hidden files or folders match what yous've searched, they'll appear with slightly grayed-out icons.
- If you don't run into your desired hidden file, binder, or other item, click This PC in the left-hand column and run your search again.
Ad

Add New Question

Question

How practice you lot make an invisible file in MacOS?

Mobile Kangaroo is a total service repair shop and Apple Authorized Service Provider headquartered in Mount View, CA. Mobile Kangaroo has been repairing electronic devices such equally computers, phones, and tablets, for over xix years, with locations in over 20 cities.

Computer & Phone Repair Specialists

Good Respond

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

In MacOS, this requires using the Concluding app. Type "chflags hidden" and drag the file or binder into the Last window to specify its location. Once you lot press "Return," it will be safely out of sight. To unhide it you would instead enter "chflags unhidden" in Terminal, only you will have to know and blazon the location.
Question

How do you make an invisible file in Windows?

Mobile Kangaroo is a total service repair shop and Apple Authorized Service Provider headquartered in Mountain View, CA. Mobile Kangaroo has been repairing electronic devices such equally computers, phones, and tablets, for over 19 years, with locations in over 20 cities.

Computer & Phone Repair Specialists

Expert Reply

Support wikiHow by unlocking this expert answer.

In Windows, simply right click on the file or folder yous want to hide and select "Properties." You will then check the "Hidden" attribute in the Properties window and press "OK." To come across the hidden files over again, only open File Explorer, click the "View" tab and check "Hidden Items."
Question

What is command prompt and how does it work?

Command prompt is displayed as a tab on your computer, and can be opened from the "Outset" menu. Y'all can also simply click the Windows key and the R primal, then blazon "CMD" in the search bar. It allows y'all to send certain commands and become information or change information.
Question

I took the hd out and transferred the data from some other computer to the hard deejay using a data cable, merely I can't find the data. What should I do?

Click Options in the top of your explorer window and select Testify Hidden Files. Alternatively you can just search Windows settings for "hidden files" and there will be an option to view hidden files. Enable information technology.
Question

How do I retrieve my lost mail from Yahoo?

Utilise the lost password option. If you can't recall your email address, check for receipts you may have with the lost address.
Question

Using Windows, how would a user locate a file with only the file'south date?

Search the file name, or enter the file path you are sure is in here, then search the extension if you lot can remember it ".mp4" ".png" will get yous all the mp4 or png files in the directory, then sort by date and curlicue upwardly the wanted solar day.
Question

I have lost a previously saved document. How exercise I find it?

Liam Townsley

Community Answer

Become into File Viewer and navigate to where the file is, then click "View" and then "Show Hidden Files" and it should show your binder.
Question

How tin can I find hidden startup files in Windows 10?

Liam Townsley

Community Respond

Go into File Viewer and navigate to where the file is, then click "View" and and so "Show Hidden Files" and it should show your folder.
Question

How do I find my subconscious files and folders if I have forgotten their locations and names?

Liam Townsley

Customs Respond

Become into File Viewer and navigate to where the file is, then click "View" and then "Evidence Hidden Files" and it should show your folder. You might need to search around files in your hard drive if y'all forgot where it is hidden, simply doing the steps above will make it then you tin encounter the subconscious folders.

Ask a Question

200 characters left

Include your email address to become a bulletin when this question is answered.

Submit

Deleting arrangement files will often return your version of Windows unstable or, in some cases, completely inoperable. Don't delete a file if y'all don't know what it is.
To go on protected organization files safety, remove the checkmark from "Hidden items" when yous're done.

About This Article

Commodity Summary X

1. Open File Explorer.
two. Click the View tab.
iii. Check the box next to "Hidden items."
4. Click the drive you want to search.
5. Type your search terms and press Enter.
6. Files that were hidden take grayed-out icons.

Did this summary help you?

Thank you to all authors for creating a page that has been read 1,308,943 times.