Make hidden files visible win 10. Configuring folder settings and shared access to them
This article will answer your question of how to open hidden folders in Windows 10. At the same time, you will know how to hide data or how to change the visibility of a folder without changing the visibility settings.
Especially nothing has changed in the action on the object visibility settings in Windows 10, in comparison with previous operating systems, but very often you can hear questions on this topic regarding Windows 10. Note that these settings are similar for Windows 8 and 8.1.
Steps to show hidden folders
So, you need to make folders visible in the Windows 10 operating system (for Home, Pro, Enterprise or Education versions), since you need to open the hidden daddy or delete it.
There are several options for this setting of operating system parameters.
The fastest way
For this we use a conductor. It is enough to open any folder (disk), or it is even easier to press the Windows key + E key combination.
Then we select the item "View" in the main menu. Then you need to click on "Show or hide" and select "Hidden elements".
Another way
Open the control panel window. To quickly open it, just right-click on Start, in the lower left corner of the Desktop, and select in context menu "Control Panel".
So, the panel is open, now you need to select the "Icons" category from the top right in the category. In the modified display of the control panel view, select the "Explorer Options" icon. Perhaps you will have it named "Folder Options".
In the next window, select the "View" tab and scroll through the settings of the "Additional parameters" category and find the following items:
- Hide protected system files (recommended) ". Check the box on it.
- "Hidden files and folders". Toggle the toggle to Show hidden files, folders and disks ”.
Click the Apply button. Now all folders will be displayed in Explorer, on the desktop and on all drives.
At the end of the settings, click the "OK" button and close all open windows.
Hide hidden folders and files
Now, suppose you need to make hidden folders and files hidden so that other users cannot see them on the computer. For example, this is confidential data, but you do not have the rights to create another user in the Windows 10 operating system due to the restrictions set for the current user.
To turn off their display, just select "View" - "Show or hide" in the explorer (the first method) and uncheck the box for showing hidden objects. Note that the Show or Hide category can be displayed as a button or as a menu section. It depends on the size of the window to the width of the screen.
Perhaps this did not help, now you will need to open the Explorer settings thanks to the control panel, and change the settings to the opposite categories "Hide protected system files (recommended)" and "Hidden files and folders". Now you have figured out how to show hidden folders in windows 10.
There was a need to hide data
This means you need to select the required folder or file.
Then check the box on the "Hidden" item and click "OK".
If no changes have occurred, and you have to contemplate the folder (file), most likely the visibility of hidden objects is enabled. Hence, turn it off for hidden folders.
Suppose now that you need to find your hidden folder in order to make it visible. This means that you will first need to display hidden folders using one of the above options and uncheck the "Hidden" item. Finally, click the "OK" button.
Comment
Suppose files and folders disappeared on your computer after viruses, more precisely, the amount of occupied disk space is the same, but there is no data.
Hence, the virus has hidden your data. How to display hidden folders in windows 10 in this case? - ask. To fix the display of folders, use one of the methods described above.
But to make them permanently visible, you cannot change the setting of the "Hidden" item. This means that the virus has blocked changing parameters on the disk.
- To fix this, right-click on the logical disk (USB flash drive, for example) and select Properties from the context menu.
- Now you need to go to the tab with the security settings and select the user under which you logged into Windows 10.
- Click the "Change" button.
- In the new window, check the boxes next to "Full Control" and "Change". All save the settings, and you will be able to change the value of the "Hidden" item.
Now you know how to hide or show all folders in any case on a computer with an operating windows system 10.
All important system files and directories in Windows 10 are invisible by default - they don't appear in File Explorer. This is done primarily for security, so that users do not accidentally delete the data necessary for the correct operation of the system. However, sometimes it becomes necessary to access this system data - for this it is useful to know how to open hidden folders in Windows 10.
Just start and follow the instructions, or do everything manually as described below!
How to open hidden folders in Windows 10
You can show hidden folders in Windows 10 in the Explorer window without having to configure the system through the "Control Panel":
You have managed to make hidden Windows 10 folders visible, so be careful not to accidentally delete their contents.
How to make a folder invisible
If you need to hide a folder on the desktop, then it's quite simple to do this:
- Right-click on an empty area of \u200b\u200bthe desktop → “Create” → “Folder”.
- Click on the RMB folder → "Properties" → "Settings" → "Change Icon":
- After completing these actions, the folder icon will become invisible.
- Press the combination "Win + R" → enter the command charmap.
- Select a blank character at the end of the table -\u003e copy it.
- Right click on the folder → “Rename” → delete the name → paste the copied symbol.
Now this folder is invisible and cannot be found through a computer search. To see it on the desktop, you must select all the icons with the combination "Ctrl + A". 
Output
Try not to leave the display of hidden folders enabled in Windows 10 - immediately after performing the necessary manipulations with their contents, make the directories back invisible. If you constantly need access to a certain directory, then simply remove the "Hidden" attribute from it.
In Windows 10, as in previous Windows operating systems (XP, 7, 8), not all folders are visible to the user, some of them are hidden. This was not done by chance, Windows hides from you system folders, where files important for the operating system are stored, so that you do not accidentally delete them and thereby make your computer inoperative. But there are times when you need to see hidden folders (for removing unnecessary junk, cleaning the computer from virus actions, etc.). To do this, you need to make these folders visible, this will be discussed in this article. how to make hidden folders visible in Windows 10.
Attention!!! Take the contents of hidden folders seriously, as your computer / laptop depends on them.
To begin with, I will explain that there are two types of hidden files or folders:
1) Hidden files and folders... These are folders in the properties of which the H - hidden attribute is selected. If you wish, you yourself can hide any folder by setting this attribute in the properties of the folder or file. Sometimes viruses can hide from you like that.
2) System files and folders... In the properties of which the attribute S is added - system (system). These are files and folders that are critical to the operation of the operating system, and simply opening hidden folders will prevent you from seeing protected system files.
In this article, I will look at two ways to show hidden folders in Windows 10:
1) Using the View tab;
2) Using the Explorer Options menu.
How to make hidden folders visible in Windows 10 using the View tab.
This method is extremely simple and will require a minimum of effort and time from you. But it won't let you see protected system files, only hidden files and folders. The first thing to do is open Explorer or any folder on your computer / laptop.
In the top field, select the View tab and check the box next to "Hidden Items".
After that, hidden folders will become visible to you. If you want to return everything back, uncheck the box accordingly.
How to see hidden folders in Windows 10 using File Explorer Options.
This method will allow you not only to see hidden folders, but also to display protected system folders.
To use this method, press the key combination "Win" + "Q" and enter "Explorer Options" in the search bar.
In the Explorer Options window that opens, go to the View tab. If you want to see:
- hidden folders Windows 10, check the box "Show hidden files, folders and drives";
Consider ways how to show hidden windows folders, of which there are only two. Both are not much different from how it was done in previous versions of the operating system. Not interested in how the operating system works? Then go straight to the section "Short instructions for experienced".
Why hide
Hide folders was invented to protect against random or deliberate removal by the user. There is a possibility that the computer may malfunction even if the files inside are changed.
When designing file system the developers have taken into account the ability to hide files and folders. For this, the "Hidden" attribute is used. When the mode of showing folders with this attribute is enabled, hidden directories will look transparent.
As you can see in the screenshot above, the icon for the regular "Saved" directory is several times brighter than with the "Hidden" attribute.
You may need to hide the directory for:
System files protection;
Hide personal information from other users;
A virus can hide your data, and instead plant fakes.
The third option most often gives rise to desire show hidden folders in windows 10... After removing viruses, for example on a USB flash drive, useful information remains invisible. Although it is clear from the space occupied on the flash drive that it has survived. And although modern antiviruses are quite advanced, they still have not learned to distinguish user directories from system directories.
A short instruction for experienced
For experienced users It will not be difficult to show hidden folders in Windows 10. It might seem very easy. But no one is immune to forgetfulness. It just flew out of my head, then you don't need to read the whole article. The next line will be clear without explanations and screenshots.
To do this, follow the instructions below:
Explorer -\u003e View -\u003e Options -\u003e View -\u003e Show hidden files, folders and drives
Skip to the next section if the previous tip didn't help.
Setting with the mouse
In all operating systems Microsoft, including Windows 10, does not show hidden folders, files and drives by default. We have already figured out the reasons for this behavior.
Let's take a look at how to show hidden folders in windows 10 step by step:
Step # 1
Launch File Explorer. You can find it in the Start menu or on the Taskbar.
File Explorer in Windows 10 is similar to My Computer in the previous version. windows systems... A window will open as in the picture
Step # 2
Here you need to go to the View tab and click the Options button.
Step # 3
So we got to the end of configuring folder settings. Here again, select the View tab and scroll through the list of options in search of a noticeable item to show hidden files, folders and drives.
It remains to press the OK button and the selected Windows 10 will show such directories.
ATTENTION! To avoid problems, it is best not to leave the system configured in this way. Someone from other users may disrupt the performance of Windows.
Uncheck or set the attribute to the desired directory. And immediately forbid showing them. So you protect yourself from accidents. Or you can hide your data from prying eyes.
Setting an attribute via the command line
Setting or removing an attribute hidden via the command line comes in handy in several cases:
- Want to surprise your friends with a spectacular disappearance of the catalog
- Hide directory automatically using script
To manage attributes, use standard program ATTRIB:
It has many parameters, but we need the Hidden and the Path to file or directory keys.
An example of how to properly hide and show the Secret directory, which is located on drive E:
Hide directory:
ATTRIB + H E: \\ Secret
Show (remove hidden attribute):
ATTRIB -H E: \\ Secret
If you save the first line to the hide.cmd file and the second line to show.cmd. Then when you run the file, the directory will appear or hide, respectively!
You can create such a file using regular Notepad. A program that is available in all versions of Windows.
How to hide any folder in Windows 10
Do you want to make the catalog invisible to prying eyes? Or hide multiple files at once? You don't have to use the method command lineto activate the stealth option. A file or directory will disappear if you go to their property and put a check mark next to the Hidden label.
After the performed manipulations, no one will know your secrets
At the end
Folder properties allow you to change the basic parameters of both the current directory and all folders in the system. The basic settings are no different in Windows 7 and 10. But the launch of the parameters themselves has some peculiarities in each version of the system.
IN Windows 7 you need to open any directory and select the button in the upper left corner To arrange... In the context menu, look for and click on " folder and search options". You can make it easier and just press the Alt key.
After that, a panel will appear at the top of the window where you need to click on Folder Options.
In version 10 the system is a little simpler. The menu is not hidden here and it is enough to go to “ View»And find the button Parameters.
After clicking on this button, the menu of interest to us with the folder settings will open.
How to change properties and basic settings
Let's take a look at the basic folder options and what they mean. After we have completed the above actions in front of us, a window with settings will open. 
General section no need to describe too much. Everything is clear here. It is possible to open each directory in a new window, as well as change the action of the clicks. As a standard, you can select an object with one click, and start it twice. By changing these settings, you can run files with a single click.
Next tab “ View»Allows you to make settings in more detail.
