How to Show Hidden Files in Windows 10

By Mitch Bartlett 10 Comments

By default, Microsoft Windows 10 hides certain files from view when you explore them on your hard drive. This protects important files from being deleted so that the system isn’t damaged. If you’re the geeky type, you’ll want to be able to view all files all the time. Follow these steps to show hidden files.

Option 1 – From File Explorer

1. Select the “Start” button, then choose “File Explorer“.
   
2. Make sure the menu bar is expanded. You can toggle the menu bar by selecting the ^ at the upper right portion of the window.
3. Select the “View” tab.
4. Check the “Hidden items” check box to view hidden items.
   
5. If you need more file viewing options, select “Options” > “View“.

Option 2 – From Control Panel

1. Right-click the “Start” button, then select “Control Panel“.
2. Go to “Appearance and Personalization“, then select “File Explorer Options“.
3. Click the “View” tab.
4. Scroll down a bit and change the “Hidden files and folders” setting to “Show hidden files, folders, and drives“. Optionally, you may wish to uncheck the “Hide protected operating system files” box as well.

Option 3 – Via Registry

1. Hold the Windows Key and press “R” to bring up the Run dialog box.
2. Type “regedit“, then press “Enter“.
3. Navigate to the following location:
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER
   • Software
   • Microsoft
   • Windows
   • CurrentVersion
   • Explorer
   • Advanced
4. Set the value for “Hidden” to “1” to show hidden files, folders, and drives. Set the value to “2” to not show hidden files, folders, and drives.
5. Set the value for “ShowSuperHidden” to “1” to show protected operating system files. Set the value to “2” to not show protected operating system files.

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Filed Under: Windows Tagged With: Windows 10

Reader Interactions

Comments

Kartik singh says

I have nokia lumia 520.
I want to convert it into android.I want to know that after installing the android. Will my sim card work and data connection.

Jan de Vos says

I have reinstalled the USB driver successfully. Though, Samsung dex did not recognize my device.

Neha Singh says

This one worked. Thanks for the guidance. It really helped me alot.

Ok, I just checked this out… here’s an example where the attrib method (below) will show files when the author’s method will not. To illustrate, configure Explorer to show all files as outlined in this article. Then,

1) Open a 2nd Windows Explore and navigate to C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent Items

2) Shift select and delete these files (or move them to a temp location; I think advanced “Disk Cleanup” tool will delete as well).

Also, note that all the advanced “show file” setting made earlier are still intact.
Next open a command prompt in the …\Recent Items folder. To do this:

1) Open a 3rd explorer window and navigate *in the left panel* to C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows

2) With your mouse over the “Windows” folder *still in the left panel*, hold down Left-Shift + Right Mouse Click to get the advanced context menu, click on “Open command window here”

3) In the …\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows> command prompt, key in: “cd recent”

4) Key in …\recent\> attrib *.*

You should see a bunch of files not shown in explorer.

Charles Davis says

The current version of Win 10 looks and works differently, so this just confused me.

I don`t have CurrentVersion in Windows from HKEY_CURRENT_USER, please help me!

No. Unable to change entry. Received notice “Cannot edit Hidden. Error writing the value’s new contents”.

This saved me so much time! Thank you!

This saved me so much time! Thank you!

Did this help? Let us know! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

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My name is Mitch Bartlett. I’ve been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

Follow me on Twitter, or visit my personal blog.

How to Find Hidden Files and Folders in Windows

Last Updated: February 9, 2021

This article was co-authored by Mobile Kangaroo. Mobile Kangaroo is a full service repair shop and Apple Authorized Service Provider headquartered in Mountain View, CA. Mobile Kangaroo has been repairing electronic devices such as computers, phones, and tablets, for over 16 years, with locations in over 20 cities.

This article has been viewed 1,290,650 times.

This wikiHow teaches you how to display and locate hidden files and folders in Windows.

Mobile Kangaroo
Computer & Phone Repair Specialists Expert Interview. 11 September 2019. It should be in the middle of the «Advanced settings» window.

• If you don’t see this option, double-click the Hidden files and folders line of text. If you don’t see that option either, first double-click Files and Folders at the top of the «Advanced settings» window.

How to view all hidden files and folders in Windows 10

By default, Windows 10 hides many files and folders from your view. First of all, it hides the items that you have set as hidden, as well as those set as hidden by other user accounts, the apps that you use, and Windows 10 itself. Second, the operating system also hides from view the files and folders that are critical to its operation, so that users do not delete them or change them in ways that lead to malfunctions. If you want to view all the files and folders that are hidden in Windows 10, read this guide and learn how:

NOTE: In Windows 10, there are two categories of hidden files. To view them both, read all the sections in this guide, not just the first. At the end, we also give you examples of the difference between the settings that you can change.

How to enable the viewing of hidden files in Windows 10

Open File Explorer and then click or tap the View tab and then, in the Show/hide section, check the box for “Hidden items.”

You immediately start seeing the files that were hidden by you, other user accounts, Windows 10, and the apps that you are using.

How to enable the viewing of hidden system protected files in Windows 10

Open File Explorer, click or tap the View tab and then the Options button. This opens the Folder Options window, where you configure how File Explorer works.

In the Folder Options window, click or tap the View tab. In the list of Advanced settings, uncheck the box that says: “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended).”

You are warned that you have chosen to display protected operating system files (files labeled System and Hidden), in File Explorer. To go ahead with this change, click or tap Yes.

Then, in the Folder Options window, click or tap OK to save your settings. From now on, Windows 10 and File Explorer are going to make visible all the files of the operating system that used to be hidden from view.

What is the difference between seeing hidden files and protected operating system files?

By default, Windows 10 does not show you any hidden files. Therefore, your desktop is going to include only the files and shortcuts that you or your apps have added to it.

When you disable the “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)” setting, on your desktop, you are going to see two desktop.ini files that store information about how the desktop is displayed by Windows. Not only that, but you are going to see desktop.ini files everywhere, in all the folders on your computer.

IMPORTANT: By default, the protected operating system files are hidden by Windows, because they are critical to how the operating system works. You should not delete them or edit their content, unless you know what you are doing.

To get a better perspective on how many hidden files and folders you might start seeing, after you enable the two settings discussed earlier, open File Explorer and go to: C:\Users and then double click or double tap on your username. By default, in this location you see only your user’s folders like Documents, Music, Pictures, and so on.

When you check the first setting from this guide (Hidden items) you start seeing a few new folders, like AppData, where all your Windows apps store data and settings for your user account.

When you uncheck the second setting from this guide – “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)” – you now see a lot more folders and files, like Local Settings, SendTo, Start Menu, and so on. All these additional folders are used by Windows to interact with your user account, and remember your settings.

Did you enable the display of all hidden files and folders?

To view everything that is hidden on your Windows 10 PC or device, you need to go through both settings covered in this guide. However, we advise against the display of operating system protected files and folders, because most users do not know how to manage them, and they may end up messing up their computers and Windows 10 devices. Before you close this guide, tell us which of the two changes in settings you performed, and why. Comment below and let’s discuss.

How to Show Hidden Files in Windows 10

By Mitch Bartlett 10 Comments

By default, Microsoft Windows 10 hides certain files from view when you explore them on your hard drive. This protects important files from being deleted so that the system isn’t damaged. If you’re the geeky type, you’ll want to be able to view all files all the time. Follow these steps to show hidden files.

Option 1 – From File Explorer

1. Select the “Start” button, then choose “File Explorer“.
   
2. Make sure the menu bar is expanded. You can toggle the menu bar by selecting the ^ at the upper right portion of the window.
3. Select the “View” tab.
4. Check the “Hidden items” check box to view hidden items.
   
5. If you need more file viewing options, select “Options” > “View“.

Option 2 – From Control Panel

1. Right-click the “Start” button, then select “Control Panel“.
2. Go to “Appearance and Personalization“, then select “File Explorer Options“.
3. Click the “View” tab.
4. Scroll down a bit and change the “Hidden files and folders” setting to “Show hidden files, folders, and drives“. Optionally, you may wish to uncheck the “Hide protected operating system files” box as well.

Option 3 – Via Registry

1. Hold the Windows Key and press “R” to bring up the Run dialog box.
2. Type “regedit“, then press “Enter“.
3. Navigate to the following location:
   • HKEY_CURRENT_USER
   • Software
   • Microsoft
   • Windows
   • CurrentVersion
   • Explorer
   • Advanced
4. Set the value for “Hidden” to “1” to show hidden files, folders, and drives. Set the value to “2” to not show hidden files, folders, and drives.
5. Set the value for “ShowSuperHidden” to “1” to show protected operating system files. Set the value to “2” to not show protected operating system files.

You Might Also Like

Filed Under: Windows Tagged With: Windows 10

Reader Interactions

Comments

Kartik singh says

I have nokia lumia 520.
I want to convert it into android.I want to know that after installing the android. Will my sim card work and data connection.

Jan de Vos says

I have reinstalled the USB driver successfully. Though, Samsung dex did not recognize my device.

Neha Singh says

This one worked. Thanks for the guidance. It really helped me alot.

Ok, I just checked this out… here’s an example where the attrib method (below) will show files when the author’s method will not. To illustrate, configure Explorer to show all files as outlined in this article. Then,

1) Open a 2nd Windows Explore and navigate to C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent Items

2) Shift select and delete these files (or move them to a temp location; I think advanced “Disk Cleanup” tool will delete as well).

Also, note that all the advanced “show file” setting made earlier are still intact.
Next open a command prompt in the …\Recent Items folder. To do this:

1) Open a 3rd explorer window and navigate *in the left panel* to C:\Users\\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows

2) With your mouse over the “Windows” folder *still in the left panel*, hold down Left-Shift + Right Mouse Click to get the advanced context menu, click on “Open command window here”

3) In the …\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows> command prompt, key in: “cd recent”

4) Key in …\recent\> attrib *.*

You should see a bunch of files not shown in explorer.

Charles Davis says

The current version of Win 10 looks and works differently, so this just confused me.

I don`t have CurrentVersion in Windows from HKEY_CURRENT_USER, please help me!

No. Unable to change entry. Received notice “Cannot edit Hidden. Error writing the value’s new contents”.

This saved me so much time! Thank you!

This saved me so much time! Thank you!

Did this help? Let us know! Cancel reply

This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. Learn how your comment data is processed.

Primary Sidebar

Recent Posts

Who’s Behind Technipages?

My name is Mitch Bartlett. I’ve been working in technology for over 20 years in a wide range of tech jobs from Tech Support to Software Testing. I started this site as a technical guide for myself and it has grown into what I hope is a useful reference for all.

Follow me on Twitter, or visit my personal blog.