How to show hidden folders on your hard drive. How to find hidden folders and files in Windows

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I had such a situation that when changing the operating system, I did not know how to display hidden folders in Windows 7. Previously I had XP, and there were no special problems with it.

Seven has undergone enormous changes that distinguished it from previous operating systems. I had to do some digging to figure out the basic settings. Now I will show you several ways to open hidden folders, since in Windows 7 they are invisible by default. Before starting the procedure, you can verify the results after following the recommendations. In the article we will go over the standard ones, software methods and use the command line.

Standard recommendations for showing hidden folders and files in Windows 7

First, you need to find the window where this option is enabled; to do this, you need to do one of the following:

1. Launch Explorer (my computer), in the window that opens, click “arrange”. Next, select “Folder and Search Options.”

2. Click “start” and type “settings” in the search. When the list is built, select the element shown in the screenshot below.

3. Click "Start" -> "Control Panel". Next, make sure that “large icons” or “small icons” is enabled, and then you can look for the “folder options” setting.

4. In the Explorer window, press the ALT key, you will see extra menu between the path bar and the main menu. Select "service" -> "".

After using one of the methods, a window with 3 tabs will open in front of you, go to the second one, which is called “view”. Move the scroll bar down and check the “show hidden files, folders and disks." Be sure to click on the APPLY button, then OK.

Note: If you need all elements to be visible, make sure that the “hide protected” checkbox is unchecked system files».

As you can see, displaying hidden folders in Windows 7 is not difficult at all. For more reliable results, go to system disk and try to find hidden folders that have appeared and have a pale tint.

There is another interesting method with . To do this, run cmd and enter the command:

In the current directory all hidden folders and files will be displayed. If you want to change the current local disk, use the command:

Cd/d letter local disk:

The example shows the transition from drive C to D. To change to the directory, enter the following expression:

Cd/folder name

Once you have selected the desired directory, enter the first command.

Using total commander

As you know, total commander is a tool for working with files and folders. In my opinion, much more progressive standard conductor. Using his example, we will analyze the inclusion of hidden elements.

Run total commander.
From the menu at the top, select “configuration” -> “settings”.
In the window that opens, click on “Panel Contents”.
Check the boxes “show hidden files” and “show system files”.

Click APPLY and OK.

After completing the algorithm of actions, hidden elements will be marked with a red exclamation mark.

All recommendations work and will help show hidden folders and files in Windows 7. It's up to you to use one or the other. I would like to highlight standard methods and the use of total commander, as for cmd, this is rather educational information.

Or why protecting data through encryption is better than simply hiding folders in Windows.

Briefly: There are many programs on the Internet for hiding individual folders and files from other computer users. These programs offer a simple method for hiding folders by filtering requests to file system. But this does not mean 100% data protection.

In fact, hidden files and folders can be seen and viewed using other means. If more is required reliable protection, follows a disk encryption program.

How to hide a folder or file - the standard way

One of the biggest desires of the user is often the desire to hide his personal documents, programs and other data somewhere away from prying eyes. The most common way to do this is:

Use programs to hide files and folders. There are quite a lot of them now: Folder Lock, Hide Folders XP
Use standard means in Windows: mark the folder/file as hidden, or deny access to the folder/file by specifying the rights to access the object.

Directories and files marked as “hidden” in Windows are not visible in Explorer to other system users if the user has the flag enabled: Do not show hidden folders
Visible in programs: FAR, Total Commander, etc., which do not use a standard dialog to display files and folders.

We intentionally left out EFS (Windows 2000/XP's built-in encryption) because setting up this feature requires significant effort and skill.

The convenience of these methods of hiding folders is that you don't have to do anything extra to hide them. Everything is quite simple: just one click of the mouse is enough to hide a particular folder/file, regardless of its size. But what are the disadvantages of this type of program? Let's try to figure it out.

What is the degree of protection?

Not all utilities for hiding folders will reliably hide your data. Moreover, even fewer of them, in addition to hiding them, will reliably protect them with encryption from various techniques. Many of these programs hide folders and files for only one operating system. What if there are several operating systems installed on the PC? From one system the data will not be visible, but from the other - everything is at your fingertips!

Simply hiding folders and restricting access to files does not help in the following cases:

Booting a PC on a different operating system or loading another OS from CD-ROM. For example Linux Live CD, Windows Live CD.
- in another OS that will connect to yours HDD drive y, all files will be visible, since there will be no restrictions or protection.

(safe mode).
After such a download, all folders will be visible, even those that were hidden programmatically. After all, when loading into safe mode, Windows loads only the drivers necessary for the system to operate, and skips all additional ones (filter drivers) in order to discard potential failures in advance.

Remove HDD drive and connect it to another Computer.
If you remove HDD(HDD drive) and connect it to another computer, you can see and open all hidden folders and files. Even those folders to which access is prohibited (on an NTFS disk) will be visible.

There is another opportunity to view files hidden by various programs. To do this, you must have Administrator rights ( Account with Administrator powers). Because if you are a system administrator, you can uninstall programs to hide folders, or boot into crash protection mode, and then all hidden objects will become visible.

Enhanced data protection - through Encryption

How to get around all the obstacles mentioned above?

One method of protecting data is to encrypt it. Everything is quite simple. You select the data you need and assign a password to access it. If only you know the password, then only you will get access to the information!

To further increase the reliability of data storage, it is encrypted. That is, using special encryption algorithms, they transform the data in such a way that even if the file is opened, it will be impossible to read it - it will be a mess. To convert the “porridge” into normal data, they are decrypted using the same encryption algorithm.

Encryption allows you to:
Hide folders and files from prying eyes(or other users of the same computer). And also Protect data from viewing using the methods listed above and other “power” attacks.

Rohos Disk Encryption program: encrypts and hides

As practice shows, the greatest reliability of information storage is achieved by combining several methods of protection. It was this path that was chosen when creating the Rohos Disk Encryption program.

The program works according to the following principles:

All data is stored on a separate virtual disk that the program creates. This disk is stored on your PC or USB flash drive. The disk is encrypted using high-speed encryption, that is, “on the fly”, directly during operation. This disk is called .
After finishing working with files, you disconnect the disk. The drive itself and all information stored on it become inaccessible until the drive is turned on again. The disk consists of one file, which is equal in size to the disk space. This file can be seen, but it is encrypted, so information cannot be extracted from it.
Allows you to hide and encrypt on your PC separate folders and applications such as Skype, Firefox, Chrome.

How to hide a folder using Rohos Disk Encryption:

First, in the Rohos Mini Drive program (free) or Rohos Disk Encryption, you need to create your encrypted virtual disk R:.

In the Hide Folder dialog box, select predefined folders, such as My Documents, Profiles folders Skype and other programs.

Or specify the Folder manually by clicking on the “...” button.

Most computer owners have dealt with hidden folders.

Sometimes this Windows tool is very useful for hiding your documents.

But it often happens that malicious programs have settled in elements hidden by developers, and the files urgently need to be opened and cleaned.

Why does Windows hide some of the system files and how to see them, how to make folders invisible yourself?

What are invisible files for?

Hidden elements are regular folders, but they just don’t appear like everyone else.

These elements use the “hidden” attribute.

IN Windows interface such documents are not displayed by default.

Do not be mistaken that by hiding some folders, you can free up space on your hard drive. They will weigh the same as regular ones.

Folders are invisible for several reasons.

Operating system developers deliberately make invisible some of the system files that inexperienced user may be deleted by mistake, disrupting the operation of your computer. At everyday use the user does not need to look into them and change anything, so many do not even know about the existence of these “invisible” ones.
Users themselves sometimes hide some documents. This is especially true if the computer is working or children use it.
This function is also convenient to use if you have a lot of files on your computer that you rarely use. So that they don't borrow extra space and did not interfere with finding and viewing more important documents; they can be hidden.
You should not exclude the influence of viruses on your PC. They can be the cause of folders that have disappeared from view.

Files can be made visible on the hard drive as a whole or in a specific part of it.

Experts offer several options for solving this problem.

The easiest way

To use it, we will turn to Explorer.

1. Open the first folder you come across or press the Windows + E key combination.

2. Then select the line "View" in the main menu. Then click on "Show or hide" and select the item "Hidden Elements" .

Showing hidden folders

This solution is also quite simple. It will not be difficult to complete it, even if the user is not particularly computer literate.

Need to open "My computer" ;
Find the section at the top left "Service" , from the displayed list you need to select the line "Folder properties" (For Windows 7 or Windows 8, select "Folders settings" ).
A new window will appear, from which you should go to the tab "View" ;
At the bottom of the displayed list, mark the phrase "Show hidden files and folders" (When it comes to versions Windows systems 7 and Windows 8, your point is ), click on this line, then click "Apply" , and then to Ok;

In a situation where there is a need to view hidden system files and folders, you need to uncheck the item in the same list "Hide protected system files" .
But such an action is recommended to be performed only as a last resort.

It happens that the menu is not visible on the computer "Service" . In this case, use the Alt key (there is a chance that it is not displayed all the time).

You can also go to this window in another way:

While in a folder, you need to select the command "Arrange" . It can be found in top corner on the left, directly below the address bar;
In the menu that pops up we find "Folder and Search Options" .
Here again we find ourselves in "Folders settings" and move to the menu "View" .
We put a mark on the proposal again "Show hidden files, folders and drives" .
Click Ok

Changing folder properties

After carrying out these simple manipulations, you will again be able to see hidden folders, along with everyone else.

In order to achieve this, it is enough to remove the attribute "Hide" from invisible folders.

We start by clicking on the invisible folder using the right mouse button and finding the menu item "Properties" .

On the screen we will see a window showing the properties of the hidden folder. We will need to remove the check mark from the item "Hidden" and complete the operation by clicking on Ok.
If the folder you need contains other documents, the window will ask you to remove the attribute "Hidden" specifically from this folder or from it and all the folders in it. If your task is to make all attachments visible, select the appropriate item and click on Ok.

This is how easy it is for you to display everything invisible folders.

If you then need to turn off visual viewing of hidden documents again, you can perform this task in the Folder Options window.

Use the system registry

Use the first method various reasons sometimes it doesn't work out.

For example, malware hid any documents on your PC and blocked the ability to customize the operating system.

Then you can try to solve the problem with the assistance of system registry.

There you need to adjust the parameters that are responsible for displaying invisible elements, which means returning them to their normal appearance.

So let's get started:

1. Go to the menu "Start" (it is located in the lower left corner of the desktop on the control panel);

2. Click on the word "Run" . In the window that appears, enter the word "regedit" and press Enter (For PCs with systems version seven and eight, you will need to enter the word "regedit" directly to the menu search bar "Start" ). Having done all this, you will see the system registry on the monitor, in it you need to find the item we need.

3. The window on the left will display a list of sections available in the registry. You will need to move step by step from section to section: HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, Microsoft, Windows, CurrentVersion, Explorer, Advanced.

4. Move to the required section on the right side of the window, then find the parameter "Hidden" , click on it twice and replace it in the displayed window in the line "Meaning" number zero to number one. If it turns out that the required parameter is not in this section, you need to create it. Click on empty space on the right side of the registry window right click mouse and click in the list that opens "Create" , and then - "Parameter" . Rename the newly created parameter to "Hidden" and assign it a value of one by clicking on it twice.

5. Now you need to go to the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, SOFTWARE, Microsoft, Windows, CurrentVersion, Explorer, Advanced, Folder, Hidden, SHOWALL.

6. In it, look for the “CheckedValue” item to assign it the value one. Using the method indicated earlier, we create this item in its absence and also enter the number one here.

Hidden folders in Windows 10

How to make an invisible folder.

Turning to command line functions

The Command Prompt in Windows helps you perform many tasks in the operating system.

To display the command line on the screen, click on the menu "Start" , then click on "Run" .

In a new window enter "Cmd" and click OK. (For the seventh and eighth versions, enter the letters "Cmd" V search bar menu "Start".

A command line window will appear on the monitor.

To see invisible documents in specific folder, first of all you will need to enter it.

To achieve your goal, enter the following commands one by one (after each of them, press Enter):

X:, where X is the name of the local drive (for example, D) on which the files or folders you need are located.
cd (for example, cd c:/windows/), where hidden documents are located.
After you have moved to the desired directory, all you have to do is familiarize yourself with its contents. If you want only hidden folders and files to be displayed in the window, write: dir /a:h (if you enter the “dir” command without parameters, then only visible objects will be displayed on the screen).
To achieve normal functioning former hidden folders that you will need to view through Explorer, while in the same directory, run the following actions for each object: attrib –s –h. This command will remove the “hidden” and “system” attributes (if the files or folders are actually system files, the “hidden” attribute cannot be removed from them). Note! If file or folder names contain spaces, you must write them in quotes (for example, attrib –s –h “Hidden folder 1”).

We turn to auxiliary programs

Many programs have been developed for Windows to help make hidden documents visible.

One of the most convenient and frequently used is Total Commander.

Download, install and run the program.

Then we begin our task.

Open the menu "Configuration" , which is located at the top of the window;
In the list that appears, select "Settings..." ;
In a new window we look for the item "Contents of panels" and we head towards it;
In the middle of the window there are settings items. Phrase must be marked "Show hidden/system files" and press the button "Apply" .

After completing these steps, you will be able to view the contents of invisible folders in the main window of the Total Commander program.

They will be displayed to you along with all the others.

How to prevent opening hidden files?

There are times when other users should not be allowed to change the visibility of hidden folders. It can be done.

The parameters that are in the registry will help us CheckedValue, In chapter HKLM\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\Showall.

As a rule, its value is determined by the number one.

By specifying the number zero for it, we will cut off the ability to show hidden files.

This method is quite effective, but since Windows 8\Server 2012, the visibility of hidden files in Explorer has been changed using a checkbox "Hidden Elements" , which cannot be influenced by such settings.

Also, prohibitions are not possible when using the “Total Commander” program and its analogues. They will still be able to find hidden elements.

What to do if you need to hide a file

The opposite situation also happens. Let's say you need to hide some documents or files. It's easy and won't take much time.

Your actions:

1. Right-click on the folder or file you selected to hide;

2. Find the property line at the bottom of the drop-down list;

3. In the window that appears, check the word "Hidden" ;

4. Click on "Run" , then Ok.

How do you know if invisible folders are visible again?

It's easy to check.

Just go to "My computer" ;
Next, select the folder "Program Files" . In it, the former “invisibles” will have a translucent appearance, clearly standing out from the rest.

Conclusion

In the end, I would like to advise you to pay more attention to the security of your computer - use good antivirus programs, update them regularly, do not insert unverified flash drives into the device.

But, if your PC does become a victim of an attack by viruses that hide folders or hide in invisible files, don’t be afraid, but act.

Just use one of our suggested methods for identifying hidden folders. It works!

There are often cases when a PC user needs to log into one or another system folder. However, finding it is not always easy, because... it is hidden. And sometimes folders become invisible due to viruses or simply appear and take up extra space.

Be that as it may, there are several basic ways to display hidden folders on the entire hard drive or only in some part of it - we will consider them in more detail below in our article today.

Method one. Enabling showing hidden folders

Windows allows you to enable display as hidden directories, and files - in order to find hidden folders and files, you need to do the following:

Open "My Computer";
At the top of the window, go to the “Tools” menu, and in the drop-down list select “Folder Options” (for Windows 7 and 8 “Folder Options”);
In the window that opens, go to the “View” tab;
A list will be displayed below, at the very bottom of which there is the item “Show hidden files and folders” (for Windows 7 AND 8 “Show hidden files, folders and drives”) - click on this inscription, and then click on the “Apply” button;
If you need to display hidden system files and directories, uncheck the “Hide protected system files (not recommended)” checkbox in the same list.

If you don't see the Tools option, try pressing the Alt key (it's possible that the Explorer main menu isn't always visible).

Method two. Via the system registry

Unfortunately, there are situations when some virus has hidden folders or files and you cannot see them. Often the actions of the virus make it impossible to complete the previous step, because block operating system settings.

In such a situation, the system registry comes to the rescue, in which you need to change the parameters responsible for displaying invisible directories and files and thereby return their display. To do this you need to do the following:

Go to Start and click the Run button. In the window that opens, type “regedit” and press “Enter” (for Windows 7 and 8, just enter the word “regedit” in the search bar of the “Start” menu). Thus, a system registry window will be displayed on the screen, in which we need to find the item we need.
On the left side of the window you will see a list of registry keys. Go to the following sections one by one: HKEY_CURRENT_USER, Software, Microsoft, Windows, CurrentVersion, Explorer, Advanced.
After moving to necessary section on the right side of the window, find the “Hidden” parameter, double-click on it and replace the number 0 with the number 1 in the “Value” field in the window that appears. If this parameter is not in this section, you will have to create it by clicking on empty space right side of the registry window, right-click and select “New” from the drop-down list, and then “Parameter”. Rename the created parameter to “Hidden” and assign it a value of 1 by clicking on it 2 times.
Next, go to the registry key: HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE, SOFTWARE, Microsoft, Windows, CurrentVersion, Explorer, Advanced, Folder, Hidden, SHOWALL.
Here, find the “CheckedValue” item and assign it the value 1. Using the above method, create this item if it is missing and also enter the number 1 into it.

Method three. Windows Command Line

Team Windows string allows you to perform many tasks with the operating system, including displaying hidden folders and even files on your hard drive.

To open the command prompt, click on the Start icon and then click on the Run button. In the window that opens, enter “Cmd” and click “OK”. For Windows 7 and 8, just enter the phrase “Cmd” in the search bar of the Start menu.

A window (usually black) will appear on the screen - this is the command line. To show hidden elements in any specific folder, you must first go to it. To do this, enter one by one following commands(press “Enter” after each command):

X:, where X is the letter of the local drive (for example, C:) on which the files or folders you are looking for are located.
cd (for example, cd c:/windows/), which stores hidden elements.
After going to the desired directory, all that remains is to view its contents. To display only hidden folders and files in the window, enter: dir /a:h (if you enter the “dir” command without parameters, only visible objects will be displayed).
To make the found folders visible again and can be viewed through Explorer while in the same directory, run the following for each object: attrib -s -h . This command removes the “hidden” and “system” attributes (if files or folders are system files, it is impossible to remove the “hidden” attribute from them). Attention! If there are spaces in the file or folder name, you must write their names in quotes (for example, attrib -s -h “Hidden folder 1”).

Method four. Support programs

Exists big number programs for Windows that help you view hidden files or folders. One of these is the famous “Total Commander”.

Total Commander is one of the most popular file managers for Windows. Previously, it was called that way - Windows Commander, but was forced to change its name in order to avoid problems with Microsoft Corporation.

Download and install the program. After launching it, do the following:

Go to the "Configuration" menu at the top of the window;
From the drop-down list, select “Settings...”;
In the window that appears, find the item “Contents of panels” and go to it;
Several settings items will appear in the middle of the window, check the box for “Show hidden/system files” and click the “Apply” button.

Thus, in the main window of the Total Commander program, you can go to any hidden directories and even open hidden files if they exist in the current directory (where you are now) - they will be visible to you along with ordinary ones.

How to find hidden folders

Some of the files and folders in the Windows operating system do not appear on the hard drive and removable drives, since they are hidden. But what if you want to access them? How to show hidden folders and files?

The operating system usually hides system files, the deletion or modification of which can lead to a malfunction or even complete collapse Windows. This can be called a kind of “foolproof”, thanks to which an inexperienced PC user cannot interfere with the system structure.

In addition, some user-installed programs create their own hidden files. This is all done for the same reason - so that the user does not accidentally delete anything important. Sometimes users themselves hide files, for example, so that other people cannot find them on their hard drive (by the way, this method cannot be called reliable).

How to determine if a file is hidden? A distinctive feature of hidden files and folders is the translucency of icons and names, but only if you have already enabled their display. In most cases it is turned off. How to show hidden folders and files in Windows?

How to show hidden folders and files in WindowsXP?

How to open hidden files on a flash drive

In WindowsXP this can be done in two ways.

In the first case, you need to go to Explorer (either double-click on the My Computer icon, or use the hotkey combination Win+E). Next, you need to select Tools - Folder Options from the menu. In the properties window that opens, click on the View tab and check the Show hidden files and folders box. Click Apply and then OK.

In the second case, you need to go to the Control Panel (in the Start menu) and select the Folder Options section. Then proceed exactly the same as in the first case.

How to show hidden folders and files in Windows 7?

How to view a hidden folder

In general, displaying hidden files and folders in Windows 7 is the same as in WindowsXP, but some nuances should be mentioned separately. For example, the Control Panel section in this system is called Folder Options, and in the View tab you need to check the box next to Show hidden files, folders and drives.

If you want to use Explorer for this purpose, it is important to note that by default Top Menu not displayed in this system. To see this menu, you must click Alt key. In the menu that appears, select Tools - Folder Options. Further actions you already know.

How to open hidden folders and files using a file manager?

If you already know how to hide a folder or file and do not want to make them visible in the operating system, then you can use any file manager to find and use them. One of the most famous is TotalCommander.

Open file manager, go to the menu, select Configuration - Settings. You will see a settings window split into two halves. A list of customizable options will appear on the left side. IN in this case Select Panel Contents and left-click on it. After that, in the right panel you will see a list of options, including the File Display block. In it you need to select the first item, which is called Show hidden/system files (only for experienced ones!). To save the settings, click Apply and then OK.

Now you know how to find hidden folders and files in operating systems WindowsXP and 7. But do not forget that you cannot thoughtlessly change and delete system files and folders - this can cause system malfunctions, and in the worst case, even the need to completely reinstall it.