Enable display of hidden Windows 7 folders. How to enable the display of hidden files in Windows. What to do if there is no "Folder Properties" in the Explorer

By default, in any version of Windows, the ability to see hidden files is disabled. It is necessary that inexperienced "teapots" do not accidentally delete anything accidentally and did not violate the operation of the OS. The solution is quite logical, because these folders are required infrequently. Yes, and that - only a few users. But still sometimes there is a need to see hidden files.

For example, during the optimization of WINDOVS and cleaning garbage. Many programs ( Microsoft Word., Skype) Create hidden files during operation. Over time, they become uncommon, but stored on the disk and take up an excess place.

Very often the need to include hidden folders And files occur in gamers. After all, it is in them stored for the preservation of many games.

Also display hidden files It is required to users who want to hide the documents on the flash drive, but do not yet know how to find them later. In general, the reasons are the mass.

Immediately, I note that in different versions of Windows, this setting is carried out in different ways. Although some methods can coincide. Therefore, several instructions are considered below how to enable hidden files in all Windows - "seven", "eight", "dozen" and xp. Plus Posted universal wayworking on all OS.

How to open hidden files on windows 7?

If you need to disable their display, then in the same window, check the box in the "Do not show ...".

The second way:

  1. Go to Start, open the "Control Panel" and click on the folder options label.
  2. Select the section "View", scroll down the slider down and activate the "Show ..." item.
  3. Save the changes by clicking "Apply".

And the third way:

  1. Open your folder.
  2. Click the Alt button - this menu appears.
  3. Click Tools - folder parameters.
  4. A familiar window will open: To turn on the display of hidden files, go to the "View" tab and check in the "Show ...".

As you can see - nothing complicated here. Choose any way that is more suitable, and use it at the right time.

When you enable watching hidden files in Windows 7 any of the described methods, they will be visible everywhere. Including on the flash drive. Just connect it to a PC or laptop - and you will see hidden folders (provided they are there). The same applies to the external HDD disk.

With the "seven" figured out, now we turn to the "eight".

How to enable hidden files in Windows 8?

There are also 3 options to choose from. The first two are described above in the Windows 7 instructions. That is, you can enable hidden files in Windows 8, prescribing the CONTROL FOLDERS command. Or choosing the "Folder Settings" in the "Control Panel".

But there is another way to show hidden files in Windows 8:

  1. Open your folder.
  2. Select the section "View".
  3. Click on "Show or Hide", and then check in the "Hidden Elements" item.


Ready. And not only in the current folder, but also in the rest. These same ways will help display hidden files on a flash drive or external. HDD disk - We just need to connect them to a computer or laptop.

The last method working on Windows 8 is suitable for "dozens"

To enable hidden files in Windows 10:

  1. Open any folder.
  2. Select the section "View".
  3. Put the bird in the "Hidden Elements" item.


After that, you can see hidden folders and documents in any section hard disk or on the flash drive (it must be connected to the PC).

If you want to hide folders again, remove this tick.

There is also another way to enable display of hidden files in Windows 10:

Ready. Now you can open any hidden files on Windows 10. As you can see, methods on different versions of the OS are pretty similar, but they differ in small nuances.

Gryushi today does not use so many users, but still consider it. View hidden files in XP.


All - now you can open or delete hidden folders and documents.

If there is no desire to deal with the differences of different versions of Windows, you can use a universal way

In this case, you only need to install file manager Total Commander (Link to download). The program sees hidden documents and works on all Windows.

How to see hidden files in Total Commander? To do this, you need to do the following:



Now all folders and documents in Total Commander will be visible. And for this you do not even have to go to windows settings and change folder display settings.

Need to see hidden documents? Run Total Commander and go to the desired hard disk section. Or connect the USB flash drive, and then open it through this file manager.

As you can see, all ingenious is simple. Now you know how to display hidden files and make them visible. And if necessary, you can easily find them. Single Tip: If you find some unfamiliar folders - do not delete them. After all, they may have important system files, the removal of which will violate the operation of Windows.

Hidden files and folders in Windows 10 are used by the system and programs to hide them so that the user does not delete them by mistake. Hidden folders are hidden specifically from users, so they are important in the system, and their deletion can lead to improper operation of Windows 10 or a specific application. Sometimes there are exceptions to the rules. Knowing how to enable hidden folders in Windows 10, you can troubleshoot problems and other problems that may occur in the system. Sometimes you need to show hidden folders to clean " Temp."And all sorts of temporary files that are clogged on system disk. Remember! In Windows 10 there are two types of hidden folders - these are system folders and protected system system system files that can be displayed in different ways. Let's look at how to show hidden folders in Windows 10.

How to show hidden folders and files in Windows 10

Method 1. It is very fast wayto show hidden systemic Folders with files in Windows 10. It will not show you protected System files and folders (see method 2). Open the conductor, it is " This computer". Click the tab" View"And check the tick" Hidden elements". If you do not have the" View "tab, then stretch the window wider and it will appear.

Method 2.. If you need to show secure system folders and files in Windows 10, which will not appear when using the method 1, then we will examine how to show them. Press the button combination Win + R. and enter control.exe Folders.To open the folder properties. Go to the tab " View"And find two points:

  1. Hide secure system files (recommended). - Remove the box to display folders.
  2. Show hidden files, folders and discs. - Set the value.

On hidden folders, the attribute "hidden" is worth it, so they are not visible in the conductor. In order to see them, you will need to change some OS settings. The question is especially important to beginners in Windows 7, since the previous XP axis has significant differences. Solving the problem is simple and fast.

The article discusses the following four ways to show hidden objects in Windows7 explorer:

  1. Display invisible files using "folder parameters";
  2. View protected system objects;
  3. View invisible files using the registry editor;
  4. Enable display of protected system objects.

WINDOVS 7 developers took care of invisibility to users of some directories to protect the system from the users themselves.

But there are cases when seeing hidden OS data is necessary to ensure normal windows work 7, such an example is an operation when removing malicious programs that have infected with a computer.

Method number 1.

To display invisible directory and files using "folder parameters", go through the following algorithm of action:

You can check the effectiveness of this reception, you can enter the "C" section and if the ProgramData directory is present, the procedure has been completed successfully and the user has hidden data. They will differ from the usual lighter shade.

Method number 2.

This technique helps to solve the question "How to see protected system objects?". To do this, you need to do the following:


Method number 3.

To view the invisible using the "Registry Editor", you must follow the following (using the administrator rights):

Method number 4.

To enable the display of protected system objects using the registry editor, you must do the following (logging into the administrator system):

If you need to return Windows to the original state and hide the system data - this can be done using the same above techniques, but by installing or removing the corresponding marks or by changing the value using the registry editor.

IN operating system Windows has such a concept as " Hidden file"And now we will find out what it is, why do you need hidden files, how to create them, as well as how can you display or show these hidden files.

So, let's start, the only thing I want to say that when I create and display hidden files, as an example, I will perform the version Windows 7., in other versions, for example, in Windows 8 this process Almost the same.

What is a hidden file in Windows?

Hidden file - This is a regular file, but it is not displayed. Hidden files can be displayed, as well as make them ordinary, i.e. Not hidden. In other words, hidden files are files that have a mark that they are hidden. Hidden files as well as ordinary occupy a place on the hard disk, so hope for the fact that it is not necessary to hide the files on the disk, you should not.

Why do you need hidden files in Windows?

Hidden files in the Windows operating system are mostly needed to have the ability to not display rarely used files. Those. For example, you have files that you rarely use ( but sometimes you use) At the same time, they are displayed and occupying on the screen, thereby making it difficult to visual search for the desired one or another, file or folder.

Also, the ability to hide files can be used in order not to show some confidential information to other computer users, but this is as you understand unreliable, since another user can, as well as you, display these files and see them. But in cases where you want some files and folders to simply come across to other users, the ability to hide files to use, of course, you can.

Still hidden files uses herself windows system To hide some system files from the user who do not need users and it is better not to see them.

How to create a hidden file in Windows 7?

In Windows, you can hide both files and folders, so we will learn to hide and files and folders.

To create a hidden file click right-click Mice PA right file and choose " Properties»

Window opens File properties"Where we celebrate the attribute" Hidden"And click" Apply»

Thereafter this file will be hidden.

To hide the folder, also click the right mouse button, but already on the folder and choose " Properties" Then I also celebrate the attribute " Hidden"And click" Apply»

Then you need to confirm your action, while we can specify that this attribute will be applied to all nested files and folders or only this folder. We click OK»


If then you will need to make these files or folders back ordinary, i.e. Not hidden, then the procedure for action is exactly the same, but with one distinction, a tick at the attribute " Hidden"It will be necessary to remove ( and not put). Prerequently, of course, it is necessary to display these hidden files in order to go to their properties, and how it is done now and show.

How to display hidden files in Windows 7?

In order to display hidden files open " Control Panel" It can be opened from the desktop

If the control panel icon is not displayed on the desktop, you can read the material " How to display "Computer" icons, "Control Panel", "Basket" on the desktop in Windows?"I tell how to display this and other icons or you can use the menu" Start"Where there is also a label to start the control panel.

After you opened the control panel, look for the item " Folders settings"Or if you have all the categories in your control panel, you choose" Registration and personalization", And then click on the point" Folders settings»

Note! You can also click "Show hidden files and folders" to immediately go to the desired tab.

Window opens Folders settings"Where we need to go to the tab" View"And in the section" Extra options»Find the item" Show hidden files, folders and discs", Mark it and click the button" Apply" To close the window, click " OK»

Note! In order not to show hidden files, you need to select "Do not show hidden files, folders and wheels" in the same window..

Now check, our hidden files are now displayed, their icons, compared to conventional files, a little light.

That's all, good luck!

Let's start with the fact that hidden files and folders in Windows 7 have become such without malicious intent developers windows. On the contrary. This is done in order to protect important information From accidental removal. Data protection rule goes back from the earliest versions of Windows. Another reason for the concealment of folders is not to clutter the desktop by unnecessary information in daily use.

Important! Assigning a sign of hiddenness to ordinary folders, the user makes them invisible to view.

Display by built-in WIN 7

We'll figure it out how to display hidden files and Windows 7 folders with built-in OS tools. There are three ways:

  1. By changing the "folder parameters" settings.
  2. Through the conductor, the "Sort" tab.
  3. Through the conductor, the "Service" menu.

All methods lead to one menu with settings of folder attributes.

Another way is related to use. third-party programsFor example, Total Commander. We will consider below.

Let's start with the first way

We go into the control panel, open the "folder parameters".

Click on the tab, the folder management menu opens. Open the "View" tab, scroll to the end before setting up the display of hidden folders. We indicate "Display ...". Click OK to close.

Open so folders will be displayed in the conductor translucent.

Go to the second method

Open the conductor, click on "Arrange", select the "Folder and Search" tab. Click on it, the same folder settings menu will open.

We produce the same manipulations on the "View" tab, as in the first method, click OK.

Third way

In the explorer, choose, for example, a disk with, click on "Service" -\u003e "folder parameters".

In the window we find "View", celebrate the display of hidden folders and files, how did it previous methods. Click OK.

How to display hidden files and Windows 7 folders in Windows Commander

We download the command from a reliable torrent storage, run. If the red directories do not displays system folders with the "!" Sign, it means that the display option is turned off.

How to turn it on

Open the "Configuration" toolbar, we need the settings tab.

Here you need to open the "Content panel" menu, noting the display of the display of hidden and system files, "Apply", approx.

From now on, a hidden folder can be seen with all the contents.

Commander gives such useful chickHow to change the attribute of the folder. That is, even the system directory is converted to the usual one. Open the "Files" menu, select "Change Attributes".

A window will appear where you want to select "Download from a file under the cursor" item, then remove the checkboxes from the "System" attributes, "hidden." Next, we note, as shown in the screen, processing the contents of directories. After that, the changes will affect folders, subfolders, files. Click OK.

The same procedure is done in WINDOVS. To do this, open the conductor, choose the desired folder, click right-click to open properties. Click on them, the default window will open with the General menu. We remove the tick on the property "hidden", click "Apply", OK.

This folder will be the usual. To return the attributes of hiddenness, you just need to put the appropriate tick.

Important! When you change the attribute in the seven, only the directory is visible, without displaying content.

How to make a folder visible through the command line

To complete the starting and open the contents of such a folder, take advantage command line. Administrator rights are needed.

  1. Win + R call a string, enter the CMD command to call the console.
  2. Next, enter the ATTRIB -S -H -h command with: * / S / D, where instead of C: indicate the location path to the folder or disk. The remaining command parameters take off the attribute of the hidden, systemic, start processing files, allow the display of processed folders.

The team is performed for some time. When it ends, systemic and previously hidden folders can be seen in the conductor.

How to open hidden files on the flash drive

Working with a flash drive is no different in WINDOVS 7 from working with a disc. Therefore, to open hidden files, it is enough to use all three methods of built-in Windows tools described at the beginning of the article, including Total Commander.

Important! When you start the flash drive, do not forget to scan the flash drive for viruses

How to show hidden folders through the registry

It is necessary to immediately warn that the built-in windows tools are enough for manipulations with folder attributes. The intervention in the registry may end the deplorable for an inexperienced user. If the risks are taken into account and the actions are thought out, proceed.

We do, as shown on the screen:

Best at finally overload the computer.

What to do if there is no "Folder Properties" in the Explorer

This is a clear sign of a computer infection with viruses. Viruses are often masked with windows system file attributes. If they penetrated hDD, Most likely, the antivirus did not cope with them, so disabling the properties of the folders is the direct influence of the malicious code.

How to restore access? It is sad that even after cleansing a computer from viruses, the hiding folder parameters remains.

Recovering, as shown on the screen:

This parameter is forced prescribed by the virus, because of which the properties of the folders are hidden and found out of the reach of.

Methods are considered how to enable the display of system hidden folders and files, how to return the attribute of the hiddenness, how to properly make changes to the registry after the viral attack. What can be done with the capabilities of Total Commander in this regard. We warn once again from the intervention in the registry, if not confident in your abilities. In case of erroneous entries, it can lead to reinstalling