How to show hidden folders In windows 11/10/8/7 64-32 bits {2023}
You are taking your first steps in the computer world but while chatting with a friend you heard about the possibility of showing hidden folders using specific operating system settings or specific programs. These folders can be used to keep your personal files safe, but they are primarily used to preserve OS data and thus prevent someone from being able to access them in a careless way and irreparably modify the content.
However, both Windows and macOS allow you to enable the display of hidden folders for more experienced users. Clearly at the moment, you are not yet part of this circle, but if the question intrigues you, I can still explain it to you how to show hidden folders on the computer. Obviously, I recommend, in order to avoid causing damage, following my instructions to the letter and try to be as careful and shrewd as possible.
Having said that, if you want to find out what you need to do to be able to show hidden folders, both on PC and Mac, but also on mobile devices, I suggest you take a few minutes of free time, get comfortable in front of your computer and concentrate carefully on reading this tutorial. Are you ready? Yes? Great, let’s get going then!
Contents
- 1 How to Show or view hidden folders windows 11/10/8/7 64-32 Bits
- 2 How to show hidden folders Mac
- 3 How to see hidden folders on flash drive
- 4 How to view hidden folders on external hard drive
- 5 How to see hidden folders android
- 6 How to see hidden folders on iPhone
- 7 How to view hidden folders in Outlook
You have a PC with an operating system Windows 8.x and later (eg Windows 10) and can’t wait to find out how to show hidden folders windows? No problem, you should know that the procedure to follow is actually quite simple.
First, click File Explorer (the icon with the yellow folder) that you find in the application bar at the bottom and in the window that opens, if you use Windows 11 click on the entry View which is placed at the top and, from the menu that appears, click on the items Show > Hidden Items. If you’re using Windows 8 or Windows 10, just click on the item View and then put the check mark on the item Hidden items. If you cannot see the Hidden items item in the File Explorer toolbar, try maximizing the window or click on the button Show/Hide.
Once this is done, you will be able to view all hidden folders. Obviously, they will not all be shown together in the list, but you will have to move between the various directories to find them. You can recognize it easily, as hidden folders have semi-transparent icon.
If you use Windows 7 or Windows Vista If you want to understand how to show hidden folders, the first thing you need to do is open any folder on your computer. Then click on the button Organize which is located in the upper left part of the window that has gone to open on the desktop and select the item Folder and search options from the menu that appears.
In the new window that will open, go to the tab Viewput the check mark next to the entry View hidden folders, files and drives and click on first Apply and then up Okay to save changes and enable viewing of hidden folders on the operating system.
Do you own a Mac and you want to understand how to show hidden folders mac? In this case, you will have more methods to be able to view the hidden folders on macOS.
The easiest and fastest way to view hidden folders (or even files) on Mac is via key combination. To be able to use it, all you have to do is press the key combination cmd+shift+. (the period key), which allows you to toggle the display of hidden files and folders.
The hidden folders will be recognizable from the others thanks to a semi-transparent icon.
However, as I anticipated, it is also possible to take advantage of another method to show hidden folders on macOS. If you are wondering how to view hidden folders on macyou should know that you can also act through the Terminal. To take advantage of it, click on the icon of launchpad placed in the dock at the bottom, then click on the folder Other and then on the Terminal icon.
Once the termination window is open, all you have to do is type the command defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE and press the key send of the keyboard. After that, type the command kill all Finder and press up again send. This way, the hidden folders will finally be visible.
If you want to disable the display of hidden folders, just open the Terminal again, type the commands defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles false and then kill all Finder.
Finally, you must know that through the Finder you can access the folder Bookshelf hidden. To do that, open Finder on your Mac, click the button Go placed in the top bar, press and hold the alt key with the keyboard and click on the item Bookshelf which will appear only after pressing the key. Easy, right?
If you need more information, check out my tutorial on how to show hidden folders on Mac.
While you were cleaning inside your desk drawers you finally found a USB stick that you thought you had lost. You immediately connected the stick to your PC to understand which files are stored inside, but to your amazement you noticed that there are no files or folders inside. However, from the information about the remaining space you have noticed that there is something strange, so you want to make sure that there are no hidden files or folders.
As you say, you really don’t know how to see hidden folders on flash drive? Don’t worry, all you have to do is take a look at the indications in the paragraphs dedicated to Windows and Mac PCs.
You usually use your own external hard disk to store folders and files that you don’t use often, but are very important to you. This time you were just looking for a folder containing important data, but once you connected the external hard drive to your computer’s USB port, you noticed that this folder is missing inside.
Since you remember saving it there, you’re afraid you may have made some changes in the past to hide it. Unfortunately, however, you do not have the slightest idea of how to solve the problem and, specifically, how to view hidden folders on external hard drive.
Don’t worry, even in the case of external hard drives, all you have to do is take a look at the indications in the paragraphs dedicated to Windows and Mac PCs.
By following the instructions in my dedicated tutorial, you have hidden an entire folder containing very important and private files on yours android smartphones. Unfortunately, however, now you need this folder, but you just don’t remember how to see hidden folders android.
In this case, all you have to do is open the file management app on your device (it is usually pre-installed), or use the app Google Filesavailable for free download from the Play Store.
Once the app is downloaded and installed, from the app’s home screen, tap on the button Menu (the icon with the three lines) located at the top left and tap on the item Settings from the side menu that appears. On the screen that opens, set to ON the voice stick Show hidden files. This way, all hidden folders will be visible again.
Of course, if you want to hide them again, simply set to OFF the voice stick Show hidden files.
For some time now you have been using a iPhones and you would like to understand how to see hidden folders iPhone.
You need to know that through the app File of Apple, installed by default, it is not possible to hide files and folders and, consequently, it is not even possible to enable a function to view them.
However, if the aim of your search was to try to find photos that you can no longer find, you should know that you can try to do so using the app Photo. In fact, once the app is open, tap on the tab Album placed in the bar at the bottom, scroll down and tap on the item Hidden: Sign in with Face ID or Touch ID and view hidden photos or videos.
If they are not there, you will find the indication There are no photos or videos.
You usually use the email service Outlook from Microsoft and noticed that you can no longer see folders, such as Outbox or Sent Items. You probably hid them in some way before, so now you want to understand how to view hidden folders in outlook.
No problem, in this case, all you have to do is go to the official website and log in with your Microsoft account. Subsequently, from the sidebar, all you have to do is press on the icon v placed next to the entry Folders to open a submenu with all the folders present. If it is also invisible in the side menu, just press the ☰ button at the top left to view it again.
The same goes for Microsoft’s Outlook email program.