Well, your files can be hidden, which is why you do not find anything inside them. Furthermore, a folder, directory, or even the whole disk drive can be hidden in your system.So, how do you unhide them? In this article, we cover various techniques to uncover the hidden files on your Windows 10 and 11 system.
How to Show Hidden Files in Windows
Most of the methods mentioned below are pretty much the same for both Windows 10 and 11. After unhiding, you can recognize the hidden files/folders that are grayed out or appears faded. So without further delay, let’s go through the various methods to view your hidden files.
Using the File Explorer
You can use the Windows built-in file explorer to view the hidden files and folders. Here’s how you can do it on Windows 10 & 11.On Windows 10On Windows 11
From the Control Panel
You can customize the folder’s view settings from the control panel to view your hidden files. The steps below work for both Windows 10 and 11.
Using the Registry Editor
You can tweak some settings in the Windows built-in tool called Registry Editor to unhide the files and folders on your system. Here’s how you can do it.
Using Powershell
Windows 10/11 has a powerful built-in command-line tool called Powershell. You can use it to view your hidden files or folders. For this,
How to View Hidden System Files?
Some of the system files are hidden intentionally by your operating system so that you don’t delete or edit them. However, if you want to view them in Windows as follows:
How to Show Hidden Files on Windows 7?
If you are using Windows 7, you can unhide the files as follows:
How to View Hidden Files on Mac?
You can view the hidden files on Mac using the Terminal. Here’s how.
Related Questions
Why Is My USB Space Almost Full Even though I Can’t See Any Files inside It?
If the USB consumes space but it seems empty, it probably contains hidden files.On the other hand, it could be a virus or malware. They remain hidden to prevent antivirus scans from detecting them.Therefore, you can unhide the contents of the USB and delete any suspicious files or folders to restore your storage space.
