How to show hidden files on Windows, even the most mysterious files

By default, Windows hides files and folders to prevent users from deleting or editing those important files. However you can use the How to show hidden files on Windows? 7, 8 or 10 below of GhienCongListen.

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Manipulating files and folders to hide is not too difficult. You just need to right-click on the file you want to hide, select Properties and tick the box Hidden in the section Attributes. On the Windows 8 and 10 toolbar, select the . button Hide selected items to quickly hide or show files and folders.

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How to show hidden files on Windows 8 and 10

This option can be accessed easily using File Explorer on Windows 8 and 10.

On the toolbar of File Explorerselect tab Viewthen tick the box Hidden Items in Show/hide. File Explorer will immediately show hidden files and remember your settings until you change it back.

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How to show hidden files on Windows 7

This operation on Windows 7 will be a bit more complicated than on Windows 8 and 10. You have to open the window Folder Options to change this setting.

Click the button tổ chức on the Windows Explorer toolbar and select Folder and search options to open.

Click on the tab View on top of the window Folder Options. Choose Show hidden files, folders, and drives under the hood Hidden files and folders. Choose OK to save the new settings.

You can also access this settings window on Windows 8 and 10, just go to File Explorer and click the . button Options on the toolbar View. However, this way is not as fast and convenient as using the toolbar to customize the hiding shown above.

This window can also be accessed via Control Panel in all versions of Windows. Come in Control Panel > Appearance and Personalization > Folder Options. On Windows 8 and 10, this option is renamed to File Explorer Options.

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How to view secured operating system files on Windows 7, 8 and 10

Windows has two different types of hidden files: Normal hidden files and secured operating system files. When you show hidden files and folders, Windows will continue to hide secured system files. These hidden files will have the attribute “system“.

These files are secure for a reason. They are all important system files, deleting or modifying them will damage your operating system, creating the risk that your Windows will not boot. However, if you know what you’re doing and you need to access those secure operating system files, you can still change the options below. GhienCongListen discourages this action unless you have a reason to access those files and folders.

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First, open the Folder Options window. On Windows 8 and 10, select the . button Options on the toolbar View. On Windows 7 click Organize > Folder and search options.

Select tab View. Uncheck the box Hide protected operating system files (Recommended).

Windows will warn you that deleting or modifying a secured operating system file will risk damaging the operating system. If you’re sure what you’re doing, press Yes to continue.

Click OK to save settings. Windows will display the secured operating system files as normal files.

Back to the window Folder Options and reactivate Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) if you want to hide these system files.

Above are instructions on how to show hidden files on Windows 7, 8 or 10 that can help users who want to discover their computer. In addition to the above instructions, you can also show hidden Windows files with CMD or third-party software introduced in the article below:

>>> How to show hidden files in Windows 7, 8, 8.1, 10 is very popular nowadays

If you have any questions or suggestions, please leave a comment below for GhienCongListen to know. Good luck.

Refer to Howtogeek