Sep 12 2012

Greetings to the computer help blog. If you cannot find certain files on your hard drive or flash drive after a virus attack, do not despair and forget about these data.

In this article I will tell and give specific examples how to display hidden folders or show hidden files on your computer that have been lost or just disappeared. In the process of reading, you can watch videos on this topic.

We look at hidden folders

On a personal computer, there are two types of displayed information - visible and hidden. Some data developers of software systems intentionally hide, so that young or inexperienced computer users do not do unnecessary things, namely, delete or change the necessary files for the stable operation of the system.

How to show hidden folders in Windows 7 | site

How to hide a folder or file

We select the file or folder we need.

We right-click on it, in the displayed menu, go to the very bottom and go to Properties.

We go to the very bottom of the General menu, Near "Attributes" >>> "Read only" click the checkbox next to Hidden.

When finished, click Apply and OK.

We close all the windows we have opened. We go back to the place we need on the computer and this information should disappear or become translucent, if you have the function of the system to display hidden files.

In order to bring everything back and make the desired folder or file visible. We do all the same operations, uncheck the Hidden box, apply the settings and OK.

How to hide a folder | site

The hidden files and folders function is also useful if you are using the Torrent program. To create, enable and place an IP filter in the Documents and Settings >>> Local Settings or Application Data folder, which is useful for downloading files.

It does not allow downloading data from foreign sources, thereby working with the internal resources of the country in which you are located. Saves incoming traffic, which is probably limited for everyone by a certain amount of Gigabytes to external sources.

What have you learned

Today we talked about how to show hidden folders or show hidden files on your computer. We learned what hidden files and folders are, where they are and how to make them visible. We were also able to hide the data we need from unwanted eyes or just strangers.

Perhaps you have questions related to how to display hidden folders on your computer. You can ask them below in the comments to this article, as well as use the form with me.

Thank you for reading me in

Let's discuss how to open hidden folders on Windows 7. This type of content is not displayed among other folders and files on the disk and flash drive. However, very often the user needs to access hidden data. How to achieve this will be discussed in detail below.

How to open Windows 7 and why does the operating system make them invisible?

Most often, system files, as well as folders, go into the hidden category. This is because if the owner of a personal computer changes or deletes such a file, the system may stop working stably at that very moment, or it may stop starting altogether. To avoid such consequences, Windows hides the specified files, providing them with a kind of protection.

Own folders, as well as individual files, can hide some applications - most often for the reason described above, so that the user does not accidentally delete anything important. Sometimes the files are hidden by users so that outsiders cannot find them. I must say that this is not the most The best way to protect personal materials.

How to distinguish, and ordinary?

Next, we will talk about how to open hidden folders on Windows 7 and what is the difference between familiar and invisible materials. The icons of hidden files are semi-transparent, but only if the display of this type of materials is enabled on the computer. Most often it is disabled - if it were not so, the meaning in this function would be lost.

Accessing hidden files and folders on Windows XP

You can achieve this goal in two ways: through the "Control Panel" or "Explorer" Windows. First of all, you need to go to the "Control Panel". Go to "Start" and select the item of the same name. Next, go to the section called "Folder Options". A special window will open in front of you. In it, go to the "View" tab, select the item that concerns the display of hidden files and folders.

Finally, click "Apply" and finally the "OK" button. If you want to use the second method, go to "Explorer". To do this, you need to double-click the left mouse button on the "My Computer" icon located on your desktop, or use the combination "Win + E".

Pay attention to the top menu "Explorer", it is necessary to select the item "Service". Find "Folder Options" there. Then proceed in the same way as in the previous case.

Instructions for Windows 7: open hidden folders

In fact, the procedure for activating the display of hidden folders and files on Windows 7 is the same as in "XP", but there are certain nuances that you need to be aware of. First of all, the necessary section in the "Control Panel" is called "Folder Options". In turn, the item that needs to be specified on the "View" tab in the "Folder Options" window is responsible for displaying hidden files, folders and drives.

By the way, open the hidden Windows folders 8 in a similar way. If you want to enable the display of hidden materials through "Explorer", please note that in Windows 7, the top menu is not displayed by default.

In order to turn on the display of the menu, press the "Alt" key. After the menu appears, select the "Service" item there, and then go to the "Folder Options". We have already discussed what to do next.

If for some reason you do not want to make it visible hidden materials directly in the system, you can find and also open them using any of the file managers - for example, "Total Commander". To do this, start the selected file manager, go to the top menu, select the item called "Configuration" in it, then go to "Settings".

So we figured out how to open hidden folders on Windows 7. We hope you find our tips helpful.

The operating system contains many so-called hidden files and folders that are not displayed in the structure hard disk or a flash drive. However, sometimes there are situations when the user needs access to them (for example, to modify parameters or clean up garbage). Next, we will talk about how to open hidden files if necessary.

What is it for?

First you need to find out why, in general, the operating system is hiding information? Basically, this attribute is assigned to system files and folders. This is done in order to avoid accidental changes or deletion by the user. Indeed, in this case, the operating system may start to work incorrectly or even "die". Therefore, such files are hidden away from sin, which serves as a kind of "protection from the fool." Also, hiding of individual files and folders occurs in some applications. The reason is usually the same - to prevent the user from deleting them. And sometimes users themselves hide important or confidential information in this way, although this is not the most reliable way. How to recognize hidden data? If you have enabled the mode in which hidden files can be displayed, then in the standard Windows Explorer their icons and names will be semi-transparent. However, this feature is usually disabled - otherwise it will lose all its meaning. Next, we will talk about how to see and view hidden files in different versions Windows OS.

How to open hidden files in Windows XP

There are two ways to do this: using the "Control Panel" or "Explorer". In the first option, go to "Start - Control Panel" and then select the "Folder Options" section. In the new window, under the "View" tab, select "Show Hidden Files And Folders". Click "Apply" and "OK".

The second option is to open "Explorer" by double clicking on "My Computer" or "Win + E". Then click "Tools - Folder Options" in the top menu. Further actions are similar to the first option.

V general outline the process of enabling the function of showing hidden files in the "seven" is similar to a similar process in Windows XP, but there are several nuances that are worth mentioning. So, in the Russian-language version "Folder Options" is called "Folder Options", and the item "Show Hidden Files And Folders", respectively - "Show hidden files, folders and disks". If you want to enable display through Explorer, then you should take into account that by default in Windows 7 the top menu is not visible. To make it appear, you need to press "Alt". Otherwise, everything is the same.

How to open hidden files with Total Commander

Many users do not want hidden information to be visible in the system itself. In this case, come to the rescue file managers allowing you to work with hidden data. Consider, for example, the most popular of them - Total Commander. The process of enabling the display of the files we need is extremely simple. In the top menu, select the "Configuration - Options" item, after which we get to the program settings window, divided into two halves. On the left is a list of options, and on the right is a list of their parameters. Select the "Display" option and on the right side check the "Show Hidden / System Files (For Experts Only!)" Option. Next - "Apply" and "OK".

There is another, easier way to view hidden information using Total Commander: as a rule, in new versions of this program, there is a special button on the toolbar, clicking on which replaces the procedure described above (pressing it returns former appearance file system).

How to open hidden data on a USB flash drive

If you need to view hidden files on a flash drive, the procedure will be similar, since this drive is perceived by the system as a normal one. HDD and, accordingly, everything that was mentioned above also applies to removable media.

Now you know how to show hidden files on different operating systems. However, it should be remembered that system data must be handled with extreme caution and utmost care. any rash act can lead to the system becoming unstable. Therefore, we would strongly advise inexperienced users not to take any action on them without fully understanding what this or that action entails.

One of the most common incidents when working with a USB flash drive: you open it, and there are no files there. The flash card seems to be empty, but there is data on it, this can be easily checked in the properties. Magic? No. Hidden files. For what purposes are they needed, and how to work with them if they are hidden? Let's try to find out how to open hidden files.

Why are such files dangerous, and why hide them?

First, we determine in which case the file can be hidden.

1. This is a system file or folder;
2. The result of the activity of certain applications;
3. Effects of viruses;
4. Intentional hiding by the user;

If these are the first two cases, then the computer is trying to protect itself from all sorts of malfunctions and stoppages. After modifying or deleting a hidden file, the system may stop functioning. The system hides important system files by default.

Also, the user himself can easily hide files and folders to restrict access to them. Not the most reliable and reasonable way. To hide a folder or file, it is enough to put a marker on the "Hidden" item in its properties and the file will disappear from view for an ordinary user.

And finally, point # 3. The situation is also ambiguous, either the Autorun virus worked here, or the situation is much more complicated and the data was moved to a folder with a name unresolved by the system.

How to reveal hidden documents on a PC: simple cases

We will work right away with the case of hidden files on a USB flash drive, since this is a special case, it solves the problem: "How can you open hidden files and folders?"

Before using an infected flash drive, you need to neutralize the malware and delete the auto-run exe files from the flash card.

The easiest way to open a file of this type is:

For Windows XP, via the control panel:

1. Control Panel
2. Folder properties
3. Show hidden files and folders (at the very bottom)
4. Apply

Windows XP, via explorer:

(hold down the Win + E keys) or go through the items "My Computer" - "Service" - "Folder Options". We perform the operations as in the previous list.

In Windows 7, the names of the section and the option itself have been changed to Folder Options and Show hidden files, folders and drives. In the explorer, to find the Service tab, you need to press Alt, and then everything is point by point.

Can be used to view an invisible (hidden) file. In the "Configuration" table of contents, select "Settings", then in the "Panel Content" section, check the boxes for hidden and system files, apply and save the changes. After that, you need to conjure up the data on the flash drive. On the panel in the "File" section, follow the "Change Attributes". We remove markers from the items we do not need, system and hidden, and then click OK. Everything is ready, we are trying to open our "lost" files.

More difficult situations related to opening hidden files

Trying to use the Registry Editor to achieve our goals.

Pay close attention to any changes you make to the registry. The smallest errors can be detrimental to the system.

In Start, we are looking for "Run". In the "Open" field, type in regedit and click OK. We carry out the sequence:

1. Chapter:
2. If there is a REG_SZ CheckedValue parameter, then it should be removed. Usually it takes zero.
3. Create REG_DWORD CheckedValue: "Edit Create Parameter ...". We assign the value 1. If it was before, there is no need to create a new one, we just rewrite the value.
4. Chapter:
5. We perform the same procedures, but instead of CheckedValue we work with the Hidden parameter. That is, we check and delete the null REG_SZ, create a DWORD with 1, or overwrite the existing one.
6. We are looking for the REG_DWORD SuperHidden parameter and write one to it.
7. "View" and "Refresh".
8. Close the editor.

If the data is moved to a folder with a "bad" name, then you will need command line... In the C: / Windows / System32 folder, copy cmd.exe and place it on the USB flash drive. Run and enter the "dir / x / ad" command, which will show us the contents of our flash memory. We look through and find a folder with a strange name, in our case to the left of it in the column we see the name of the directory. Now we use the ren command: "ren directory name folder name" (for example "ren E4R3 ~ 1 Name", without quotes). So we renamed our folder to Name and we can open it.

Be sure to monitor the safety and health of your equipment, and our simple tips will help correct some misunderstandings.

Instructions

You can access the desired settings through the "Explorer" - launch it by double-clicking the "Computer" icon on the desktop. If the desktop is closed by application windows, then you can right-click "Start" and select the "Open Explorer" command, or simply press the Win + E key combination.

If you know which folder to look for desired file, then go to it using the directory tree in the left column of the file manager. And if the exact location of the search is not known, click the inscription "Computer" in the same column.

Expand the "Organize" drop-down list located above the directory tree and select the "Folder and Search Options" line. As a result, a window with the required settings will open.

This window can be reached in another way - through the "Control Panel". To do this, open the OS main menu, launch the panel and go to the "Appearance and Personalization" section. In the "Folder options" section, click the "Show hidden files and folders" link and a window with settings will open.

Or you can do it even easier: press the Win button and type the word "show" on the keyboard. The open main menu of the OS will display several links, among which there will be "Show hidden files and folders" - click it.

In the window for managing folder settings, go to the "View" tab. Scroll to the bottom of the "Advanced options" list and check the box next to "Show hidden files, folders and drives." If the object that you need to find refers to system files, then uncheck the "Hide protected system files (recommended)" line. Immediately after this action, a warning about the unsafe manipulation of system files will appear on the screen - confirm the operation by pressing the "Yes" button.

Click the OK button and then you can start searching - enter the file name or its fragment in the search query field at the upper right corner of the "Explorer" window.

Sometimes it happens that the user forgets which directory he saved the desired file... In the operating room Windows system it is not necessary to open all folders in a row to find it. It is much easier to use the searchable component.

Instructions

Press the Windows key or the Start button and select Search from the menu. A new dialog box will open. This is the search tool file s and folders. If you cannot find the component you want in the Start menu, customize its display.

Right-click on the taskbar and select Properties from the context menu. Alternatively, open Control Panel and click on the Taskbar and Start Menu Properties icon in the Appearance and Themes category.

In the properties window go to the "Start Menu" tab and click on the "Customize" button opposite the "Start Menu" item. Another window will open, make the "Advanced" tab active in it.

In the Start Menu Items group, scroll down the list using the slider or mouse wheel until you find the Search item. Place a marker in the field opposite the found item and close the windows by successively pressing the OK button in all open windows.

In the search window itself, you can search for the desired file by different criteria: by name, by the date of the last changes, by size, and so on. All the necessary parameters are set on the left side of the window. Specify which local drives to look for file, and mark the appropriate fields with a marker.