How to View and Access Hidden Files & Folders on Windows 10

 Any files that are hidden from users on operating systems are known as hidden files. You cannot see and find these files in the File Explorer unless you unhide them manually. Even if you perform a search in the File Explorer, you will not see any hidden files. Sometimes manually hiding some files can be vital when it comes to enhancing privacy and security.

No matter what version of Microsoft Windows you have on your computer, you can unhide and hide files with ease. Windows 10 also supports this feature, and in this guide, we will target specifically Windows 10 users.

Let’s find out how to unhide or hide a file on a Windows 10 PC with a step-by-step tutorial.

How to View and Use Hidden Files on Windows 10 

Please adhere to the instructions mentioned down here to quickly find out the hidden files on your PC:

1. First and foremost, launch the start menu by hitting the Start key on the keyboard.
2. Then input Control.
3. Select the Control Panel app from the result.
4. Once you are in the Control Panel app, make your way to Appearance and Personalization.
5. Head to “File Explorer Options”.
6. Navigate to the View tab from the above menu.
7. Inside the Advanced Settings heading, please locate the “Hidden files and folders” subheading.
8. There you will see two choices to choose:
   1. Don’t show hidden files, folders, or drives.
   1. Show hidden files, folders, and drives.

9. If you select the first option, you won’t be able to see any hidden file on your device.
10. In case you decide to go for the second option, you will be able to see the hidden files on your computer. However, you won’t be able to see the system encrypted hidden files.
11. Therefore, to view hidden files, please choose the second one. 
12. To unhide the files that are hidden by the system, please uncheck the option that says “Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)”.
13. After that, hit the Apply button on the bottom.
14. Strike the Ok button as well.
15. This will close the window and save your preferences.

Now you should be able to view and access hidden files on your computer. You can easily recognize hidden files and folders with their icon. They will appear a little bit greyed out.

That’s how to view hidden files on Windows 10.

How to Hide a File or Folder on Windows 10?

If you wish to make a file or folder hidden on your device, then please adhere to these steps:

1. Find and navigate to the folder or file that you want to hide.
2. Right-click on the file.
3. Choose Properties.
4. Make sure the Hidden checkbox is selected. 
5. Hit the Apply and Ok button.

Once you have viewed the hidden files, you should hide them back by the same method as mentioned above. This time, instead of selecting the second option, please choose “Don’t show hidden files, folders, or drives”. That’s how to view and access hidden files. We also learned how to hide a specific file on a computer. We hope this article was helpful.

Elina John is a self-professed security expert; she has been making the people aware of the security threats. Her passion is to write about Cyber security, cryptography, malware, social engineering, internet and new media. She writes for Norton security products at norton.com/setup.

Source:  How to View and Access Hidden Files & Folders on Windows 10