How to show Windows 7 system files. Enabling visibility through “My Computer”

It happens that the Windows operating system hides some of its folders from users by making them hidden. For example, having picked up a virus in the Host file, it happens that it becomes invisible. More precisely, the Host file itself is visible, but its duplicate, which seems to complement it, is hidden from view. And to view it you need to configure the display of hidden files.

In this article we will look at 3 ways to open hidden folders and Windows 7 files or, conversely, hide them. This is done very simply.

METHOD 1. Open some window with folders, and in the upper left corner we find the “Arrange” tab. In the menu that opens, select the line “Folder and search options”

In the folder settings window that opens, select the “View” tab at the top. Find the item “Show hidden files, folders and drives” and mark it with a dot

Click the “Apply” and “Ok” button. All is ready.

METHOD 2. Again, open some window in Windows Explorer with folders and files. Press the “Alt” key. An additional panel will appear in the upper left corner.

In the additional panel, select the “Service” tab and then in the drop-down menu select the line “Folder Options”

And again we get to the settings window, where we first select the “View” tab and then “Show hidden files”

METHOD 3. This viewing method is suitable for those who have the Total Commander program installed

So, open the Total Commander program.

In the top panel, select the “Configuration” tab

In the settings window in the left panel, select “Panel Contents”

On the right side, check the box R12; Show hidden/system files (advanced only)

Click the “Apply” and “Ok” button

Here are three simple ways to view folders!

Compared to Windows XP, the interface of the seventh version of the OS has undergone dramatic changes. The way hidden files are displayed in this operating system also differs from its predecessor. And without showing hidden directories, you cannot fine-tune Windows. This article will tell you how to display folders hidden from the user.

How to show hidden folders in Windows 7

There are several ways to display hidden directories in a standard file manager, but they all boil down to opening the folder properties window. So, the standard course of action is:

• open "Explorer";
• click on the “ALT” button;
• in the top menu, click on the “Service” line;
• in the drop-down list, click on “Folder Options”;
• Expand the “View” tab;
• in the window, scroll through the list of parameters to the very end;
• move the bottom switch to “Show”;
• also, if you need to show hidden Windows 7 files and folders, which are also system folders, uncheck the box next to the text “Hide protected files”;
• Click OK or press ENTER on your keyboard.

To check, open Explorer and go to the partition with Windows installed. The Program Data directory should appear in its root. Note that files and folders that have been hidden by a developer or administrator are shown as semi-transparent icons - their colors blend into the background.

Additional methods

There are several easier ways to open directory display options. For example, you can expand the Start menu and type the word “Settings” into the search bar. Then you just have to click on the item of the same name.

You can also show Windows 7 using the “Control Panel” configuration utility:

1. So, go to Control Panel.
2. Click the Personalization category.
3. In the window that opens, select “Folder Options.”
4. Go to the second tab from the left.
5. Set the switches to the positions indicated in the instructions above.

To hide files again, simply return the switches to their original positions.

Command line

If working with directories is not necessary, but you just need to check their availability, command line tools are sufficient. How to view hidden folders on Windows 7 using console commands? Follow these instructions:

1. Create a shortcut by opening the desktop context menu and following the path in the menu, “Create” - “Shortcut”.
2. Enter “cmd” in the file location line.
3. Set a custom name.
4. Run the shortcut as administrator.
5. Enter the drive letter you will be working with.
6. Go to the root of the directory in which you want to show hidden Windows 7 folders using the “cd” command immediately followed by entering the path to the desired folder, for example “cd C:\Windows”.
7. Type "dir /ah", after which the full list of files and directories will be displayed on the screen.

This method is the fastest, but it has one significant drawback - it will be difficult for a simple user to remember the commands and the order in which they are entered. For those who type slowly, this method is not suitable at all, since entering a long path will take too much time.

Using third party software

Not only Windows Explorer can show hidden folders in Windows 7, but also third-party file managers, for example, Total Commander. This approach is convenient if you need to frequently fine-tune the operating system, but not only experienced users work on the computer and displaying hidden directories in Explorer is not desirable.

How to view hidden folders on Windows 7 using Total Commander? Follow these steps:

1. First, install a file manager. It is distributed using a shareware model, but does not require purchasing a license.
2. After installing and launching Total Commander, click on “Configuration”. It is located in the top menu of the utility.
3. In the drop-down list, click on the “Settings” line.
4. On the left side of the settings window, select Panel Contents.
5. In the main part of the parameters window, check both boxes in the top line.

If inexperienced users are using the computer and can accidentally erase important system information, then before showing hidden folders in Windows 7 using Total Commander, you should first remove its shortcuts from the desktop. After this, you can start the program by typing “total” in the search bar. Total Commander is not the only file manager that can show hidden files. For example, Far Manager, FreeCommander, File Navigator are also equipped with similar functionality. Moreover, in Far Manager the setting in question is made by default.

As you can see from the article, showing hidden folders in Windows 7 is not at all difficult, but always remember that they were hidden from the user for a reason and the correct functioning of the entire software often depends on them. After deleting a hidden directory, the operating system may not boot at all. Perform any actions with hidden folders only after first creating a system restore point or even a full backup of the partition.

There are a lot of things that remain incomprehensible and unknown to us users.

Show hidden files in Windows 7

Option 1. We go to the Control Panel - and first, for convenience, change the view to “Small icons”, and then look for the icon - “Folder Options”, see the screenshot more clearly (click to enlarge):

In the window that opens, go to the “View” tab - in the “Additional parameters” field, go down to the very bottom and check the box "Show hidden folders and files" also, if necessary, here you can uncheck the box so that system files are shown, more details in the screenshot:

Click “Apply” - “OK” and you’re done. All files will be visible.

Option 2. There is another way to get here. Namely through “My Computer”. We go into my computer - press the “Alt” button and we will see the top menu as in the good old one:

Click on “Tools” - “Folder Options”:

and we will see the same window as in, and here we do the same thing.

Option 3. In the same “My Computer” window, click on the “Arrange” button (in the top menu) and select “Folder and Search Options”:

Well, for starters, another way to see all these files and folders is to use some kind of file manager, for example, my favorite is . But first, you still need to go to the settings and check so that all files are displayed. To do this, click on the “Configuration” menu - “Settings” - and on the “Panel Contents” tab - check the “Show hidden / system files” item:

Then click “OK” and all your hidden/system files will be visible.

Personally, I always display hidden files in Total Commandere to see the whole picture, this is especially useful when a person comes with his flash drive with viruses, and you immediately see all his viruses, since they are disguised as system files. This is such a useful feature. I recommend taking note, but you need to be careful here so as not to accidentally delete an important system file.

OK it's all over Now. With this, I say goodbye to you for a moment. Good luck to all!!

In some cases, the user simply needs to see hidden system folders. This happens when installing various add-ons for games, changing programs, or simply deep cleaning the system. If you only need to go into the system folder once or twice, then it is better to hide it after that. This way you will protect yourself from accidentally deleting important system files, changing them and moving them: all these actions are fraught with Windows 7 errors. Try to configure the display of hidden folders yourself, following the simple and clear instructions in this article.

Go to the control panel. To do this, click on the Start icon in Explorer, then select the “Control Panel” line on the right side of the menu that appears. Display by categories rather than icons. This option is in the upper right corner of the window.
Click on the “Design and Personalization” section.

You need the “Show hidden files and folders” link in the “Folder Options” category.

A small window will open in front of you, here you can configure the following settings for folders:

• Parameters for opening and overlaying them.
• The system's response to clicks on folders.
• Display folders.

In addition, in this tab you can immediately return all the original folder settings set by default by the system.

You need to go to the “View” tab.

You'll see a long list of additional settings for the overall appearance of folders and some file types. Scroll down until you find the line “Hidden files and folders”; among the subsections there will be the item “Show hidden files, folders and drives”. Mark it with a checkmark.
Click “Ok” and then “Apply”.

Now your system hidden folders will appear on your computer. Just go to the required directory and select that folder. However, the design will be slightly different from regular user sections: the color of the folder will become somewhat faded and muted. This is done so that you understand that this folder is a system folder, and it is better not to move files in it. And if possible, don’t go there at all.

So simply you can configure the display of system folders on your computer or laptop with the Windows 7 operating system. If you have later versions of the OS, then this algorithm applies to them. You need to follow exactly the same path, but some line names may be different, along with the new system interface.

In the Windows 7/10 operating systems, it is possible to set the “Hidden” attribute for folders and files, after which they cease to be displayed in Explorer, i.e. become "invisible". Typically, this setting is used when the user wants to hide some information from prying eyes. But this function is also a built-in tool for protecting the Windows system itself. Some of the so-called system folders that store important OS files are hidden by default so that novice users cannot damage their contents and thereby disrupt the performance of the system. In this article we will talk about how to display hidden folders and files in Windows 7/10, regardless of whether they are system files or not.

Enabling showing hidden folders

Windows 7

In the “seven”, to display hidden folders and files, go to Explorer, and then select in the top menu Service – Folder Options. If this menu does not appear for you, then press the button Alt and it will appear immediately.

Next, in the “Folder Options” window that opens, go to the “View” tab and in the list of additional options, set the switch to the “Show hidden files, folders and drives” position. After that, save the settings using the “Ok” button.

That's it, now you can see hidden folders and files. If you need to display Windows 7 system directories, you should uncheck the box next to “Hide protected system files (recommended)” by clicking “Yes” in the window with the warning message.

An alternative way to get to Folder Settings in Windows 7 is to use the Control Panel tool. We go into it through the Start menu, and then to the “Small icons” display mode, click on the “Folder Options” item. Then we do everything in the same way as described above.

Windows 10

In Windows 10, in order to enable the display of hidden folders and files, you need to go to the Explorer menu sequentially along the path View – Options – Change folder and search options.

Folder display settings can also be accessed through the Control Panel. Open it, and then go to the “Explorer Options” section.

Here we act according to the already known scheme.

Using the Windows Search Bar

In both Windows 7 and Windows 10, you can quickly access folder settings using the Start menu search bar. In the “seven” you just need to enter the request “Folder Options”, in the “ten” - “Explorer Options”.