Sometimes we never fully understand the devices and technology tools we use. We have an everyday case of this in Windows, an operating system with a universe of functions that can solve a large number of needs. Nevertheless, it is common that many times we resort to third-party solutions to carry out processes that we can do natively, for example, view hidden folders in Windows 10.
Seeing the hidden folders on your Windows 10 computer is something that we might require in different situations and therefore, We are going to show you the steps to follow to achieve it..
What are hidden folders?
Hidden folders are elements of the Windows file system that, having the “Hidden” attribute activated, are not shown on the interface. Let's remember that operating systems work from a screen similar to that of the command interpreter and where we interact and click, it is nothing more than a layer to facilitate its use.
In that sense, the elements will be out of our sight both in the graphical interface and in the Command Prompt, so we will have to enable an additional option to make them visible.
Steps to view hidden folders in Windows 10
Seeing the hidden folders in Windows 10 is a process that we can carry out in two ways: from the Windows Explorer and from the command prompt. The difference between each method is that from the Windows Explorer we will use clicks and in the second option, commands.
From Windows Explorer
The first step to view hidden folders from Windows Explorer is to open it. To do this, click on the folder icon on the taskbar.
Another way to do it is by clicking the start menu and entering the “Documents” option.
We will immediately be in Windows Explorer, specifically in the Documents folder.
The next step will be to go to the “View” menu at the top of the screen and then enable the “Hidden Items” checkbox in the “Show or hide” section.
With this, the folders and files that have the “Hidden” attribute enabled will immediately begin to be displayed. You can recognize them because the icons are transparent.
It should be noted that activating this option will take effect in all the folders where you enter and not only in the folder from where you carry out the process.
From the command prompt
Viewing the hidden folders in Windows 10 from the command prompt is quite simple and it just requires us to know the folder path and a couple of commands. This method can be functional if you know exactly the file you want to check for hidden folders.
To get started, open a Command Prompt and the easiest way is with the key combination Windows + R. This will open a small window, where you need to type CMD and press Enter.
The Command Prompt screen will immediately appear and we will proceed to go to the folder we want to explore. To do this, use the CD command followed by the folder path and press Enter.
To list the hidden files and folders within the directory in question, enter the following command and press Enter: attrib *.* -r /s /d
You can do the same from any folder on your computer to find out if there are any hidden files.
What is the use of seeing hidden folders in Windows 10?
There are various situations and needs that can lead us to enable the display of hidden items in Windows 10. The first and perhaps most popular need for this is security, to prevent others from seeing one or a group of folders.. While there's really nothing hidden in operating systems if you put your mind to it, giving this attribute to some folder can give you a bit of privacy.
In the system there are also files and folders that are hidden by default, so that the user does not touch them.. Windows has files of critical importance, to the point that deleting or moving them could damage its operation. In this way, the "Hidden" attribute for these files represents a representative security measure.
Knowing and accessing the hidden folders on your computer can also allow you to free up storage space. It is likely that by enabling the option to view these items, you will discover folders of old programs that you may have even uninstalled a long time ago. This is quite common in Windows and can help you do a deeper cleanup of your file system.
A representative disadvantage of this option is that we could forget in which path we hide some folder or file. However, it is something that we can easily solve by activating the “Hidden Items” box in Windows Explorer and visiting each of the files with all the folders fully visible.