The Windows 7 operating system, like its predecessors Windows Vista and Windows XP, hides certain files by default. This is largely done to protect system and application files from users who may attempt to delete or modify them. There are four different hide options in Window 7: protected operating system files, files and folders with the hidden flag, hidden drives and file extensions. The hidden file feature often confuses users looking for a specific file or folder, since so long as it is hidden the data cannot be accessed directly in Windows Explorer.

How To Show Hidden Files In Windows 7

All settings related to hidden files and folders are configurable in the Folder Option dialog. The easiest way to get there is to click on the Control Panel in the Start menu. A click on the Appearance and Personalization category will display a link to the Folder Options where the hidden file and folder settings can be configured. Another option is to open a Windows Explorer window, click the Organize link in the toolbar, and from there click on Folder and Search options. The Hidden files and folders options are to be found on the View tab under Advanced Settings.

The four entries of relevance in this menu are:

• Hidden files and folders
• Hide empty drives in the Computer folder
• Hide extensions for known file types
• Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)

Hidden files and folders

The NTFS file system used by Windows supports several attributes that can be assigned to files, such as Read Only, Encrypted, Compressed and Hidden. Hidden files and folders are simply normal files with the Hidden attribute. Windows Explorer will not display files with the Hidden attribute to the user if the Folder Options setting is configured as such, however the operating system and applications have normal access to such files. Changing the Windows Explorer setting to “Show hidden files, folders and drives” will enable the user to see all hidden files and folders, with the exception of protected operating system files.

Hide protected operating system files

Operating system files are files that get installed with Windows 7. These files are necessary for the operation of the system. Windows users come usually into contact with these files only when they follow a tweaking guide that asks them to manipulate such a file.

Removing the checkmark from the selection box displays all protected operating system files in Windows Explorer. This is not recommended as it increases the chance that these files may be edited or deleted accidentally by the user.

Hide extensions for known file types

Windows 7 hides the file extensions of known file types by default. This mean that file.txt will be displayed simply as “file”, and application.exe will be displayed simply as “application”. This setting is often problematic as it sometimes becomes difficulty to identify a file type by its icon alone. It is generally recommended to display file extensions all the time to avoid this problems and make file identification easier.

Hide empty drives in the computer folder

Empty drives such as empty DVD drives are hidden by default in the Windows 7 operating system. This is an interesting feature that might cause some confusion, especially on new PCs. Users who do not see their DVD drive in My Computer might think that it is not properly installed. Users who wish to display all drives all the time can uncheck the associated option to hide empty drives.