How to restore view of hidden files in Explorer

tigsounds

May 30, 2010 7:09:47 AM

Sometimes Windows Explorer will refuse to show hidden files and folders. Here is the fix.

Want to do some typing? Or.. Copy & Paste will be much easier... FIRST: Make a new restore point ! Copy the following into Notepad, and do a "Save As" and name it something like FixView.reg. In the File Type dropdown box, select "All Files" (to preserve the .reg extension) and save this file. Now double-click it and click Yes when asked if you want to enter this into the Windows Registry. To prove it worked, open Windows Explorer and click the Tools button, then Folder Options, then View, and see if "Show hidden files and Folders" is ticked, if not, tick it, click OK, and then go right back and see if it is still ticked. If it is still there, you are fixed, if not, you have more a different problem. If fixed, you can now see and use hidden files.

Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00

[-HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden]

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden]
"Text"="@shell32.dll,-30499"
"Type"="group"
"Bitmap"=hex(2):25,00,53,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,52,00,6f,00,6f,00,74,\
00,25,00,5c,00,73,00,79,00,73,00,74,00,65,00,6d,00,33,00,32,00,5c,00,53,00,\
48,00,45,00,4c,00,4c,00,33,00,32,00,2e,00,64,00,6c,00,6c,00,2c,00,34,00,00,\
00
"HelpID"="shell.hlp#51131"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\NOHIDDEN]
"RegPath"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\Advanced"
"Text"="@shell32.dll,-30501"
"Type"="radio"
"CheckedValue"=dword:00000002
"ValueName"="Hidden"
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000002
"HKeyRoot"=dword:80000001
"HelpID"="shell.hlp#51104"

[HKEY_LOCAL_MACHINE\SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Folder\Hidden\SHOWALL]
"RegPath"="Software\\Microsoft\\Windows\\CurrentVersion\\Explorer\\Advanced"
"Text"="@shell32.dll,-30500"
"Type"="radio"
"CheckedValue"=dword:00000001
"ValueName"="Hidden"
"DefaultValue"=dword:00000002
"HKeyRoot"=dword:80000001
"HelpID"="shell.hlp#51105"

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georgejabr

June 2, 2010 5:45:36 AM

Hi

This method worked too:

1- Scan your full PC with Avira anti virus.
2- Reboot your system.
3-Navigate with Start>run>regedit>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer>Advanced.
4-Locate hidden in the right panel and change it's value to 1.
5-Don't use again the command : Tools>Folder Options>View>& Check or Uncheck view hidden files.
6-Only click refresh (One time only) in any window containing hidden files. All files will be shown. This setting will remain as long as you respect No.5 above.

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tigsounds

June 2, 2010 7:32:59 AM

georgejabr said:

Hi

This method worked too:

1- Scan your full PC with Avira anti virus.
2- Reboot your system.
3-Navigate with Start>run>regedit>HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer>Advanced.
4-Locate hidden in the right panel and change it's value to 1.
5-Don't use again the command : Tools>Folder Options>View>& Check or Uncheck view hidden files.
6-Only click refresh (One time only) in any window containing hidden files. All files will be shown. This setting will remain as long as you respect No.5 above.

On a clean, never infected machine this can work. My method is for a machine that has been cleaned but damage done while contaminated is still there. Virus scanners/cleaners don't fix what the virus/malware did while in existence. Most malware will do more than just set 'hidden' to zero, and setting it back to 1 won't restore hidden files/folders, or, perhaps (malware) won't set hidden to 0 and a person still won't see hidden files/folders. I just tried to be thorough and leave the machine fully functional with the choice to view hidden or not working properly. Yours is not an incorrect procedure, and I'm not knocking it, not at all. Some people will find your method works, and it is much more compact than mine. I've just seen more damage than your method will fix and posted it for those that tried what they thought was 'everything'.

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