Windows 8 hides most of the files and folders on your computer. For example, the “My Documents” folder is hidden in Windows 8. To view hidden files and folders on your computer, follow these steps:
1. Open Windows Explorer.
2. In the left column, click on “Computer.”
3. In the right column, click on “Local Disk (C:).”
4. In the left column, click on “Users.”
5. In the right column, click on “Your Name.”
6. In the right column, click on “Documents.”
7. In the right column, under “My Documents” click on the “Show hidden files and
How to Show Hidden Files in Windows 8.1
How to enable viewing of hidden files in Windows
Hidden files are files that are not normally visible to the user. This can be due to the file being hidden by a security feature of Windows, or it can be due to the file being private or personal.
To enable viewing of hidden files in Windows, follow these steps:
1. Open the Start menu and click on the Search icon.
2. Type “file explorer” into the search bar and press Enter.
3. Click on the File Explorer icon that appears on the results page.
4. Under the View tab, select the Show Hidden Files and Folders option.
5. Click on the OK button to confirm that you want to enable hidden files viewing.
Why hidden files are important
Simply put, hidden files are important because they allow you to keep track of important files and documents that you don’t want other people to see. For example, you might keep a copy of your tax returns hidden in a hidden file on your computer in order to keep them safe from prying eyes. Alternatively, you might keep a backup of your important documents hidden on your computer in case something happens to your original files. In either case, having a hidden file system allows you to keep your important files protected and secure.
What hidden files are
In Windows 8, a hidden file is a file that is not displayed in the file explorer window. This is useful if you want to keep a file private or if you want to keep the file hidden from others.
To view hidden files in Windows 8, follow these steps:
1. Open File Explorer.
2. In the left pane, click on the folder that contains the files you want to view.
3. In the right pane, right-click on the file you want to view and select “Show in explorer details.”
4. If the file is not hidden, you will see a window that displays the file’s contents and the location on your computer where it is stored. If the file is hidden, you will not see the contents of the file and will only see the location on your computer where it is stored.
To unhide a file, simply right-click on the file and select “Hide in explorer details.”
How to access hidden files in Windows
Windows 8 hides files by default. If you want to see hidden files, you’ll first need to enable hidden files by following these steps:
1. Click the Start button
- In the search box, type “control panel”
- Double-click the Control Panel applet that appears
- Under the View tab, select Show hidden files and folders
- If a message appears that warns you that hiding files may disrupt your computer’s performance, click Yes
- In the File Types section, click the arrow next to the file type you want to view and select Hidden files and folders from the list
- To view the contents of a hidden file, double-click its icon
- To unhide a file, repeat the steps in this section and select Unhide files from the list
If you want to view all the files on your computer, including hidden files, you can use the Windows File Explorer. To open the file explorer, follow these steps:
1. Click the Start button
- In the search box, type “file explorer”
- Double-click the File Explorer applet that appears
- Under the View tab, select Show hidden files and folders
- If a message appears that warns you that hiding files may disrupt your computer’s performance, click Yes
- In the File Types section, click the arrow
What to do with hidden files once they are found
If you spend any amount of time using a computer, there is a high probability that you will come across files that are hidden. When you open an executable file (.exe), for example, Windows will often place a green shield around the file to indicate that it is a program and not something you should be messing with. However, you can still access and use these files by opening them with a file explorer like Windows Explorer or Finder.
When you open a hidden file, Windows will not display a shield around the file. This means that anyone who has access to your computer can access the contents of the file. If you are ever concerned about someone else being able to access a file that is hidden, you can use a passwordprotecter to encrypt the file.
Conclusion
Windows 8 hides certain files and folders by default in order to protect your privacy. There are ways to view hidden files and folders, but it is a bit of a hassle. If you need to view a hidden file or folder, you can do so by following these steps:
1. Open File Explorer.
2. Navigate to the location where the hidden file or folder is located.
3. Right-click on the file or folder and select “Properties.”
4. On the “General” tab, select “Show in Windows Explorer.”
5. Click OK to close the Properties window.
