7 Data Recovery By participating in this community, you agree to our
Privacy Policy and Forum Rules.
Where do I find hidden files on Windows 10?
Quote from Ryan404 on January 26, 2026, 3:06 pmCould someone help me? I turned on some cartoons for my daughter on my laptop and went to the kitchen to make us dinner. Later I needed to finish some work reports but I could not find my drafts anywhere (doc files). What confuses me is that the disk size did not change at all, so the files do not seem to be deleted but I cannot see the documents themselves. Is it possible that my daughter somehow hid the files and folders by accident? I know Windows has hidden file attributes, but I never used them on purpose. So how can I show hidden files in Windows 10?
I would really appreciate any advice or ideas on where to look and what to check first. Thanks in advance.
Could someone help me? I turned on some cartoons for my daughter on my laptop and went to the kitchen to make us dinner. Later I needed to finish some work reports but I could not find my drafts anywhere (doc files). What confuses me is that the disk size did not change at all, so the files do not seem to be deleted but I cannot see the documents themselves. Is it possible that my daughter somehow hid the files and folders by accident? I know Windows has hidden file attributes, but I never used them on purpose. So how can I show hidden files in Windows 10?
I would really appreciate any advice or ideas on where to look and what to check first. Thanks in advance.
Quote from DataNerd on January 26, 2026, 4:50 pmQuote from Ryan404 on January 26, 2026, 3:06 pmCould someone help me? I turned on some cartoons for my daughter on my laptop and went to the kitchen to make us dinner. Later I needed to finish some work reports but I could not find my drafts anywhere (doc files). What confuses me is that the disk size did not change at all, so the files do not seem to be deleted but I cannot see the documents themselves. Is it possible that my daughter somehow hid the files and folders by accident? I know Windows has hidden file attributes, but I never used them on purpose. So how can I show hidden files in Windows 10? I would really appreciate any advice or ideas on where to look and what to check first. Thanks in advance.
it’s a bit strange that you decided to create a post for something like this. You can literally type show hidden files windows 10 into Google or any other browser and get hundreds of articles and videos in about two seconds. But okay, if that feels like too much effort, just open Windows File Explorer hidden items and enable them (File Explorer > View > Hidden items > check the box) That’s it, if the files were only hidden, they should appear right away.
Quote from Ryan404 on January 26, 2026, 3:06 pmCould someone help me? I turned on some cartoons for my daughter on my laptop and went to the kitchen to make us dinner. Later I needed to finish some work reports but I could not find my drafts anywhere (doc files). What confuses me is that the disk size did not change at all, so the files do not seem to be deleted but I cannot see the documents themselves. Is it possible that my daughter somehow hid the files and folders by accident? I know Windows has hidden file attributes, but I never used them on purpose. So how can I show hidden files in Windows 10? I would really appreciate any advice or ideas on where to look and what to check first. Thanks in advance.
it’s a bit strange that you decided to create a post for something like this. You can literally type show hidden files windows 10 into Google or any other browser and get hundreds of articles and videos in about two seconds. But okay, if that feels like too much effort, just open Windows File Explorer hidden items and enable them (File Explorer > View > Hidden items > check the box) That’s it, if the files were only hidden, they should appear right away.
Quote from bryan on January 27, 2026, 12:43 pm@ryan404 Another possibility is that your daughter did not hide the files, but moved them somewhere. Before you change too many settings, try open other folders and look around manuallyy or use the search bar in File Explorer and type part of the document name or just .doc As an easier alternative, you can also download Everything. In my experience, it searches much faster than the built-in File Explorer search. If the files were hidden for some reason, Everything can display hidden files in Windows as well, just like other items. That way you can quickly confirm whether the documents still exist and where Windows actually keeps them.
@ryan404 Another possibility is that your daughter did not hide the files, but moved them somewhere. Before you change too many settings, try open other folders and look around manuallyy or use the search bar in File Explorer and type part of the document name or just .doc As an easier alternative, you can also download Everything. In my experience, it searches much faster than the built-in File Explorer search. If the files were hidden for some reason, Everything can display hidden files in Windows as well, just like other items. That way you can quickly confirm whether the documents still exist and where Windows actually keeps them.
Quote from Ryan404 on January 27, 2026, 1:19 pmI followed the instructions you gave above and now my system shows hidden files and folders in my Windows 10. I found my drafts, so thank you for that. However I also see a lot of hidden system folders that are visible now. I would prefer to keep my own files visible all the time, but hide those system folders again, so neither I nor my daughter can accidentally change or delete something important. Is there a way to do that properly?
I followed the instructions you gave above and now my system shows hidden files and folders in my Windows 10. I found my drafts, so thank you for that. However I also see a lot of hidden system folders that are visible now. I would prefer to keep my own files visible all the time, but hide those system folders again, so neither I nor my daughter can accidentally change or delete something important. Is there a way to do that properly?
Quote from DataNerd on January 27, 2026, 1:36 pmQuote from Ryan404 on January 27, 2026, 1:19 pmI followed the instructions you gave above and now my system shows hidden files and folders in my Windows 10. I found my drafts, so thank you for that. However I also see a lot of hidden system folders that are visible now. I would prefer to keep my own files visible all the time, but hide those system folders again, so neither I nor my daughter can accidentally change or delete something important. Is there a way to do that properly?
Just
- select the folders you want to hide,
- right-click on them,
- and choose Hide
- your personal files will stay visible, and those system folders will disappear again.
Quote from Ryan404 on January 27, 2026, 1:19 pmI followed the instructions you gave above and now my system shows hidden files and folders in my Windows 10. I found my drafts, so thank you for that. However I also see a lot of hidden system folders that are visible now. I would prefer to keep my own files visible all the time, but hide those system folders again, so neither I nor my daughter can accidentally change or delete something important. Is there a way to do that properly?
Just
- select the folders you want to hide,
- right-click on them,
- and choose Hide
- your personal files will stay visible, and those system folders will disappear again.
Quote from Ryan404 on January 27, 2026, 1:37 pm@datanerd Oh man, thank you so much. You’re a genius. Thanks to you, I now know how to show hidden files in Windows 10, and I don’t have to redo my reports from scratch. That alone saved me a lot of time and nerves. I will also have a serious talk with my daughter about not clicking random things while watching cartoons on my laptop..Thanks again!
@datanerd Oh man, thank you so much. You’re a genius. Thanks to you, I now know how to show hidden files in Windows 10, and I don’t have to redo my reports from scratch. That alone saved me a lot of time and nerves. I will also have a serious talk with my daughter about not clicking random things while watching cartoons on my laptop..Thanks again!
Quote from DataNerd on January 27, 2026, 1:38 pmWell, if I already got called a genius, I might as well add a few more ways on how to view hidden files in Windows 10, just in case other people open this thread and want some variety.
- File Explorer > View > Hidden items (this is the fastest way to see hidden folders)
- File Explorer > View > Options > View > Show hidden files, folders, and drives (this sits inside Windows folder visibility options and helps when you deal with a hidden folder taking up space or wonder why the folder sizeis larger than the files)
- Press Win + E > View > Hidden items (you’ll often see this exact method pop up online when searching for Windows hidden files shortcut but it’s basically the same as option 1)
Well, if I already got called a genius, I might as well add a few more ways on how to view hidden files in Windows 10, just in case other people open this thread and want some variety.
- File Explorer > View > Hidden items (this is the fastest way to see hidden folders)
- File Explorer > View > Options > View > Show hidden files, folders, and drives (this sits inside Windows folder visibility options and helps when you deal with a hidden folder taking up space or wonder why the folder sizeis larger than the files)
- Press Win + E > View > Hidden items (you’ll often see this exact method pop up online when searching for Windows hidden files shortcut but it’s basically the same as option 1)
Quote from OhioTom on January 27, 2026, 2:20 pmbtw, there’s also a method via terminal/cmd, in case u prefer that. open command prompt as admin, then tattrib -h -r -s /s /d f:*.* (f is the drive letter with hidden files), press enter ( it's command to show hidden files in windows 10). it removes hidden attrs, so if files were hidden before, u’ll see them right away. not for everyone, but good to know it exists.
btw, there’s also a method via terminal/cmd, in case u prefer that. open command prompt as admin, then tattrib -h -r -s /s /d f:*.* (f is the drive letter with hidden files), press enter ( it's command to show hidden files in windows 10). it removes hidden attrs, so if files were hidden before, u’ll see them right away. not for everyone, but good to know it exists.
Quote from JohnMiller on January 27, 2026, 6:21 pmMaybe I’m going to sound like an idiot right now (or maybe I really am one), but I tried all the options described here to show hidden files in Windows 10, and none of them work properly for me. They kind of work, but in a broken way. I see hidden folders in my Windows 10, but the moment I try to open one to check what files are inside it just DISSAPPEARS. Then I run the instructions again, the folder shows up again, I click it and it’s gone AGAIN. Same loop over and over. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME OR WITH MY WINDOWS? 😡
Maybe I’m going to sound like an idiot right now (or maybe I really am one), but I tried all the options described here to show hidden files in Windows 10, and none of them work properly for me. They kind of work, but in a broken way. I see hidden folders in my Windows 10, but the moment I try to open one to check what files are inside it just DISSAPPEARS. Then I run the instructions again, the folder shows up again, I click it and it’s gone AGAIN. Same loop over and over. WHAT IS WRONG WITH ME OR WITH MY WINDOWS? 😡
Quote from em_on_pc on January 27, 2026, 6:29 pm@johnmiller
You’re not an idiot, and your Windows is most likely fine. This behavior is normal. What you describe usually points to conflicting file attributes. Windows shows the folder for a moment, then hides it again because the system and hidden flags get reapplied automatically.
A few things you can try:
- Make sure Show hidden files, folders, and drives is enabled, but keep Hide protected operating system files turned on.
- Try opening File Explorer as Administrator and then access the folder from there.
- If the folder still disappears, use a data recovery tool with a GUI, for example Disk Drill. As hidden folders/files still take up space, during a scan, program can show hidden files as well and let you recover them to a location you choose, where they will be visible and accessible.
- Once you regain access to your files using data recovery software, you can try running chkdsk, but only after you create a backup (use File History or copy everything to another drive first). Chkdsk can remove problematic files, so be careful with it, especially if this is the C drive.
@johnmiller
You’re not an idiot, and your Windows is most likely fine. This behavior is normal. What you describe usually points to conflicting file attributes. Windows shows the folder for a moment, then hides it again because the system and hidden flags get reapplied automatically.
A few things you can try:
- Make sure Show hidden files, folders, and drives is enabled, but keep Hide protected operating system files turned on.
- Try opening File Explorer as Administrator and then access the folder from there.
- If the folder still disappears, use a data recovery tool with a GUI, for example Disk Drill. As hidden folders/files still take up space, during a scan, program can show hidden files as well and let you recover them to a location you choose, where they will be visible and accessible.
- Once you regain access to your files using data recovery software, you can try running chkdsk, but only after you create a backup (use File History or copy everything to another drive first). Chkdsk can remove problematic files, so be careful with it, especially if this is the C drive.
Quote from phillyjohn on January 28, 2026, 12:32 pmSince here is active talk about all side options related to showing hidden files, I leave my experience too.
Once my left panel in File Explorer disappeared. If someone here has similar situation and wants to bring it back, just do this:
File Explorer > View > Navigation pane > Show libraries option.
After that left panel comes back and Libraries appear again. Maybe not exactly same problem, but still related, so hope it helps someone.
Since here is active talk about all side options related to showing hidden files, I leave my experience too.
Once my left panel in File Explorer disappeared. If someone here has similar situation and wants to bring it back, just do this:
File Explorer > View > Navigation pane > Show libraries option.
After that left panel comes back and Libraries appear again. Maybe not exactly same problem, but still related, so hope it helps someone.
Quote from DataNerd on January 28, 2026, 12:44 pmWow, a lot of new replies since my last visit here.
One thing I forgot to mention is that when you try to show hidden files and folders in Windows 10, do not interact with system ones unless you really know what you are doing. You can mess up your system badly if you start moving or deleting them. You see what you need, you grab your files, and you hide everything else back immediately.
You can thank me or just call me a genius one more time.
Wow, a lot of new replies since my last visit here.
One thing I forgot to mention is that when you try to show hidden files and folders in Windows 10, do not interact with system ones unless you really know what you are doing. You can mess up your system badly if you start moving or deleting them. You see what you need, you grab your files, and you hide everything else back immediately.
You can thank me or just call me a genius one more time.
Quote from AlexR on January 28, 2026, 12:57 pmI remember seeing some guide where they showed how to view hidden files using Registry Editor, butt I don’t think that’s a reasonable option here. Considering how many normal and safe methods were already recommended in this thread, going into the registry feels unnecessary and File Explorer settings are more than enough.
I remember seeing some guide where they showed how to view hidden files using Registry Editor, butt I don’t think that’s a reasonable option here. Considering how many normal and safe methods were already recommended in this thread, going into the registry feels unnecessary and File Explorer settings are more than enough.