By default, in Windows operating systems, including Windows 10, hidden important files and folders containing system information are hidden. For various reasons, the user may need to display hidden folders. In the Windows 10 operating system, this is quite easy to do.
All important Windows 10 system files and directories are invisible by default - they don't appear in File Explorer. This is done primarily for security, so that users do not accidentally delete the data necessary for the correct operation of the system. However, sometimes it becomes necessary to access this system data - for this it is useful to know how to open hidden folders in Windows 10.
Why show hidden folders
When the user is not actively working with the computer, he basically does not need to display hidden folders. But, with frequent installation of programs, downloading various files, especially those taken from unverified sources, unwanted files or viruses may get into the system.
Most of the installed programs such as:
- Viewers;
- Turntables;
- Messengers;
- Various application applications,
The so-called "tails" are left in the system. These are also hidden folders and files that carry the working information of this application. After removing a program or virus, hidden data continues to clog the system. At the same time, they can perform certain actions, try to download updates, add tools to the taskbar, interact with other programs.
Naturally, this puts an additional load on the hardware capacity and ultimately slows down the computer, causing the machine to freeze and crash the system.
How to open hidden folders in Windows 10 according to Microsoft support information
To display hidden folders in Windows 10, it is best to refer to the information posted on the Microsoft support site.
According to the official instructions, it is enough to follow four simple steps:
- Go to the taskbar and open the explorer.
- Select "View" - "Options" - "Change search and folder settings."
- Next, a new panel "View", where in the section "Advanced options", you should select the required option "Show hidden files, folders and mounted drives."
- Click "Ok".
This completes the operation of displaying hidden folders in Windows 10.
Helpful information
As a useful tip, users are advised not to show all hidden folders if it needs to be done with only one directory. After changing the parameters of hidden folders, it is necessary to remove the "Hidden" attribute from the required directory, and then return the values of other folders and files to their original state.
This can be done by going to the properties of the folder, where in the "General" tab, find the "Attributes" section.
It is recommended to display all important system folders if it is necessary to carry out preventive maintenance on the computer.
