How to Hide and Unhide Files and Folders in Windows 11

How to Hide or Unhide Files Using File Properties

1. Find the file(s) you want to hide or unhide.
2. Right-click the file and choose Properties.
3. In the General tab, look for the checkbox labeled Hidden.
4. To hide the file, check the box . To unhide, uncheck it.
5. Click OK to save.

How to Hide or Unhide Folders Using File Properties

1. Find the folder(s) you want to hide or unhide.
2. Right-click the folder and select Properties.
3. In the General tab, check or uncheck the Hidden box.
4. Click OK. If the folder has files inside, you’ll see options:

   • Apply changes to this folder only – Only the folder itself will be hidden/unhidden.
   • Apply changes to this folder, subfolders and files – Everything inside will be hidden/unhidden.
5. Choose what you want and click OK.

You can hide or unhide folders in Windows 11 by changing their properties. Locate the specific folder you wish to modify, then right-click it and select Properties. Within the General tab, check the “Hidden” box to hide the folder, or uncheck it to unhide it. Click OK to save your changes.

How to Hide or Unhide Files Using Commands

Using commands in Windows Terminal or Command Prompt is a quick way to hide or unhide individual files in Windows 11. Open the Terminal or Command Prompt. Type the ‘attrib +h’ command followed by the file’s full path to hide it, or ‘attrib -h’ to unhide it. Press Enter to execute the command.

1. Open Windows Terminal or Command Prompt. You can search for it in the ⊞ Start menu.
2. Type the command below and press Enter.

To hide a file:

attrib +h "full_path_to_file"

To unhide a file:

attrib -s -h "full_path_to_file"

Example:

attrib +h "C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\secret.txt"
attrib -s -h "C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\secret.txt"

How to Hide or Unhide Folders Using Commands

1. Open Windows Terminal or Command Prompt.
2. Type the command and press Enter.

Hide or unhide only the folder:

Hide:

attrib +h "full_path_to_folder"

Unhide:

attrib -s -h "full_path_to_folder"

Hide or unhide the folder and everything inside it (subfolders and files):

To hide or unhide a folder along with all its subfolders and files in Windows 11, you can use command-line instructions. For hiding, use ‘attrib +h “full_path_to_folder*” /s /d’. To unhide, use ‘attrib -s -h “full_path_to_folder*” /s /d’. Replace ‘full_path_to_folder’ with the actual path.

attrib +h "full_path_to_folder" | attrib +h "full_path_to_folder*" /s /d

Unhide:

attrib -s -h "full_path_to_folder" | attrib -s -h "full_path_to_folder*" /s /d

Example:

attrib +h "C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\MyFolder" | attrib +h "C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\MyFolder*" /s /d
attrib -s -h "C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\MyFolder" | attrib -s -h "C:\Users\YourName\Desktop\MyFolder*" /s /d

How to Show Hidden Files and Folders in File Explorer

1. Open 📁 File Explorer (press Windows + E).
2. Click the View menu at the top.
3. Hover over Show and click Hidden items.

Hidden files and folders will now appear, though their icons will look faded.

To hide them again, uncheck Hidden items.

Summary

• Hidden files and folders don’t show up by default to keep things tidy.
• You can hide or unhide files and folders easily from their Properties or by using commands.
• When visible, hidden items appear a bit faded in 📁 File Explorer.
• Using commands is faster if you want to hide/unhide many files or folders at once.

In Windows 11, hidden files and folders are not shown by default to help keep your File Explorer tidy. You can easily hide or unhide them using either their Properties settings or through command-line tools for faster management. When visible, hidden items appear slightly faded.

More help and info: Microsoft Support: Show hidden files and folders