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.

To hide unhide files Windows 11 using file properties, open the item menu and check or uncheck the hidden box. This built-in Windows 11 menu option is the fastest way to make individual items invisible or visible in File Explorer 📁 without using any extra tools or commands.

How to Hide or Unhide Files Using Commands

Windows Terminal or Command Prompt let you hide unhide files Windows 11 quickly using text commands. Typing the attrib command followed by your file path changes the visibility state of multiple items at once much faster than clicking through graphical menus.

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"

Replace full_path_to_file with the actual file location, including the name and extension.

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):

Modifying entire directories and their contents to hide unhide files Windows 11 requires specific command-line switches. Using the attrib command with the correct flags applies your visibility changes to the main folder, all subfolders, and every file inside them at the same time.

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.

Hidden items in Windows 11 stay out of sight by default to keep your folders tidy and prevent accidental deletion of important system data. You can easily hide unhide files Windows 11 using either the item properties menu or text commands in Command Prompt whenever you need to access them.

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