How to Configure Advanced File Explorer Hidden Extension Visibility in Windows 11 System Advanced

Accessing Folder Options in 🪟 Windows 11

Folder Options is the dialog that controls how files and folders behave across your computer. In Windows 11 it sits behind the three-dot menu on the File Explorer toolbar. Its General tab covers navigation and startup. Its View tab holds the advanced settings list used in the rest of this guide.

1. Press Win+E to open File Explorer📁. A File Explorer window appears with the command bar along the top.

   

2. Click the three horizontal dots on the top command bar. A drop-down menu opens.
3. Click Options at the bottom of the list. The Folder Options dialog box opens.

   

4. Click the View tab at the top of the dialog. A scrolling list appears under Advanced settings.

If the three-dot menu looks different on your PC, make sure Windows 11 is up to date. The menu has changed slightly between releases, but Options is always at the bottom of it.

Revealing Hidden Files, Folders, and Drives

Windows keeps configuration files and app data in folders it normally hides, such as the per-user app data folders. Turning on hidden items makes them visible so you can browse to them. Hidden items appear slightly faded, which is how you tell them apart from normal files.

1. Open Folder Options and select the View tab.

   

2. Scroll the Advanced settings list until you reach the Hidden files and folders section.
3. Click the radio button next to Show hidden files, folders, and drives.
4. Click Apply, then OK. Open any folder that contains hidden items. They should now appear, slightly faded.

To undo this, go back to the same section and choose Don’t show hidden files, folders, or drives. For a quicker route, open the View menu on the File Explorer toolbar, point to Show and toggle Hidden items.

Recent Windows 11 builds also offer this setting in the Settings app, which avoids Folder Options altogether. Go to Settings › System › For developers and turn on Show hidden and system files. If you do not see that page or toggle, your build is older, so use Folder Options instead.

Unhiding Protected Operating System Files

1. Open Folder Options and go to the View tab.

   

2. Scroll down the Advanced settings list and clear the check box next to Hide protected operating system files (Recommended).
3. Read the warning dialog box that asks if you are sure you want to turn this option off. Click Yes to confirm.
4. Click Apply, then OK to commit the change. Protected files now appear in folders such as the root of your system drive.

If the system files do not appear, check that Show hidden files, folders, and drives is also selected from the previous section. Both settings need to be on. To undo this, tick the Hide protected operating system files (Recommended) box again when you are done, then click Apply and OK.

Displaying Known File Extensions

By default Windows hides the extension for file types it recognizes, so a file shows as report instead of report.docx. Showing extensions lets you spot executables and script files at a glance. It also helps you catch disguised files such as invoice.pdf.exe.

1. Open Folder Options and select the View tab.

   

2. Find the check box labeled Hide extensions for known file types and clear it.
3. Click Apply, then OK. Every file name in your folders should now show its extension straight away.

Be careful when renaming files after this change. The extension is now part of the name you edit, and if you change or delete it Windows warns you that the file may become unusable. To undo this, tick the box again.

Two quicker options exist. On the toolbar, choose View, then Show, then File name extensions. On recent Windows 11 builds, you can also go to Settings › System › For developers and turn on Show file extensions.

Modifying Navigation Pane and Folder Views via Registry Editor

Registry Editor is the tool for the low-level operating system and application settings stored in the registry. Some File Explorer options do not appear in any menu, and this is where you change them. Mistakes here can cause system instability, so back up before you start.

Editing the registry requires an administrator account. If you are signed in with a standard account, Windows asks for an administrator password at the User Account Control (UAC) prompt. Approve it with administrator credentials, or sign in as an administrator first.

To make a backup, open Registry Editor, click File, then Export. Choose All as the export range, name the file and save it somewhere safe. If something goes wrong, double-click that file to merge the saved settings back.

1. Press Win+R, type regedit, and press Enter. If User Account Control asks for permission, click Yes. Registry Editor opens.
2. Use the left-hand sidebar to navigate to the following key:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

3. Right-click an empty space in the right-hand pane, point to New, and select DWORD (32-bit) Value. A new value appears with its name ready to edit.
4. Name the new value according to the specific advanced tweak you want to apply, then double-click it to change its data value.
5. Close Registry Editor, then sign out and back in to apply the changes. Restarting File Explorer📁 from Task Manager📊 also works.

To undo a tweak, return to the same key, right-click the value you added and choose Delete, then restart File Explorer or sign out again. Only add values you have checked against a reliable source. A wrong name does nothing, and a wrong value can change behavior you did not intend.

Configuring Launch Behavior and Quick Access

In Windows 11, File Explorer opens to Home by default. Home shows pinned folders, favorites and recent files. If you would rather land on your drives, you can make it open on This PC. That saves a click every time you open a window.

1. Open File Explorer📁, click the three horizontal dots on the command bar, then select Options.
2. Stay on the General tab and find the drop-down menu next to Open File Explorer📁 to:.
3. Select This PC from the list instead of Home.
4. Click Apply, then OK to finish. Close File Explorer📁 and press Win+E again. It should now open to your drives.

To go back, choose Home from the same drop-down menu. Depending on your Windows 11 version, the list may also include other locations, such as Downloads.

What to do next

Hidden files, protected system files and full file extensions should now be visible across your drives, and File Explorer should open where you want it to. If something looks wrong, go back through the sections above and check that each setting was applied. Each change can be reversed on the same screen where you made it.

Next, you can set up Storage Sense, an automated tool that frees up disk space by deleting temporary files. It helps keep the directories you have just revealed clean and organized.