How to Show Hidden Files on Windows 11? Step-by-step guide

Do you want to know how to show hidden files on Windows 11? Well, if you are in this article, then it is likely that you do. Everybody hides their precious/classified files, I mean I understand there are some personal things that have to be hidden away. It’s all good, however, the problem arises when you forget in which folder you hid that specific file. By default, Microsoft also hides select system files and folders. In order to help the users from accidentally deleting important items that will cause the system or an application to become unstable. 

If you somehow don’t know How to Show Hidden Files? Don’t worry the process is almost identical to versions of Windows that came before it. 

Show Hidden Files on Windows 11 by following these steps:

• Open the File Explorer. Clicking the folder icon on your taskbar or by press Windows key + E
• Click the View menu. At the top of the window
• Check the box next to “Hidden items.”  

• It’s in the toolbar at the top of the screen in the panel called “Show/hide.” This makes those files and folders that were hidden are now seeable and searchable.
• Click the drive you want to search. A list of drives and folders in the left panel of File Explorer can be seen. Click the hard drive on which file you’re looking for.
• If you want to search all drives on your computer, click on This PC in the left panel. 
• Type the name of the file you’re looking for. 
• If you don’t remember the item name, try typing an asterisk and then the item’s file type/extension.
• You can browse different folders to see what files were previously hidden. Anything that was previously hidden will have a slightly grayed-out icon. 
• If you toggle “Hidden items” off to make these items disappear.
• Press ↵ Enter to review the results for the item you are searching for. Depending on the size of your hard drive it can take a little while for results to appear.
• If any previously hidden files or folders match your search, they’ll appear with a slightly grayed-out icon.
• If you don’t see your desired hidden file, folder, search on This PC instead of a specific drive.

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