Windows hides critical files by default to prevent unauthorized users from modifying or deleting them, unlike visible files like photos or videos. These hidden files are vital, and altering them can affect system performance.
Sometimes, hidden files may disappear even after unhiding them due to accidental deletion, file corruption, virus infection, or other issues. Regardless of the cause, you can recover deleted hidden files from your computer.
Note: If you use the Winmend Folder Hidden for Windows Software application to lock up your private and confidential files. Then refer to this comprehensive article on Winmend folder hidden files recovery to recover lost or deleted Winmend files.
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In case you find any files or folders missing from the Recycle Bin or any other location from the computer, the files might be hidden from the users. If you want to know “How to find hidden files on a Computer?” The below-mentioned methods will help you unhide the hidden files from your computer, depending on the Windows version.
1. How to Find Hidden Files in Windows 11?
- Open File Explorer and click on the View tab
- Upon clicking on View, click on Show
- Here, you will find Hidden items where you can hide or unhide hidden files. As shown in the picture below.
2. How to View Hidden Files in Windows 10?
- Open File Explorer and click on the View tab
- From the ribbon, locate Options and click on View from the window.
- Check the show hidden files, folders, and drives.
- Now, go to the folder from which you lost the file. Here, you will be able to recover the hidden deleted file.
Note: Curious to know how to install Windows 11 without losing data. Then, go through this complete article on upgrading to Windows 11 for free.
3. Way to Show up Hidden Files on Windows 8
- Point your mouse to the upper-right end of the screen, place the mouse pointer down, and then click on Search.
- In the search box, type folder, then from the search results, select Folder options.
- Click on the View tab.
- Choose “Show hidden files, folders, and drives” in Advanced Settings, and click OK to recover lost folders on Windows 8.
Note: This article explains four proven ways to recover deleted files on Windows 8.
4. Show up Hidden Files on Windows 7
- Choose the Start button, click Control Panel, and select Appearance and Personalization.
- Choose Folder Options, and then click on the View tab.
- Choose Show hidden files, folders, and drives in Advanced Settings, and click the OK button.
If the previous steps didn’t help you find your files, check cloud backups like OneDrive, Dropbox, or Google Drive. This only works if you’ve enabled automatic cloud backup for the specific storage location.
Since we just talked about Windows 7, go through this article to find various ways to recover deleted files on Windows 7.
Did you know?
The chances of files getting hidden on your computer are high after updating your Windows. The user folder is the one that mostly goes missing; know more about recovering lost user folders here.
How to Unhide Files and Folders?
You can easily unhide hidden files and folders using Windows Explorer on your computer. When a specific attribute of the hidden files and folders is changed, the files become hidden. Once the property of the files is removed, the hidden files show up like normal files.
Unhide files and folders using Windows Explorer
- Open File Explorer and go to the folder that contains the files you want to unhide.
- Right-click on the file or folder and click Properties.
- Select the Hidden attribute, click Apply, then OK.
Note: When you unhide the files and folders, to make the folder visible, you will have to select whether you want to apply the changes to the folder only or all subfolders and files within that folder.
How to Recover Deleted/Lost Hidden Files and Folders?
After unhiding files and folders, you should be able to see files on your computer. If you still can’t find the hidden files and folders you wanted to access, means the files might be deleted or lost from the computer. In such scenarios, try recovering deleted hidden files and folders on your computer.
Method 1: Recover Deleted Hidden files from Previous Versions
If you have taken a regular backup of the file, one easy method to recover the deleted hidden files is by recovering the file from a previous version. Follow the steps to recover the files.
- Go to the folder with the file and right-click, then click Properties.
- Go to the Previous Versions Tab.
- A list of accessible previous versions of the folder or file will be displayed.
- Select the files you want to retrieve and click on Restore. It will be restored to its original location.
You can recover permanently deleted hidden files from a previous version only if Windows Backup or File History is enabled on your computer. If not, the only remaining option is to use professional data recovery software.
Method 2: Recover Deleted Hidden Files and Folders Using a Specialized File Recovery Tool
If all attempts to locate and recover hidden files fail, rely on trusted software like the Remo File Recovery Tool.
Even if a file is permanently deleted, the tool’s robust deep scan engine searches the drive sector by sector to recover deleted hidden files and folders. It’s compatible with all versions of Windows and Windows Server.
Download and try Remo, the specialized hidden files recovery software, now.
Additional Information: Apart from recovering the hidden files, you can also make use of the Remo file recovery tool to recover files from Windows computer.
Steps to Recover Deleted Hidden Files Using Remo File Recovery Tool
Firstly, download and install the Remo Recover tool on your Windows system. Follow the mentioned steps carefully.
- Launch the Remo File Recovery software, select the drive containing the deleted hidden file, and click Scan.
- The automated Dual Scan process will begin, displaying all files in Dynamic Recovery View. Check the Lost and Found Files section for your files.
- If you can’t find your file, use the Advanced Filter option to add the specific file type you want to recover.
- Search both tabs to locate your deleted hidden files and use the Preview feature to view them.
- Select the files, click the Recover button, and save the recovered hidden files.
Note: This tool can also recover deleted files from the My Documents folder on your computer.
Also Read: How to Fix Windows 8 Stuck on Failure Configuring Windows Updates?
Final Thoughts
To prevent losing hidden files on your computer, keep them hidden and unhide them only when necessary. However, avoid hiding confidential files, as they can be easily accessed or overlooked during a drive format.
For confidential data, use password protection or store them on a separate drive. The troubleshooting steps in this article will guide you to unhide and recover deleted hidden files on your computer.
