How to View Hidden Items and File Name Extensions in Windows 10 and Windows 11?

View Hidden Items and File Name Extensions

This article is specifically for Windows users to view hidden items and file name extensions. You may notice that you cannot see hidden items such as hidden files and file extensions in Windows 10 and Windows 11.

Windows does not show hidden files or file extensions by default. The reason behind this, there are some important system files in which Microsoft does not want you to delete them mistakenly or accidentally.

Also, sometimes you do not want some files or folders to be seen by others, so you keep them hidden by going to their settings.

Show Hidden Folders and File Extensions

This post will tell you two different methods to show, enable or view hidden items and file name extensions in Windows 10 and the same steps will work on Windows 11 as well.

If you are using Windows 7 then, follow steps in the article link given below:

[Read: How to Show Hidden Folders and Files in Windows 7?]

Follow the steps given below in your Windows 10:

Method 1

Step 1. Open Windows File Explorer.

To open this, right-click on the start menu and select File Explorer, or press the keyboard combination Win + E

Step 2. Once the File Explorer opens. Go to the View Menu and check the boxes for File name extensions and Hidden items.

This will have an immediate effect on your Windows and you will be able to see hidden files, folders and their file extensions.

hidden items

Method 2

Step 1. Open Windows File Explorer Options or settings.

To open this, Press Win + R to open the Run dialog box. Once it opens, type control folders and hit the Enter button or click OK

Step 2. In the File Explorer Options box, follow the steps below:

  • Go to the View tab
  • Select the radio button, Show hidden files, folders, and drives to show hidden files
  • Also, Uncheck the box for Hide extensions for known file types to see the file type

view hidden items

Alright, once you are done with any one of the above methods. You will be able to see hidden items like hidden files, folders or file name extensions on your Windows computer.

Disable Hidden Folders and File Name Extensions

If you want to hide them again, you just need to go back to Method 2, Step 2 and click on Restore Defaults button to the bottom right in order to make the settings to default.

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