You can also start the Terminal application from Launchpad. This command helps you restart your Finder to make your change effective. If you want to switch them back to hidden status, you need to repeat the operation but remember to change the last word to false. This command helps you set your Finder to show all files on your Mac. Then type the following command in terminal:ĭefaults write AppleShowAllFiles -bool true This is the fastest way and it will keep the folder accessible even if you relaunch your Finder. Here is how to do it.ĭrag the hidden Library folder icon from Finder to the sidebar. For example, you might want to make the hidden folder “~/Library” always visible since it stores your personal application support files and other important files. But sometimes you want to keep them always visible to make it easy to access. However, if you are running an older version than macOS Sierra, please choose Method 2: Using Terminal to show your hidden files.Īfter performing method 1, you can see the hidden files or folder on your Mac. If you hit the keyboard combination again, they will change back to original hidden status. (dot)” on your keyboard to show hidden files/folders. If you are using the macOS Sierra or a higher version, you can open your Finder, then hit “command + shift +. I highly recommend this way to show hidden files and folder since it is not only the easiest way, but also the quickest way. There are three methods to show hidden files/folders: Apple regards these files or folder as significant files so be careful if you don’t know what you are doing, otherwise your Mac will lose data or could even be damaged. I believe that most people are not advanced users. The real reason that Apple set some files and folders hidden by default is that there is a risk to the system if you delete or modify these folders and files. System folders like /private, /bin, /etc, /usr are also hidden by default. All kinds of files could be hidden files, such as a. In Unix, there is always a “.” in front of hidden file names and they won’t be displayed until you manually change the system to view hidden files. MacOS has almost the same contents as UNIX but the macOS has a “desktop environment” which helped it become the world’s second most popular operating system. However, if you don’t know how to do show hidden files and folders, you won’t be able to deal with these issues.įirst, let me tell you what files are hidden and why are they hidden on your Mac.īoth macOS and linux are based on the UNIX operating system. Some hidden files also take up a lot of space on your hard disk. Some experienced or advanced users know that when you have a problem with an app, you might need to remove a preference file or find logs to help you fix the problem. In this case, you should learn how to show hidden files and folders. Sometimes just out of curiosity or perhaps to locate some hidden folder for troubleshooting purposes. However, there may be occasions where you need to locate certain hidden files. You might not know it, but there are thousands of hidden files and folders on your computer that you shouldn’t disturb or modify. There are many reasons why you might want to look at hidden files or folders on your Mac. If for example I wanted to view the hidden files within my drop box I would type ls -a. You can navigate through your hidden folders and files. They will not be presented in your finder windows. Please note these hidden files and folders are only viewable in the Terminal by using this method. Should you wish to be shown all the hidden folders and files as well located in the Terminal simply type ls -a and the following will appear: You can do this by simply typing ls then pressing return on your keyboard. You will notice that I have already brought up all my folders within my home folder. Launching terminal and you will be presented with a terminal window which looks similar to this: Simply navigate to your Applications folder and then to your Utilities folder and proceed to Terminal. You can view hidden files in the Terminal. How To: Show Hidden Files In The Terminal For more of Mark’s tips visit his site, follow him on Twitter, or browse his archive of posts here. This Mac tip is provided by Mark Greentree and was originally posted on Mark’s blog – Everyday Mac Support.
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