7/25/2019 How to Hide Files and View Hidden Files on Mac OS X
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H o w t oH i d e F i l e
sa n d V i e
wH i d d e n F i l e
so n M a c O S
X
M a cs
o f f e r a w a y t o
h i d e f i l e s
a n d f o l d e r s, j
u s t l i k e o t
h er o p e r a t
i n gs y s t
e ms .
Bu t
Ma c
O S
Xh i d e
s th e
s e op t i o n
sa n d d o e
s n tm a k e
i t a s
e a s ya s i t i s
o n W i n d o w s a n d L i n u x.
T oh i d e
a f i l e o rf o l d e
r , y o u l l
n e e d t o s e t th e
h i d d e n
at t r i b u t
ef o
r i t .T h e F i n d e
ra n d
o th e
rM a c
ap p s
wi l l
th e n i g n o
r ea n d n o
td i s p l a
y
th i
s f i l e o rf o l d e
r b yd e f a
u l t .
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Hi d e
aF i l e
o rF o l d e
ro n
aM a c
Ra t
h er t
h a n h i d i n g a n i n d i v
i du
a lf i l e
a lt
h ou
g hy o u
c a n d ot
h at y o u
m ay w
a nt t o c r
e at e a
h i d d e n f o l d e r .
W
e l l d o
th a
tf o
r th i
s
e xa m
pl e
,a l
th o
ug h
th i
st r i c k
wi l l a l
s o w o r k t oh i d e i n d i
vi d
ua l
f i l e s .
F ir s t
, o pe n
a t e rm i n a l
wi n d o
w p r
es s C o m m a n d
+ S pa c e
,t y p
eT
e rm i n a l
,a n d p r
es s E
n t e r .I
n th e
t e rm i n a l
,t y p
e th e f o l l o
wi n g
c o m m a n d ,
i n c l u
d i n g a
s p a c ea t t
h e e n d o fi t :
chflags hidden
D ra g
a n d
d r o p af o l d e
r o r f i l e f ro m
th e F i n d e
ri n
t o th e
t e rm i n a l
wi n d o
w .
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T h ep a t h
o ft
h ef i l e o r
f o l d e r w
i l la
p p e ar
i nt
h et e r
m i n a l .
P
r es s
E
n t e r t or u
n th e c o m m a n d a n d
th e
f i l e o rf o l d e
r wi l l
va n i
s h .
I
t ss t i l l
th e
r e
i t s ju s t h i d d e n
, s o th e F i n d e
r wo n
t sh o
w i t b yd e f a
u l t .
A c c e s sa
H i d d e n F i l es o r
F o l d e r
Wa n
t t oq u i c k l
y a c c e s s
ah i d d e n f o l d e
r f ro m
th e F i n d e
r ?T h e e a
si e s t
w a y i s t oc l i c k
th e G
om e n
ui n
th e F i n d e
ra n d
se l e c
tG
o t o
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F o l d e r .
P l u g th e
p a t ho f
th e f o l d e
ri n
t o th e d i a l o g b o
xa n d c l i c k G
o o rp r
es s E
n t e r .T h e
~s t a n d
sf o
r y ou r u s
e rf o l d e
r , s oi f
y o uh a d
af o l d e
r
n a m e d S e cr e t S
t u f f o ny o
u r d es k t o p , y o u d
e nt e r
~ /D e s k t o p / S
e cr e t S
t u f f.
If i t w a s
i n D o cu
m e n t s, y o u d
e nt e r
~ /D
o cu
m e n t s/ S
e cr e t S
t u f f.
A l th o
ug h
th e f o l d e
r i sh i d d e n a n d
wo n
t ap p e a
rn o
rm a l l
yi n
th e F i n d e
r o r s a v ed i a l o g
s , y o uc a n q u i c k l
y a c c e s s
i t th i
s w a y .A
n y f i l e s
y o us t
o r ei n
th i
sf o l d e
r a r ee f f e c
t i ve l
yh i d d e n
, to o
n o o n e c a n a c c i d e n
ta l l
yc l i c k
th e i
r w a y t o th e f o l d e
r , bu t
th e
y l l
ap p e a
ri n
th e
Fi n d e
ri f
y o ug o
th e
r ed i
re c
t l y .
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Vi e
wH i d d e n F i l e
sa n d F o l d e r s i n
th e O
pe n
/ Di a l o g
Wh i l e
th e F i n d e
rd o e
s n to f f e
r a g r a ph i c a l
op t i o n
t ol e
t y o uf i n d
th o
s eh i d d e n
f i l e sa n d f o l d e r s
, th e O
pe n a n d S
a v ed i a l o g o n M a c O S
X
d o es .
T o vi e
wh i d d e n
f i l e sa n d f o l d e r s i n
th e O
pe n
/ S a v ed i a l o g
, ju s t p r
es s C o m m a n d
+ Sh i f
t + P e ri o d
( th a
t s th e
.k e
y) .
Y ou
l l h av e t o
c l i c k a
d i f f e r
e nt
f o l d e r
i nt
h e Op
e n/ S a v e
d i a l o g a ft e r
p re
s s i n gt
h is s
h o r tc
u t.
So ,
i ft
h e h i d d e n f o l d e r i s
o nt
h e d es k t o p , i t
wo n
t ap p e a
ri m m e d i a
te l
y wh e n
y o up r
es s C o m m a n d
+ Sh i f
t + P e ri o d
.Y o
uh a
v e t op r
es s
th i
sk e
yb o a
r d sh o r t
cu t
,c l i c k
o v e r t oa n o
th e
r
f o l d e r ,
a n dt
h e n c l i c k t
h e De s k t o p
f o l d e r
a g a i n . H
i d d e n f o l d e r s a n df i l e s w
i l la
p p e ar s o y o u
c a n e as
i ly a c c e
s st
h e mf r
o m h er e .
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Vi e
wH i d d e n F i l e
si n
th e F i n d e
r
Th e F i n d e
rd o e
so f f e
ra n
op t i o n
t o vi e
wh i d d e n
f i l e s .H
o w e v e r , th i
s i s n t a g r a ph i c a l
op t i o n
y o uh a
v e t oe n a b l e
i t w i t h a t e rm i n a l
c o m m a n d a n dr e
s ta
r tt
h e F i n d e r
f or y o
u rc h a n g e s t o t
a k e e f f e c t .
T o vi e
wh i d d e n
f i l e si n
th e F i n d e
r , o pe n
aT
e rm i n a l
wi n d o
wa n d r u
n th e f o l l o
wi n g c o m m a n d
si n
i t ,p r
es s i n g E
n t e ra f
t e r e a c h o n e
:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
killall Finder
Th i
sc o m m a n d
te l l
sF i n d e
r t o sh o
wh i d d e n
f i l e sa n d
th e n
r es t
ar t s
i t .I
t l l
sh o
wa l l
th o
s eh i d d e n
f i l e sa n d f o l d e r s
o n c e y o u r e d o n e .
Th e
y ap p e a
r p ar t i a l l
yt r a n s p
a re n
t t od i s t i n g
u i s hh i d d e n
f i l e sa n d f o l d e r s
f ro m n o
rm a l l
y un h i d d e n o n e
s .
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Wa n
t t os t
o pF i n d e
r f ro m
sh o
wi n g h i d d e n
f i l e sa n d f o l d e r s
?R
u n th e f o l l o
wi n g c o m m a n d
t od i
sa b l e
th i
s op t i o n a n d
r es t
ar t
th e
Fi n d e
r :
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE
killall Finder
I f y o u dl i k e
t o vi e
wa n d h i d e h i d d e n
f i l e sa n d f o l d e r s
w i t h ak e
yp r
es s
, y o uc o
ul d
c re a
t ea n A u t o m a
t o r s c r ip t
th a
t au t o m a
ti c a l l
yr u
n s
th e
s ec o m m a n d
s wh e n
y o up r
es s
ac e r t a i n k e
y o rc l i c k
am e n
u op t i o n
.
U n h i d e a
Fi l e
o rF
o l d e r
Wa n
t t o un h i d e
a f i l e o rf o l d e
r ?R
u n th e
sa m e c o m m a n d
y o u ra n b e f o
r e , bu t
c h a n g e h i d d e n
t o n o h i d d e n . I
n o th e
r w o r d s ,t y p
e th e
f o l l o w
i n g c o m m a n d i nt o t
h et e r
m i n a l ,
t y p i n ga
s p a c e a ft e r i t :
chflags nohidden
I f y o u re m e m b e
r th e
e xa c
t p a t ho f
th e f o l d e
r o r f i l e , y o uc a n t y p
e i ti n
t o th e
t e rm i n a l
.I
f y o ud o n
t , y o uc a n u s
e th e a b o
v et r i c k
t o
d i s p l ay
h i d d e n f i l e s
a n d f o l d e r
i nt
h e F i n d e r
a n dd r
a g a n dd r o p t
h at
h i d d e n f i l e o r
f o l d e r
i nt o t
h e Te r
m i n a l , a s y o u
d i d e ar
l i er .
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(Y o
uc a n a l
s op r
es s
th e u p
ar r
o wk e
y a t th e
t e rm i n a l
t o c yc l e
t h r o ug h p r
e vi o u s c o m m a n d
s ,l o c a
ti n g
th e c o m m a n d
th a
tm a d e
th e
f i l e
o rf o l d e
rh i d d e n
. U s e th e l e f
t ar r
o wk e
y t og o
t o th e
h i d d e n
p ar t o f
th e c o m m a n d a n d
c h a n g e i t t o n o h i d d e n , a n d
th e n p r
es s
E n t e r. )
Ty p
eE
n t e ra f
t er w
a r da n d
th e
f i l e o rf o l d e
r wi l l b e c o m e
un h i d d e n
, s o y o uc a n
a c c e s s
i tn o
rm a l l
y .
Y ou
c a n a ls o
h i d e f i l e s o r
f o l d e r sb y r
e n a m i n g t
h e mt o
b e g i n w i t h a . , o r p e r
i o d,
c h ar
a ct e r .
Ho w e v e r ,
M a c O S X w
o n t
l et y o u
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C h r i sH o f f m a n
i s a te c h n o l o g
yw r
i t e ra n d a l l
a r o un d c o m p u t
e r g e e k .
H
e'
s a s a t
h o m e u s i n gt
h e L i n u xt e r
m i n a l a s
h ei s
d i g g i n g i nt o t
h e W i n d o w sr
e g i s t r y .
Co n n e c t w i t h
h i m o n G o o g l e + .
Pu
b l is
h e d 0 3 / 1 6 / 1 5
re n a m e
f i l e s o rf o l d e r s
t o th i
s f ro m
th e F i n d e
r wi n d o
w , s o y o u l l h a
v e t od o
s o f ro m
th e T
e rm i n a l
.Y o
uc a n a l
s or u
n v a ri o u s T
e rm i n a l
c o m m a n d s t
h at w
i l l d i s p l ay t
h es e f i l e s .
Th i
sc a n b e u s e f
u li f
y o u sh a
r e ac o m p u t
e r w i t h so m e o n e
, bu t
so m e o n e
wh o g o e
sl o o k i n g f o
r th e
s eh i d d e n
f i l e sa n d f o l d e r s c a n
e as
i ly
f i n d t
h e m.
It s
n ot a
f o o l p r o o fw a y t o
p ro t
e ct y o
u rf i l e s
a n d f o l d e r sf r
o mo t
h e r s, b
u t e n c r y p t i o ni s .
Im a g e C
re d i
t :Q
ue n
ti n M
e ul e
p a so n F l i c k
r
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