Content

• Steps
• Part 1 of 2: How to show hidden files
• Part 2 of 2: How to make hidden files visible
• Tips
• Warnings

This article will show you how to display hidden files and folders in Mac OS X using the terminal. If there are no hidden folders on your computer, you can create them.

Steps

Part 1 of 2: How to show hidden files

1. 1 Open Finder. The icon for this program is a blue, face-shaped shape in the dock.
2. 2 Click on Transition. It's on the menu bar (top). A dropdown menu will open.
3. 3 Click on Computer. This option is located roughly in the middle of the Go drop-down menu.
4. 4 Double click on the computer hard drive icon. The icon resembles a gray square.
   • Most computers running Mac OS X call the hard drive "Macintosh HD".
5. 5Click on ⇧ Shift+⌘ Command+.... This key combination will display all hidden folders on your computer's hard drive. Note that the icons for hidden folders and files are grayed out.
   • You can press this key combination in any Finder window. Generally, hidden system files and folders are stored in the root directory of the hard drive, so it is best to display them here (they will be greyed out).
6. 6Press again ⇧ Shift+⌘ Command+.... This will hide your files and folders again.

Part 2 of 2: How to make hidden files visible

1. 1 Open a terminal. Click on the Spotlight icon , enter terminaland then click on the terminal icon .
2. 2 In a terminal, enter chflags nohidden. Be sure to put a space after the word nohidden.
3. 3 Drag the desired file or folder to the terminal. So the path to the file or folder will be automatically added after the "chflags nohidden" command.
4. 4 Click on ⏎ Return. This will run a command that will make the hidden file or folder visible.
5. 5 Double click on a file or folder. They should now open as regular files and folders.

Tips

• If you are a regular user of Mac OS X system, you do not need to show hidden files permanently. When you're done viewing the hidden files shown, hide them again to protect against accidental damage.

Warnings

• Deleting or modifying system files can crash programs and / or the operating system. Do not edit or delete such files.