Search for hidden files and folders in Windows 7

Anonymous
2010-01-26T18:40:43+00:00

How for an individual search do I tell the search process to examine hidden files and folders.

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.

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Anonymous
2010-01-27T17:56:36+00:00

Hi,

There is only one way to do it, Select the option Show hidden files from folder options and then search for the files using the start search box.

  1. Click Start.
  2. Type "search" in start search box.
  3. click "Change search options for files and folders".
  4. Now, Click on View tab .
  5. Under View,

       a)Select the radio button labeled Show hidden files, folders, and drives 

       b)Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide extensions for known file types.

       c)Remove the checkmark from the checkbox labeled Hide protected operating system files.

  1. Click on Apply and Ok.

For more information on search, click on the following link:

 http://windows.microsoft.com/en-us/windows7/Advanced-tips-for-searching-in-Windows

 http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Searching-in-Windows-frequently-asked-questions

 http://windows.microsoft.com/en-US/windows7/Find-a-file-or-folder

Thanks and Regards:

Swati K- Microsoft Support Engineer

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-02-16T16:21:32+00:00

    On the subject of Hidden Files.

    When you receive a PDF file in Microsoft Outlook, and you open the file, a copy of the pdf file is automatically saved in a hidden file.

    I am told after you have received 99 PDF files, this hidden folder is full, and you can no longer open a pdf file from Outlook until the files in this hidden folder are deleted.

    I believe the following is the path to one of these hidden folders, but on other Windows 7 PC's it doesn't seem to be the same folder:

    C:\Users\ad0976\AppData\Local\Microsoft\Windows\Temporary Internet Files\Content.Outlook\ALWQZ40U

    Is there a way to stop Microsoft Outlook from saving a copy of every PDF file that you open and print?

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-12-23T13:35:15+00:00

    I wholeheartedly agree with DM, petersquare, and EtherKnight.  In their never-ending quest to dumb things down, MS, in it's infintessimal wisdom, makes things more DIFFICULT for the "real" users - those of us who have to set-up and troubleshoot workstations.  Thanks, MS, for breaking something that didn't need fixing, or fixing something that wasn't broken, or... ??? ... Once more, I need to spend unnecessary time trying to figure out something that I shouldn't have to!

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  4. Anonymous
    2010-11-30T10:50:05+00:00

    at least they could have given some kind of admin-only search interface. Even it had to be run from the command line.

    But they have!

    Try HELP DIR from the command prompt.

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