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

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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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  1. Anonymous
    2010-09-01T05:11:19+00:00

    God I am so in agreement with you guys! Regardless of the need for "web friendliness" it seems like a giant stepbackwards to be required to make a global change to search for asingle hidden file; and then have to change it back afterward? Come on! What is this? Windows 98? Wait, even 98 could do this.... For the love of all things good in the world, at least they could have given some kind of admin-only search interface. Even it had to be run from the command line. Whatever. Just throw us admins a bone here Microsoft!

    I like Windows 7 and all, but MS has dumbed-down the UI with every new version. I get that Windows is a broad-based OS, targeted to a broad base of people, but I really don't want to lose a basic function just because you think it's 'too complicated' for the lowly user. You break my Microsoft. You break my heart.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-07-22T06:08:06+00:00

    I'm totally agree with you DM. Microsoft is just trying to make the search integrate with online searches since most people search online and are not technical to search for hidden or system files(Most of them don't even know there are hidden files.) Therefore MS took away those functions or make it harder to find and use. For advance people like us, I think MS can do a better job than this. They are trying to make the search smarter but it turn up to be smarter in the online world but stupid or almost useless in the local machine world. Just to design something better and smarter doesn't have to sacrifice other functions. No wonder they can't beat GOOGLE.

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-05-07T20:43:20+00:00

    I have to say, it was stupid of microsoft to remove the ability to change the search on the fly.

    WHY did it get removed? If I want to specify hidden and systems folders *IN* the search I should be able to, without turning on "View hidden and system files".

    Are you guys REALLY that damn stupid?

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