Windows Explorer See Hidden Files [top] (720p 2026)

Hidden files appear slightly faded (grayed out) in Explorer.

Windows operating systems, by default, hide certain files and folders to prevent accidental modification or deletion. These include system files (e.g., bootmgr , pagefile.sys ) and user preference folders (e.g., AppData ). This report details multiple methods to make Windows Explorer display all hidden items. windows explorer see hidden files

Stop-Process -Name explorer -Force

Then restart explorer.exe :