AOMEI Partition Assistant 
How to Find A Hidden Folder on Windows 11/10
How to find a hidden folder in Windows system? Some files and folders are hidden by default to avoid accidentally modifying. In this post, we’ll show you how to show hidden folders when you need the files in them.
By Lucas / Updated on January 13, 2025
What are hidden folders on Windows?
Windows conceals files for a significant purpose. Hidden files, which are typically critical system files, app configuration files, backup files, transient files, and caches, are not visible to direct check. By default, these files are not displayed. The primary objective of concealing them is to prevent unintentional modifications that could potentially cause instability or damage to the operating system.
However, circumstances may arise that necessitate accessing these concealed files. Advanced users, including system administrators, developers, and IT professionals, frequently require the ability to retrieve hidden files, whether for troubleshooting, decluttering the operating system, or mere curiosity. To optimize the system performance, they may implement File Explorer or command-line tools to modify Windows security settings, eliminate superfluous files, or modify configuration files.
Exercise caution when investigating concealed files and folders, especially if you are contemplating modifications. It is advisable to adhere to established file types to prevent the inadvertent deletion of critical folders in Windows.
How to find a hidden folder
Now, we’ll show you how to find a hidden folder on your Windows.
1. Show hidden folder in Windows 10
Step 1. Launch File Explorer by searching for it or by clicking its icon located on the taskbar.
Step 2. Navigate to the View menu, choose Options, and then click on the Change folder and search options.
Step 3. From there, head to the View tab. Within the Advanced settings section, select the option to Show hidden files, folders, and drives and click OK.
2. Show hidden files in Windows 11
Step 1. Launch File Explorer.
Step 2. Select the View tab located on the menu bar.
Step 3. In the Show/hide section, activate the Hidden items checkbox.
3. Show hidden folder via Command Prompt
There are two ways to show hidden files using command: dir command and attrib command.
Command 1: view hidden files with dir lines
Step 1. Hit Windows Key + X on your keyboard, and select Command Prompt (Admin) from the menu.
Step 2. Type dir F: /a:h /b /s and press Enter to show hidden files in drive F. You should change the drive letter according to your situation.
Step 3. Type exit and press Enter to exit Command Prompt.
You can only view hidden files in the Command Prompt window by using dir command. To unhide those files from specific drive, please learn how to show hidden files via command from command 2.
✨ Tips:
▪ /a:h—displays the names of the directories and files with the Hidden attribute; the colon between “a” and “h” is optional;
▪ /b—displays a bare list of directories and files, with no additional information;
▪ /s—lists every occurrence of the specified file name within the specified directory and all subdirectories.
Command 2: show hidden files with attrib lines
Open Command Prompt and run as admin.
Step 1. Type attrib -h -r -s /s /d F:\*.* and press Enter to unhide hidden files in drive F. Replace the drive letter with yours.
✨ Tips:
▪ -h—clears the Hidden file attribute; -r—clears the Read-only file attribute; -s—clears the System file attribute;
▪ /s—applies attrib and any command-line options to matching files in the current directory and all of its subdirectories;
▪ /d—applies attrib and any command-line options to directories.
Step 2. Type exit and press Enter to exit the Command Prompt. You can then see the hidden files in the corresponding drive.
What can I do for folders & files still not showing up in Windows?
The methods mentioned above should suffice if you simply require information on how to show hidden folders in Windows.
Nevertheless, there are instances in which matters are not as straightforward. In Windows, some users discover that the target files and folders are still hidden, even after they have unhidden the hidden files. If you find yourself in this predicament, you will require additional solutions to experiment with.
Drive issues, including malware, viruses, accidental data loss, corrupted file systems, and faulty sectors on the disk, are the most common causes of this error. Consequently, resolving this issue will be more convenient if you have a comprehensive disk and partition manager.
AOMEI Partition Assistant is a professional application that enables Windows 11/10/8/8.1/7 users to administer their devices simply and efficiently. It can format, check, create, delete, and copy partitions in a basic manner, eliminating the need to stress about intricate commands or operations.
100% Secure1. Check target partition and fix via chkdsk.exe
Step 1. Right-click on the partition which you are going to check, and choose "Advanced" -> "Check Partition".
Step 2. Select the way of checking errors to perform, and click "OK" to continue.
1. Check partition and fix errors in this partition by using chkdsk.exe:finds out the wrong parts in the partition and deal with them.
2. Check partition for errors by using chkdsk.exe:only check and find.
3. Check whether there is a bad sector on the partition:just tell you whether there is a bad sector on the partition or not.
Step 3. The operation will be completed successfully in a while. You can view how far it goes through the process on the pop-out window. Click "OK" to finish this task.
2. Try to recover the target drive
Some users find that the data recovery tool may retrieve missing files on the target drive when there are not only files disappear but also a whole partition does not show up. So, in this situation, you can try this way to see if the missing files can be found or not
Step 1. Run AOMEI Partition Assistant. Click "Recover" and “Partition Recovery” on the top panel.
Step 2. Choose the target disk that contains the partition and click “Next”.
Step 3. Here offers you two search modes. Choose one and click “Next”.
Step 4. The lost partitions will be listed. Choose the one that you want to recover and click “Proceed”
Step 5. When you are prompted that the partitions have been recovered successfully, click “Finish”.
To sum up
You are now aware of how to find a hidden folder in Windows 11/10/8/7 by utilizing command lines. Additionally, the AOMEI Partition Assistant can be employed to rectify the corrupted file system, thereby enabling the retrieval of concealed files. In addition to verifying and rectifying disk errors, AOMEI Partition Assistant enables you to assess disk performance and resolve unformatted hard drives.
