Show Hidden Files and Folders on Mac OS X

Certain files and folders on your Apple Mac computer are usually hidden by default, so you are unable to see them from MAC OS X Lion's Finder program. If you need to reveal these hidden files, perhaps to make advanced system changes or to implement a software fix, it is possible to do so by using the Terminal utility on your computer.

Steps

Showing Hidden Files

  1. Click the "Finder" icon on your dock.
  2. Open Terminal. Terminal is a utility that provides command-line access to the OS X Lion operating system. It can be opened in one of three ways:
    • Click on "Applications" in the left-hand pane, then on "Utilities." Then, double-click on "Terminal."
    • Open the OS X Lion Launchpad. Click the "Utilities" folder. Then, double click on "Terminal."
    • Find Terminal on the Spotlight search menu. Click the magnifying glass icon on your top menu bar, type "terminal," and then click on the program when it appears.
  3. Type the following text into the Terminal window. Then, press "Enter:"
    defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles YES
  4. Close the Terminal program. This can be done by selecting "Quit Terminal" from the Terminal menu.
  5. Restart Finder. The new setting will not take effect until you relaunch finder. To do so, hold down the "Alt" key and right-click or two-fingered click on the Finder icon. Select "Relaunch."
  6. Open Finder by clicking its icon in the Doc. You will see that the hidden files are now visible. Hidden files/folders are shown with lighter text and icons than normal files/folders.

Hiding Files

If you don't want to keep your hidden files visible, you can reverse the process by following these steps.

  1. Click the "Finder" icon on your dock.
  2. Open Terminal. Terminal is a utility that provides command-line access to the OS X Lion operating system. It can be opened in one of three ways:
    • Click on "Applications" in the left-hand pane, then on "Utilities," and then double-click on "Terminal."
    • Open the OS X Lion Launchpad. Click the "Utilities" folder. Then, double click on "Terminal"
    • Find Terminal on the Spotlight search menu. Click the magnifying glass icon on your top menu bar, type "terminal," and then click on the program when it appears.
  3. Type the following text into the Terminal window. Then, press "Enter:"
    defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles NO
  4. Close the Terminal program. This can be done by selecting "Quit Terminal" from the Terminal menu.
  5. Restart Finder. This must be done before the new setting to take effect. Hold down the "Alt" key and right-click or two-fingered click on the Finder icon. Select "Relaunch."
  6. Open Finder by clicking its icon, and the hidden files will no longer be visible.

Tips

  • OS X Lion hides the "Library" folder by default, whereas previous version of OS X had this folder visible. In order to show just the library folder, without showing all other hidden files and folders, type the following command into the Terminal window instead:chflags nohidden ~/Library/
  • Usual day-to-day usage of a Mac doesn’t require hidden files to be visible. After you have performed a task that requires these files to be shown, it is wise to hide them again to protect against any accidental damage.
  • When you type the text into Terminal, ensure "Finder" has a capital "F" or the command will not work.

Warnings

  • It is possible to do serious damage to your programs and / or operating system if you incorrectly delete or change system files. A mistake could cause your system to stop working or require reinstallation. For this reason, follow all instructions very carefully when working with hidden file and folders.

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