# Quick Access To Hidden Files, File Extensions, SelectAll - Vista, XP



## Elvandil

This attached file will add "Hidden Files Toggle" to the right-click menu, making it fast and easy to show or hide them.


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## JohnWill

I leave hidden files visible all the time, but I do allow Windows to hide O/S files.


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## Elvandil

I used to leave them visible all the time, but the desktop.ini files sitting on my desktop and a few others I just didn't want to see all the time made a quick remedy ideal. It seesm I need to see hidden in Vista more than ever before, but that may be because I'm still exploring and tweaking.

There are also times when I want to see what others who still have files hidden would see.


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## JohnWill

Hmm... I never see the desktop .INI files on my desktop.


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## Elvandil

I actually get 2 of them on the desktop and at least one in every folder.


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## Elvandil

I found the reason: I have superhidden files unhidden, too. It turns out that I have 17 superhidden files and folders in my User folder, for example, that don't appear when only hidden files are unhidden. So, I guess I still need the toggle to get rid of all the desktop.ini's if I want to be able to see all the hidden files when I want.


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## JohnWill

That could be the difference. Now, tell me what a "superhidden" file is? Are you talking about operating system files? I don't have a "superhidden" option. 

Oh, and I checked my Vista Home Premium on my laptop, and hidden files are displayed, and I don't see any DESKTOP.INI files on the desktop.


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## Elvandil

Yeh, the desktop.ini's disappeared, even with hidden shown, when I re-hid superhidden.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced

ShowSuperHidden:REG_DWORD:1-enable, 2-disable

Not sure of the function of this one, so I always change both at once:

SuperHidden:REG_DWORD:1-enable, 2-disable

Then, take a look in your user folder. You'll be surprized how much more is there (for better or worse).


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## JohnWill

I had never heard of "superhidden" files, learn something every day. 

I wonder if that's the same as system files?


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## Elvandil

They aren't the same. I think I remember reading that it is a whole different attribute, not accessible to users. But I have system files enabled and the extra folders and desktop.ini's only appear when superhidden is enabled.


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## JohnWill

That's why I don't see them, I didn't even know that attribute existed!


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## firestormer

Usefull. I generaly have hidden files hidden. Sometimes its nice to hide the clutter especialy with the way user documents and files are now aranged in vista


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## Diabo

Elvandil said:


> This attached file will add "Hidden Files Toggle" to the right-click menu, making it fast and easy to show or hide them.


Nice app.

I've wrapped a primitive installer/uninstaller around it (just two batch files and a copy of pskill.exe). HiddenToggle.zip at the bottom of this post.

Is there a way to change the "Hidden Files Toggle" entry in the context menu into something else?
If the dll can detect the hidden show/hide status, it could display "Show Hidden Files" or "Hide Hidden Files" in the context menu, depending on the current setting.

p.s. you can also toggle hidden files on/off with a simple vbs script. Just save the script below as a .vbs file and put a shortcut on your desktop/start menu/quick launch bar/etc.



> Option Explicit
> On Error Resume Next
> Dim WSHShell, n, p, itemtype, MyBox
> Set WSHShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
> p = "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Hidden"
> itemtype = "REG_DWORD"
> n = WSHShell.RegRead (p)
> errnum = Err.Number
> if errnum <> 1 then
> WshShell.SendKeys "%a"
> WSHShell.RegWrite p, 2, itemtype
> End if
> If n = 2 Then
> WshShell.RegWrite p, 1, itemtype
> 'MyBox = MsgBox("Hidden Files and Folders visible", 64, "Hidden Files and Folders")
> End If
> If n = 1 Then
> WshShell.SendKeys "%a"
> WshShell.Regwrite p, 2, itemtype
> 'MyBox = MsgBox("Hidden Files and Folders hidden", 64, "Hidden Files and Folders")
> 'Set WshShell = Nothing
> End if


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## Diabo

I changed the method for restarting explorer in the uninstall batch file: explorestart instead of pskill.

explorestart is a bit smaller than pskill, and the license terms concerning distribution are more favorable.


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## Elvandil

In case you're bored.....

Here's a couple more. One toggles file extensions for common file types and the other adds "Select All" to open folders so that it is not necessary to go to the Edit menu to do this.

Attached.

Thanks for your handy enhancements. I have friends whose computers I work on often who like hidden files hidden and common file endings hidden. To me, that's like trying to paint in the dark, but they are "personal" computers, so I like having these tools.


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## Diabo

Elvandil said:


> ...and the other adds "Select All" to open folders so that it is not necessary to go to the Edit menu to do this.


And here's the version with install/uninstall batch files.

I've changed things a bit. HiddenToggle and SelectAll now install to their own folder inside the program files folder. System32 is crowded enough already, and IMO should be reserved for system files.


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## Diabo

Looks like we have some real installers now...
http://spiritpyre.zxian.org/shell_exts_installers/


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## david323

This registry setting simply toggles the "Hide protected operating system files" checkbox under Folder Options. If you wish to verify this, keep both regedit and Folder Options open at the same time, check or uncheck the box in Folder Options, then refresh the registry and you'll see ShowSuperHidden change back and forth from "0" off, to "1" on.

Case closed.

Superhidden files are simply files with the system attribute set.

A better question is "why" when system files and hidden files are being displayed, some desktop.ini files still do not show up in Windows Explorer. I'm researching this now.


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## akosijanedoe

Diabo said:


> I changed the method for restarting explorer in the uninstall batch file: explorestart instead of pskill.
> 
> explorestart is a bit smaller than pskill, and the license terms concerning distribution are more favorable.


is there a way to add a .vbs file to the right-click menu when the mouse is pointing at empty space say, on desktop?


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## midgetsanchez

How do you "install" these .dll files?


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## Elvandil

midgetsanchez said:


> How do you "install" these .dll files?


Look at the text file in the hiddenfi folder. Copy them to system32 and then register them.


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## CTPhil

OK, I'm confused. Are there actually files still hidden when you've checked "show hidden files and folders" or not?


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## Elvandil

CTPhil said:


> OK, I'm confused. Are there actually files still hidden when you've checked "show hidden files and folders" or not?


Yes. there's still the "superhidden" files. And even after those are revealed, there are still more that are only visible with special file managers.


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## CTPhil

Sorry to be a pain, but what is the nature of these files and why are they superhidden?


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## Elvandil

I know very little about these files, really. Some of them are ActiveX components in the Windows\Downloaded Program Files folder. Very mysteriously, different file managers will give different accounts of what files and how many are actually inside that folder.

Most of the superhidden files are desktop.ini files inside every directory on the computer that specify things like the folder type, background image used, and so on. There will be 2 of them on the desktop if unhidden--not usually a desirable thing.

Others can be seen by using rootkit revealers. Some are hidden intentionally by MS and others appear to be simply errors introduced by badly written software. Explorer will simply not allow or display file names with disallowed configurations. This is also true of regedit that fails to display many registry keys.

Like all hidden files, they are usually hidden to prevent people from messing with them. The average user has no need to be looking at system files at all.


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## CTPhil

Thanks for explaining that!


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