Hidden files are no longer hidden ... help?

MetroGru

MetroGru

Active member
Joined
Dec 29, 2019
Posts
34
I recently ran a program to help a friend with something, i know i shouldn't have but i did. anyways. Every hidden file/folder is know shown what should i do to make them hidden again? On startup there is a file called desktop.ini opens ( just if it helps )

this is the program i ran idk if it helps, Shortcut Antivirus.zip
 
Folders and files that were hidden before are no longer hidden now, and it doesn't affect them when i check *show hidden files* or not because hidden option isn't ticked in these files basically i have to do it manually on every single file of them, i was asking if there was a method to make them all hidden again
 
I think what xBlueRobot is suggesting is follow those instructions in reverse. That is, follow the instructions but instead of ticking the "Show hidden..." button, make sure the button to "Don't show hidden files, folders, or devices" is ticked.
 
Digerati said:
I think what xBlueRobot is suggesting is follow those instructions in reverse. That is, follow the instructions but instead of ticking the "Show hidden..." button, make sure the button to "Don't show hidden files, folders, or devices" is ticked.
Click to expand...

That's exactly what I meant, sorry for not clarifying, I thought it could be inferred from the tutorial instructions.
 
@Digerati and @x BlueRobot on post #4 the user explained that the tool used removed the Hidden attribute from most of the files if not all on drive C: the Show Hidden... option doesn't help!

I don't know of any tool that restore attributes of files/folders to the default used by Windows!
 
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And I don't know of any utility that "knows" what Windows system files are hidden in their default state. Even using a restore point won't fix this if the issue is because something actually went through the entire drive and turned off the hidden attribute for files that were supposed to be hidden.

The only thing I can suggest is, Doing a Windows 10 Repair Install or Feature Update Using the Windows 10 ISO file

There is at least a decent probability that the vast majority of these files will be supplanted as part of the process and have the attributes on them that they normally do afterward. If that doesn't work, then the only way I can think of to rectify the situation is to back up all the user data, get an inventory of the installed software, and Doing a Completely Clean (Re)install of Windows 10 Using Media Creation Tool to Fetch the Win10 ISO File. Since you'll already have the ISO file from attempting the repair install, you won't need to download that again, just burn it as bootable to a USB drive.

And not to rub salt in an open wound, but this is why I emphasize, over and over again, that a basic computer ownership task is to have an external backup drive and to take routine full system image backups (and separate user data backups) at regular intervals as well as "off cycle" before something like a feature update or after something like uploading a couple thousand vacation photos you'd cry if you lost (or after completing those 5 chapters of your novel in one fevered night, and that you'd commit hara kiri were they to be lost). Having those backups allows you to run a recovery and very quickly get back on your feet after all sorts of disasters.
 

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