Apple’s Mac OS X has a functionality to hide certain files from a user’s view. This is often done to prevent accidental deletion or modification of important files that the system needs to function properly. However, sometimes you may need to access these hidden files for various reasons. For instance, you may need to troubleshoot a problem or modify a setting that isn’t available through the regular system preferences.
In this tutorial, we will guide you on how to show hidden files on Mac.
Showing Hidden Files Using Terminal
The Terminal is a powerful tool that allows you to control your system using command line interface. You can use it to show hidden files on your Mac. Here’s how:
First, open Terminal. You can do this by clicking on the magnifying glass (Spotlight search) at the top right of your screen, typing Terminal and hitting Enter.
Next, you need to enter a specific command. For macOS Sierra and later, use the following code:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles YES killall Finder
In this code, the first line tells Finder to show all files including the hidden ones. The second line restarts Finder so that the changes can take effect.
If you are using a Mac with OS X El Capitan, Yosemite or earlier, use the following code:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -boolean true ; killall Finder
Once you’re done, just close Terminal and you’ll be able to see all hidden files on your Mac.
Re-Hiding Files on Mac
If you want to re-hide the files once you’re done, you can do so by using the following command:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles NO killall Finder
This will revert the changes you made and hide all files that are usually hidden in Mac OS.
It’s crucial to note that handling hidden files should be done with caution. As they are usually hidden for a reason, modifying or deleting them could cause issues with your system. Only manipulate these files if you are confident in what you are doing and always ensure you have a current backup of your data.
So there you have it – a simple guide on how to show hidden files on your Mac. We hope that this tutorial has been helpful for you. Happy exploring!
