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The other way is to dig manually through your ~/Library folder, but that’s not time-efficient and can even put your data at risk if you accidentally delete something you shouldn’t.
HOW TO SHOW HIDDEN FILES USING FINDER ON MAC HOW TO
How to show hidden files on Mac with easeįor those who need a quick answer, the best way to show hidden folders Mac has hidden is to install a utility that can do it. That being said, it doesn’t hurt to see the ~/Library folder contents.ġ. If you’re not sure what each particular file does, it’s better not to edit them. Where and how to find the Library folder?īefore you decide to go into ~/Library, we have to warn you to be cautious. You’ll find all of them in a ~/Library folder. There are, however, tons of system files among those hidden items that just eat up your storage space for no particular reason. So some of the files Apple hides on Mac are hidden for a reason - they are essential for your macOS to run smoothly, and you shouldn’t remove hidden files Mac uses to operate properly. Is it normal that "System" takes up 90GB+ of storage? What does it contain? How to get your System folder under control? Why files and folders might be hidden? Most of them are hidden away in the ~/Library folder, but the truth is that the average Mac holds a treasure trove of files and folders that you either no longer need or may want to access for troubleshooting purposes. There are, however, times when you need to access those files. It’s not a shock that, since those days, developers have taken more care to hide away files that are essential to their operating systems.
HOW TO SHOW HIDDEN FILES USING FINDER ON MAC PC
Then if you actually decided to look for the hidden files, do it carefully and thoughtfully, it would be even better to backup your computer beforehand to prevent any catastrophic data lost.Those of us who have lived online for long enough will remember the Delete System32 hoax, with which trolls encouraged naive PC users to delete their Windows 2000 system directory. Do you really want and need to put your computer at risk just for the sake of curiosity? Honestly, just leave those files alone and keep your computer safe unless, of course, you have a really good reason to look for access to them. Most of the time those files are hidden from you for a reason as messing with them can have a negative effect on your computer’s functionality. Do you actually need to access those hidden Mac files? To reverse this change go back to Terminal and do the same, but change the string a little bit so it looks like this.ĭefaults write AppleShowAllFiles false killall FinderĪfter typing it in press enter and enjoy the results. The second section restarts the Finder so that all hidden elements can appear.
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The first part of the string sets the macOS settings to automatically show all files. Enter the following text in Terminal and then press enter.ĭefaults write AppleShowAllFiles true killall Finder Go to Finder, click on Applications then choose the Utilities folder and follow to Terminal. If you happen to use a macOS version older than Sierra this option might be right for you, however it is also perfectly useful in Sierra and High Sierra. (Period) and navigate between two states. Go to Finder and find the folder you want to make visible/hidden. If you are using macOS Sierra or later versions, those options are accessible for you. MacOS users can navigate between files, edit them, make some of them visible or hidden by using different keyboard shortcuts. (Remember that the process can differ for different operating systems and different types of files.) Use a Keyboard Shortcut to Find Hidden Files So here are the instructions on how you can get the hidden files on Mac. No matter why files are hidden, sometimes we might need to find those files. Word processor, for instance, can create a copy of the file currently being edited to save it in case of any problems, or flag a file that a program thinks needs to be protected. They are hidden all over Mac’s file system to prevent users from even seeing them because any change in some of them might result in major macOS problems but some of them are just kept away from users to prevent any unwanted interaction with the file. Apple does it to save the files from an unwanted deletion or change. Most of them MacOS keeps in immediate accessibility, whereas some can be hard to find. Mac users can definitely access all of their files.