After reading this tutorial, you can get an option to show or hide hidden files in right click context menu in Windows 7.
You have to create one vbs file and one registry file in order to get the option in right click menu.
we have written in detail plus added the needed files as free downloads so that you can easily do the trick.
Open Notepad. Write the following code there:
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Hidden = "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Hidden" SHidden = "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\ShowSuperHidden" Set Sh = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell") St = Sh.RegRead(Hidden) If St = 2 Then Sh.RegWrite Hidden, 1, "REG_DWORD" Sh.RegWrite SHidden, 1, "REG_DWORD" Else Sh.RegWrite Hidden, 2, "REG_DWORD" Sh.RegWrite SHidden, 0, "REG_DWORD" End If Sh.SendKeys("{F5}") |
We are showing you the screenshot:
Save it using “Save As…” as Show_Hidden_Files_Switch.vbs (or just save the New Text Document.txt, when saved just re-name it, including extension); do not forget to change the file type to all files from text file. Place it in your C: >Windows Folder: 
Again, open the Notepad. Write the code as written bellow (again, look the screenshot below):
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Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00 [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Show / Hide Hidden Files] @=Show / Hide Hidden Files "HasLUAShield"="" [HKEY_CLASSES_ROOT\Directory\Background\shell\Show / Hide Hidden Files\command] @="cmd.exe /c start C:\\Windows\\Show_Hidden_Files_Switch.vbs" |
It should look like this: 
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Save it using “Save As…” as Show_Hidden_Files_Switch.reg (or just save the New Text Document.txt, when saved just re-name it, including extension); do not forget to change the file type to all files from text file:
Double click the reg file and accept the security prompt. Right click anywhere within Explorer or desktop, you will get the Show Hide hidden files option in right click context menu: 
All the files: Show_Hidden_Files_Switch.vbs , Show_Hidden_Files_Switch.reg and another reg file that will allow you to remove the show hide context menu option is included in this rar file. Just click here to download.
Many thanks to our regular reader Mr. Junaid Muhamed Baramy for taking his time to correct the previous code.
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Hi,
Thank you for the tutorials. Had been searching for this every where. Nice work.
FYI: u missed a – @=”Show / Hide Hidden Files” in reg file.
ie:
Windows Registry Editor Version 5.00
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryBackgroundshellShow / Hide Hidden Files]
@=”Show / Hide Hidden Files”
“HasLUAShield”=””
[HKEY_CLASSES_ROOTDirectoryBackgroundshellShow / Hide Hidden Filescommand]
@=”cmd.exe /c start C:\Windows\Show_Hidden_Files_Switch.vbs”
Thank you very much Juniad; it has been corrected now.
Thanks for the appreciation too.
thank you?I LIKE IT VERY MUSH
It works.
hmm… it seems to work to the point of adding the “toggle” to the context menu. But when I click it… the command prompt comes up for a split second–vanishes–and then my browser window (chrome) gets refreshed…?? Not sure whats going on here… maybe I need another cup of coffee. Any suggestions?
Note: I’m lazy so I just downloaded the zip files and placed both the .reg and the .vbs file in my windows folder. …and yes… I am logged on as an administrator.
Its working as usually. I have downloaded and checked again right now.
That CMD black window will come, that is normal in the way the script is written.
( If you look at our other right click tutorials, in some cases we have made
in tosome other vbs files to run ‘outside of the users’ view’.)If you are expecting some pop up will come and tell you “Hidden files enabled” or “Hidden Files is Visible” : that will not happen. It is just a script not a program.
You can double click the vbs file to test, that will work itself as a “switch”. Adding to right click menu is basically not the important part, that vbs is the main part to act as a switch, which otherwise you have access through the menus.
Kindly check inside any folder where there are hidden files, you will see it is working.
Regarding Chrome : Toggling between hiding and not hiding the hidden files (there are system files too) can change the behavior of any running program.
it does not refresh, i need to refresh by myself
Win 7
This is a very useful tweak, thanks a lot.
Is there any possibility of having the icon change so that it is immediately obvious whether hidden files are being shown or not?
You are saying something like “active” and “inactive” icons or tick mark and wrong mark ? Something like that?
I’m getting an error invalid character error for my .vbs file i copied and pasted it twice and its right. says error occurs at “line 1” “Character 10″. not sure how the ” mark is invalid but thats what its telling me.
could you please make the cmd window launch silently so that we dont see it when unhiding hidden files? it would be much appreciated my friend , take care
For silent execution of Regedit, use the /s parameter. s for ‘silent’.
how would i do that? btw its not regedit its a command line window that gets launched when you select hide/unhide in the right click menu
or if it wouldnt be too much trouble could you update the rar and add the code so that we wont see the cmd window when we hide or unhide files? itd me very much appreciated ,thank you
please upload another version with silent cmd execution integrated , thanks
Worked great, exactly what I was looking for. Thanks a lot!
You are welcome Jarret.
Nice tip! Thank you so much, although I have to refresh (F5) every time to see the changes.
Problem solved after restart, works great!
Thats Great !
Thank you! I’d love to have this as a toolbar button.
Has any reader an idea of how to register a button in Windows7? It was quite easy under XP.
Maybe you should get in contact with shell extensions website people?