How to add toggle hidden files to context menu in Windows 7

Abhishek Ghosh

By Abhishek Ghosh January 18, 2011 9:27 am Updated on October 22, 2014

How to add toggle hidden files to context menu in Windows 7

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:

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}")

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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):

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"

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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:

---

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.