This brief tutorial is going to show you how to enable the feature that always show hidden files and folders in both Windows 7 and Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise Pangolin). Both Windows 7 and Ubuntu 12.04 have files and folders that are hidden from users. These settings are applied mostly to files and folders that you probably won’t be using frequently or are system files. Windows 7 and Ubuntu 12.04 may be different operating systems, but have many functions in common. Almost every function you perform in Windows can also be done in Ubuntu 12.04. And if you’re coming from Windows 7 to Ubuntu, this guide will help you understand Ubuntu better.

Objectives:

  • Always show hidden files and folders in Windows 7 and Ubuntu 12.04
  • Enjoy!

 

How to Always Show Hidden Files and Folders in Windows 7

To always show hidden files and folders in Windows, go to Start –> Computer to open Explorer. When Explorer opens, select ‘Organize’ from the menu bar and click ‘Folder and search options’

 

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Finally, select ‘View’ tab and choose the option shown ‘Show hidden files, folder, and drives’

 

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That’s it!  The next time you open Windows Explorer, you should see hidden system files among your regular files and folders.

 

How to Always Show Hidden Files and Folders in Ubuntu 12.04 (Precise Pangolin)

To always show hidden files in Ubuntu, press Ctrl – Alt – T on your keyboard to open terminal. When it opens, run the commands below to turn that feature on.

gsettings set org.gnome.nautilus.preferences show-hidden-files true

 

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Enjoy!

 

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