Yesterday I show how to create hidden files on Mac OS, this day I would show how to find hidden files/folders on Mac OS computer.
Did you know that you can quickly see all the hidden files in a directory from any Mac Save window? Just hit Command+Shift+. (yes, the period key, Command+Shift+Period) and you will toggle the display of hidden files in any Mac OS X save dialogue box. This is really useful for saving and seeing things like .htaccess files in Mac OS X. If you hit the keystroke again you will toggle the hidden files to be invisible again.
If you find yourself needing to access hidden files on your Mac (say an .htaccess file you downloaded), run the below command from the terminal.
For those who don’t know, files that are hidden in Mac OS are determined so by preceding the filename with a single period symbol (.), you can actually make any file hidden by doing this.
Show Hidden Files on your Mac
Launch the Terminal and enter these commands exactly as shown. The first command activates the ability to see the hidden files:
defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
Now you must relaunch the Finder by killing it, this is how the changes take effect:
killall Finder
If you want to hide hidden files again (those preceded with a .) and go back to the default Mac settings, you can just type the following:
defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE
Again you will need to kill the Finder so that it can relaunch for changes to take effect:
killall Finder
That’s all there is to it!
Show Hidden Files in a Mac Save Dialogue
You can quickly show all hidden files in any Mac OS X save dialogue box by hitting Command+Shift+Period
Show Hidden Files on your Mac through the Terminal
Another way to quickly see hidden files is by using the ls command within the Terminal, at the command line type the following:
ls -a
The -a flag tells the ls (list) command to show all contents, including hidden files. You then just have to specify a directory if you want to see the hidden files in it:
ls -a ~/Sites/betasite
This method does not effect the Finder or the visibility of hidden files outside of using the -a flag.
Another Solution
Step 1: Assume that the person hiding them isn’t that careful, or doesn’t think the person doing the snooping will have enough knowledge to find easily find-able hidden files. You will start with this method. It is easy to do, and will show files that were hidden using the easiest method.
Navigate to the Terminal (Applications>Utilities) and type the following line of text in:
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true
You will then need to log out and log back in. If this isn’t an option because you don’t know the systems log in password, then type ‘ killall Finder ‘ in the Terminal, minus the quotation marks.
You should now see the hidden files. Once you’ve gotten what you want, you’ll probably want to rehide the files so that no one realizes you saw them. To do this, open Terminal back up and type
defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool false
Everything is now safely hidden again and no one is the wiser.
Step 2: If you are dealing with a more careful person, or with someone who knows what they are doing when it comes to hiding the goods, you’ll have a little more work cut out for you.
The second method many use when hiding their files is to create a new disk and make it password protected. When this disk is unmounted, it will simply look like a random DMG file. When mounted, however, it becomes the password protected gateway to the treasure you’ve been searching for.
If you locate a DMG file using the above method, you’ll need to double click on it to mount the image. If you are prompted to give a password, you’ll have to find a different method of accessing it, most of which are illegal, so they will not be mentioned in this article.
There is a program called Spotlight that may or may not allow you to see what’s inside the image. Run it and take a gander.
Warning: This information is not intended for illegal purposes. Only use this to access hidden files on your own system, or a system you have permission to use. The author and publisher of this article assume no responsibility for anything illegal you may do with this information. Use at your own risk.
Note: some people take extra precautions when hiding their files. They give them names and tags that wouldn’t alert even the most careful snoop, like 2007_fiscal_earnings, or some such nonsense. If you discover files like these on the computer, only to remember that your fifteen year old doesn’t even know the definition of fiscal, take a second look, because you’ve probably been staring the goods right in the face.
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