tkuechle

Q: Can't hide Hidden folders and files.

Hi All,

 

This past weekend I transferred my OS and apps to a newly installed SSD drive.

During the process I had to move some files around in order to get The OS and Apps on the SSD.

I used a technique that utilizes the Terminal and the chflags command.

My issue is now I can not hide the files and folders that are usually hidden.

I can't remember the exact method I used to unhide hidden folders and files. I can't even find a reference to it in my web browsers history.
I have searched on the web for solutions along these lines:

 

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -boolean FALSE ; killall Finder

chflags hidden

sudo chflags hidden

 

But none of these approaches have worked.

 

I have downloaded Onyx, TinkerTool and Show Hide Invisible Files.

I have used them as best I understand to hide the normally hidden files and folders, but nothing has worked.

Any Command Line gurus out there have any suggestions?

 

Many Thanks in Advance!

 

Tem

Mac Pro, OS X Mountain Lion (10.8.3), 2008

Posted on Sep 8, 2014 1:47 PM

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Q: Can't hide Hidden folders and files.

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  • Helpful answers

  • by Kappy,Helpful

    Kappy Kappy Sep 8, 2014 1:56 PM in response to tkuechle
    Level 10 (271,789 points)
    Desktops
    Sep 8, 2014 1:56 PM in response to tkuechle

    Basically, you were on the right track with chflags. But you needed to use sudo chflags hidden filename. Substitute the path and filename of the items you are trying to fix. You can just drag the items into the Terminal. Put a space after the word "hidden" first.

  • by tkuechle,

    tkuechle tkuechle Sep 8, 2014 2:19 PM in response to Kappy
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 8, 2014 2:19 PM in response to Kappy

    Kappy,

    Thank you for your advice.

    it it doesn't work.

    Tem

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Sep 8, 2014 2:51 PM in response to tkuechle
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Sep 8, 2014 2:51 PM in response to tkuechle

    Please post a screenshot that shows what you mean. Be careful not to include any private information.

    Start a reply to this message. Drag the image file into the editing window to upload it. You can also include text in the reply.

  • by tkuechle,

    tkuechle tkuechle Sep 9, 2014 3:35 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 9, 2014 3:35 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Hi Linc Davis,

    This image is what I am seeing, translucent/grayed icons.

    Screen Shot 2014-09-09 at 3.28.32 PM.jpg

    I should have at least taken a screen shot of the command that I had typed into Terminal.

    Then I, probably, could have undone it.

    I appreciate your efforts to help solve the issue that I have created for myself.

    I have an idea on how to fix my issue. Maybe, you might know if this should work.

    If I delete the Finder's plist, will the Finder app, after using Terminal to kill it, then generate a default plist for itself that, I'm guessing, would have default behaviors? Or is there an additional file that might need to be modified/deleted?

    Thanks again.

    Tem

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Sep 9, 2014 3:44 PM in response to tkuechle
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Sep 9, 2014 3:44 PM in response to tkuechle

    The first shell command you copied in your original post should have taken care of that. Did you get an error message when you ran it?

  • by tkuechle,

    tkuechle tkuechle Sep 9, 2014 3:47 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 9, 2014 3:47 PM in response to Linc Davis

    The shell command did not change display of hidden files and folders, they are still visible, although in the translucent/ghosted state.

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Sep 9, 2014 4:00 PM in response to tkuechle
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Sep 9, 2014 4:00 PM in response to tkuechle

    Please triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

    defaults read com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles | pbcopy

    Copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C.

    Paste into a Terminal window by pressing the key combination command-V. I've tested these instructions only with the Safari web browser. If you use another browser, you may have to press the return key after pasting.

    Wait for a new line ending in a dollar sign ($) to appear below what you entered.

    The output of the command will be automatically copied to the Clipboard. If the command produced no output, the Clipboard will be empty. Paste into a reply to this message.

    The Terminal window doesn't show the output. Please don't copy anything from there.

  • by tkuechle,

    tkuechle tkuechle Sep 9, 2014 10:43 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 9, 2014 10:43 PM in response to Linc Davis

    TRUE

  • by tkuechle,

    tkuechle tkuechle Sep 9, 2014 11:04 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 9, 2014 11:04 PM in response to Linc Davis

    I was able to find a file named ".History Bash". Below are the entries related to my issue.

     

    defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE

    defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

    killall FInder

    defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

    killall Finder

    exit

    chflags/Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/temujinkuechle/Desktop chflags /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/temujinkuechle

    defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

    killall Finder

    defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAll NO

    killall Finder

    defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

    defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

    killall FINDER

    killall FINDER

    killall FINDER

    exit

    killall Finder

    defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

    killall Finder

    man chflags

    defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFilesNO

    killall Finder

    defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFilesNO

    defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

    killall FInder

    killall Finder

    defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -boolean FALSE ; killall Finder

    chflags hidden /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/temujinkuechle/Desktop/.DS_Store chflags hidden /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/temujinkuechle/Desktop/.localized

    chflags hidden /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/temujinkuechle/Desktop/Thumbs.db

    chflags hidden /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/temujinkuechle/Desktop/\$RECYCLE.BIN

    killall Finder

    sudo chflags hidden /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/temujinkuechle/Desktop/.DS_Store

    killall Finder

    defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles NO; killall Finder

    defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles NO; killall Finder /System/Library/CoreServices/Finder.app

    sudo chflags hidden /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/temujinkuechle/.apdisk

    sudo chflags hidden /Volumes/Macintosh\ HD/Users/temujinkuechle/.dropbox

    defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool false

    killall FInder

    killall Finder

    chflags hidden ~/Library/

    killall Finder

    chflags hidden ~/Users/temujinkuechle/

    chflags hidden

    ls -a

    man chflags

    chflags hidden ~/Library

    killall Finder

    chflags hidden ~/Desktop

    killall Finder

    chflags hidden ~/Desktop

    killall Finder

    sudo chflags ~/Desktop

    killall Finder

  • by Linc Davis,

    Linc Davis Linc Davis Sep 9, 2014 11:14 PM in response to tkuechle
    Level 10 (208,037 points)
    Applications
    Sep 9, 2014 11:14 PM in response to tkuechle

    Triple-click anywhere in the line below on this page to select it:

    ~/Library/Preferences/com.apple.finder.plist

    Right-click or control-click the highlighted line and select  

              Services Show Info in Finder (or just Show Info)

    from the contextual menu.* An Info dialog should open.

    ☞ Does the dialog show "You can read and write" in the Sharing & Permissions section?

    ☞ In the General section, is the box labeled Locked checked?

    ☞ What is the Modified date?

    If you don't have read and write access to the item, change the settings as directed here. Note, however, that if one file has wrong access settings, most likely others do as well. If the item is locked, unlock it.

    *If you don't see the contextual menu item, copy the selected text to the Clipboard by pressing the key combination command-C. Open a TextEdit window and paste into it (command-V). Select the line you just pasted and continue as above.

  • by tkuechle,

    tkuechle tkuechle Sep 9, 2014 11:20 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 9, 2014 11:20 PM in response to Linc Davis

    I downloaded an app named Prefs Editor.

    I was able to find and open the Library folder in my Users directory.

    Then I searched for and opened the file named "com.apple.finder"

    Finally I found the property related to the ShowAllFiles issue to modify from TRUE to FALSE.

    Then I pressed the OPTION key and selected the Finder Icon in the Dock to Relaunch.

    It seems to have worked.

    I have navigated several directory/folder levels and Finder windows and the Desktop with all Hidden files now in the Hidden state.

    I also checked other accounts, and as expected, they didn't show Hidden files.

    I do appreciate your assistance in solving this small problem.

    Tem

  • by tkuechle,

    tkuechle tkuechle Sep 9, 2014 11:23 PM in response to Linc Davis
    Level 1 (4 points)
    Sep 9, 2014 11:23 PM in response to Linc Davis

    Screen Shot 2014-09-09 at 4.11.30 PM.jpg

  • by randybrondong,

    randybrondong randybrondong Dec 23, 2014 4:46 AM in response to tkuechle
    Level 1 (0 points)
    Dec 23, 2014 4:46 AM in response to tkuechle

    I have a problem with my hidden files. Since I updated to (I think snow leopard), I can't access my hidden files. I used the ones where you drag a folder to trash, and you can open it back up by typing the name of the folder on the search button. When I tried to open it, I put in the password and it wouldn't allow me to access it. After the third try, it says authentication error. Can anybody please help me with that? Thank you!