Show hidden files

What I observe in Yosemite, is that I have two different Bash scripts,and one AppleScript that work to toggle the hidden files, but if you copy/paste the identical defaults syntax from these scripts in the Terminal, it is ignored. A new Terminal session does not remedy this issue.

The syntax that I use matches yours, with the exception of -bool, and TRUE/FALSE usage. No variation of true/false appears to work in the Terminal. On Mavericks 10.9.5, with the patched Bash shell (v3.2.53(1) - same as Yosemite, these commands work just fine in the Terminal.

Here is some properly attributed AppleScript that you open in Script Editor, save as text (.AppleScript) to preserve the source, and then option + Save As… to an application (without app extension), and place in your Dock. Each time you click it, there is a transition from hidden to unhidden files. Called mine dothide.

This works equally well on Yosemite.

-- Submitted by Baltwo on Apple Support Community

try

do shell script "defaults read com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles"

on error

do shell script "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles 0"

end try

if (do shell script "defaults read com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles") is equal to "0" then

do shell script "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles 1"

else

do shell script "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles 0"

end if

do shell script "killall Finder"

🙂

I have no idea what all this is. I found Terminal, pasted "defaults read com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles" but it sure isn't giving me what I want!

Yesterday I saved some documents in Pages starting with a . because I like the way the documents are arranged numerically when I use a dot. I didn't realize I wouldn't be able to access the documents later. I saw the warning where it said that . files are "reserved for the system" but didn't read it to the end where it says that the documents will be hidden!

Well, will someone please tell me how to get to those documents so I can change the file names? I can use a - instead of a .

🙂

I tried cutting and pasting the given command combination, but to no avail. However I have noticed that my mac ( I am a recent user of the Mac) is often quite slow at doing some things. So I ran the first part: "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles 0" then left it for about 30 secs/1min then I ran the kill: "killall Finder" .

This appeared to work! Looks like Finder is being restarted before the defaults change has had time to be reset.

At least that is my interpretation!

azdflora

I believe that the problem is as simple as capitalizing "true" in the Terminal command:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE

Case matters here. This works from 10.8 onward. I just tested it on 10.10, and it worked there too, even after a logout/login.

Charles

P.S.: Reading through the other responses, I see that at least one other person tried all variations of "true." Well, it works for me. Perhaps this was broken and fixed in 10.10.1?

🙂

Pasted defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE into the Terminal and waited, as azdflora suggested but still, nothing came up. I've decided this is too much hassle and will just do the documents again. Much easier! Thanks.

You ran

killall Finder

afterward or logged out and back in?

Another thing you can do in Terminal, even if you never get the hidden files to appear, is to rename your files. In the Finder, find the folder that the files are in but don't open it, then in the Terminal type cd and space and then drag the folder into the Terminal window and then hit return. That will put you in that folder. Then type

ls -a

and return, which will give you a list of all files in that folder, including the hidden files. Once you have that list, you can just change the file names. Example, for a file named .file name:

mv ".file name" "file name"

The quotes are to make things easier if you have spaces in your file name. If the files don't have spaces, then

mv .file file

will suffice. Hit return after every command, of course.

🙂

I don't even know what killall Finder is. Seriously, though I'm mildly interested in learning tricks and tips on the computer, some things are not worth it for me, like this one. So, yeah, thanks very very much. But my part of this is killall-ed 😉

🙂

Yup. "True" worked for me; "true" did not. The Finder reset "true" to "false" every time it launched but left -- and complied with -- "True". Thanks!

I've got 10.10.2.

I Can confirm this works on Yosemite

waited 30 before killing the Finder and the hidden files showed up!

Thanks VikingOSX for the script!

"option + Save As… to an application (without app extension), and place in your Dock"

However I had an issue with the above instructions. On my system 10.10.5, I couldn't place the script file without the '.app' extension on to the dock. Which kind of makes sense.

Don't remove the .app extension. It works fine now.

Cheers

For those of us afflicted with terminal phobia, just do a search for "hiddenfiles widget" and install it in the dashboard. Iʻm running Yosemite 10.10.5 and it works like a charm. I am sure it executes the same terminal script referenced in other responses here. I downloaded my own copy from Softpedia, but noticed that it is available as a free download at a number of Mac sites.

Thank you very much this worked fine.

Opened Terminal

copied your line command - defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles 0 - into Terminal and hit Return key

waited 30 seconds

copied your line command - killall Finder - into Terminal and hit Return key

The screen flashed and I was then able to open Finder and see the hidden file I needed to delete.

I then entered the line command - defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles 1 - into Terminal and hit Return key

waited 30 seconds

copied your line command - killall Finder - into Terminal and hit Return key

The screen flashed and the hidden files where hidden again.

Closed Terminal

Problem solved 🙂