Many people have complained that some files originally existed on the flash drive. However, for some unknown reasons, these are hidden. Anyway, unhiding files in the USB on Windows 11/10/7, Mac, or Linux is easier than you think. Let's take a look at the detailed ways.
Before we get started, let's quickly understand the reasons behind this situation so that you can avoid it from happening again.
⚙️ Sometimes, accidentally clicking on specific preferences can cause a change in the status of a file.
🙂↕️ To make some items private, you intentionally hide them on a USB drive but forget about it.
🦠 Malware infection may have corrupted the file structure or tampered with some settings.
⚠️ The flash drive's file system or boot sector is corrupted, resulting in data disappearance.
🚫 Such errors may also occur when file transfer is unexpectedly interrupted, or you have not safely removed the drive.
How to Show Hidden Files from USB in Windows 11/10/7
If you find some USB drive files missing and use a Windows PC, these are common methods you can try.
Method 1: Try Antivirus Software
Although this situation is rare, it still cannot be ruled out that your flash drive may be infected with malicious software. You only need to scan it with a tool such as Windows Security, Bitdefender, Norton 360, or Avast One. If anything suspicious is found, please remove or quarantine them.
Method 2: Use File Explorer
Windows PC can hide any content through File Explorer, but you may forget them. Luckily, unless you format the flash drive, they're always there. To do this, you can try the following steps to display hidden items.
For Windows 11:
Connect the flash drive to a PC. Open your File Explorer and click the "View" option at the top menu.
Select "Show" in the menu to check the status of "Hidden items." If the option is not selected, please click it again.
Go to your USB drive, and you should be able to see the missing files. They are displayed in a semi-transparent state.
For Windows 10:
Open the USB drive and go to the folder that contains the hidden items. You will see the "View" tab in the top menu bar.
Click it, and there you will see the "Hidden Items" option. Finally, make sure it is selected.
You can see the hidden files within the folder as soon as the changes take effect.
Tip: For Windows 7, the option is under the Properties menu > View tab.
Method 3: From Folder Options
This provides another way to view files more deeply on flash drives, but it is challenging to navigate. Here's how to do that.
Type "Folder Options" in the Windows search box and click "File Explorer Options" in the list.
When the new window opens, switch to the "View" tab.
Under the "Advanced settings" option, check "Show hidden files, folders, and drives" and click "OK."
Method 4: Use the Command Prompt
Many users may enter the wrong commands when using CMD unhide files in USB and fail to achieve the goal. Don't worry; the following are the steps we have verified; you just need to copy them.
Plug in the USB drive to your computer's USB slot. Please make sure your PC detects it.
Click the "Start" menu, type "cmd" in the search bar, and then choose "Command Prompt."
Type "attrib -h -r -s /s /d #:*.*" in the Command Prompt and press Enter. But yeah, remember to replace #: with the drive letter for your flash drive.
Open this storage device to see if the hidden items have reappeared.
Discovering hidden items on a USB drive with a Mac is also not difficult. The following are commonly used methods:
Method 1: Use Shortcut Keys
Once you insert the flash drive, open it in the Finder.
Press the Command + Shift + Period (.) key combination. This will instantly reveal the hidden files or folders.
Check the semi-transparent items to see if they contain your lost files.
Tip: You can repress these keys to hide them again.
Method 2: Via Terminal
This is similar to using the CMD command to show hidden files in flash drive in Windows, which is an advanced method for macOS.
Open Terminal.
Type the command "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles true" and press Enter.
Type "killall Finder" and press Enter. Your Finder will restart and display all hidden files.
If you want to hide them again, you can replace true with false in step 2, given above.
How to View Hidden Files in USB Drive on Linux
Although Linux is mainly for developers, they can easily locate hidden data. But if you are just a hobbyist, the following steps suit you.
Open File Manager.
On the top right, click on "Options".
Select "Show Hidden Files." The items with names starting with "." are hidden files.
You can also simply skip the above procedure and press the keyboard combination "Ctrl + H" or "Alt + ." (period). Alternatively, typing "ls -a" in the terminal also works.
How to Recover Hidden Data from Flash Drive
Wait, are you still looking for the USB hidden files? Then, the reason may not be what you feel. Perhaps they were lost for other reasons, such as unconscious deletion or corruption.
Based on this situation, you can only rely on third-party tools to get them again. Here, you can use iBeesoft Data Recovery.
USB Flash Drive Recovery Software
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Besides file recovery for most situations, it can also repair corrupted files.
Work on all storage devices, like HDD/SSD, memory cards, external drives, USB drives, and more.
Download the separate versions for Mac and Windows. Double-click it and follow the built-in wizard to install iBeesoft Data Recovery on your computer.
Launch it. From the first window, you can see all partitions of your computer and external hard disks. Select the USB drive from the list to scan and click "Scan."
Once the progress is completed, the hidden somethings found will be classified by storage location or category. You can preview them and determine the target file.
Finally, select them and click "Recover" to save those files to your system.
Conclusion
We understand that many users may worry about losing their USB drive files due to them being hidden. Therefore, we have written this article covering all systems to help you solve this problem. Even when CMD and other built-in options are unavailable, iBeesoft data recovery software for Mac or Windows can also ensure the security of your files.
FAQs
It is safe, even if you modify and delete them. Because this is different from the system's built-in hard drive, it will not affect your operating system and installed programs.
This may indicate that they have been damaged or accidentally deleted. To retrieve them, you can try iBeesoft Data Recovery.
Yes, you can re-hide files by reversing the process: on Windows, uncheck "Hidden items"; on macOS, press "Command + Shift + Period" again; on Linux, use "Ctrl + H" once more.
In Windows PC, right-click it, choose "Properties," and check "Hidden." On macOS, use the Terminal and type "chflags hidden [file path]." For Linux, rename the file to start with a dot (e.g., ".myphoto").
CCleaner (Windows and Mac), HiddenMe (macOS), or Midnight Commander (Linux) not only help you manage them but also provide other useful features.