Hide or Show Protected Operating System Files and Hidden Folders

Windows XP can be configured to either hide or show protected operating system files and/or hidden files and folders.

* Why hide them? If you are setting up a computer for someone else, you may wish to hide certain files to help prevent the user from accidentally deleting or moving critical Windows files. Or, even if you are an expert user, you may wish to hide files to prevent 'accidents'.

* Why show them? If you are trying to diagnose a problem (virus, spyware, etc.) and are an expert user, you may need to see all of the files on your system to determine if they have been changed.

1. Double-click "My Computer" on the desktop.

2. Select "Tools" - "Folder Options".

3. When the "Folder Options" multi-tabbed dialog box appears, select the "View" tab.

4. Scroll down to "Hide protected operating system files (Recommended)" and check or uncheck the box as desired.

5. Underneath "Hidden files and folders", check the desired radio button to show or not show these items.

6. Click "OK" to close the dialog box.