How to show hidden files on my Mac with a context menu

Learn how to show hidden files on your Mac using a context menu. Follow our step-by-step guide to easily access those hidden treasures. Unveil the hidden files on your Mac today.

How to show hidden files on my Mac with a context menu.

To create a guide in tabular form for showing hidden files on a Mac using the context menu, you can follow these steps:

1. Table Title: “Guide to Show Hidden Files on a Mac using Context Menu”
2. Column Headers:
   • Step Number
   • Action
   • Description
3. Rows Content:
   

   Step Number	Action	Description
   1	Open Terminal	Find the Terminal application in your Utilities folder or use Spotlight search.
   2	Enter Command	Type the command: defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles true
   3	Relaunch Finder	Hold the ‘Option/Alt’ key, then right click on the Finder icon in the dock and click Relaunch.
   4	Access Context Menu	Right-click in any folder or on the desktop.
   5	View Hidden Files	You should now see hidden files and folders, indicated by a dimmed color.
   6	Revert Changes (Optional)	To hide the files again, repeat steps 1-3 with the command: defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles false and relaunch Finder.

This table provides a clear, step-by-step guide to showing hidden files on a Mac using the context menu. Remember, hidden files are usually system files, so be careful not to modify them unless you know what you’re doing.

Create a script with Shell

The purpose of this script will be to evaluate the settings that the person keeps on their computer by default. In order to know what option it can offer you once you are inside the menu.

In other words, its function is to discover if hidden files need to be shown , based on the computer’s configuration. If this is the case, execute a command to change this setting in favor of the user’s desire. The command string is as follows:

• “STATUS =` defaults read com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles`
• if [$ STATUS == 1] then defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles –boolean FALSE
• else defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles –boolean TRUE
• if killall Finder “

Create a context menu with Automator

Through the “Applications” folder, enter the Automator program to choose the “Service” template. Then access the following configuration window.

Once inside the “Library”, select the “Actions” option before clicking on “Utilities”. This will display a small list of possible jobs to run through creation. Among them you must choose “Run Shell Script”.

The Automator window has top tabs. In whose services you must determine that the function will fulfill the order to show the files that are hidden each time “Finder” is used.

Finally, the command must be rewritten or copied within ” Execute Shell Script “, so that the program interprets the command and executes it. Once finished, “Finder” will restart and will have a new menu to handle these settings.

Start showing hidden files from your Mac through ‘Terminal’

Although many users dislike having to constantly type commands to change file display settings, this process is much easier and faster than the previous one.

The encoding is similar to that shown above. Unlike that it lacks certain terminology, since its function is more direct.

Therefore, once the “Terminal” application is open, write “ defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles –bool YES ”. Which determines the action of showing hidden files found within the system.

After pressing the “Enter” key, the closing or restarting of “Finder” will be indicated so that the changes established in the encoding are applied. To do this, just type “killall Finder” after having pressed “Enter” and that’s it.

Finally, it is demonstrated how simple it is to modify the system configurations. To ensure that users’ wishes are met when they need it most.

However, it is necessary to remember that it is not recommended to display these types of files. In this case, handle each one of them with extreme caution , to avoid irreparable damage to the computer. So it is always advisable to hide your hidden files and folders .

By following the steps outlined in this article, you can easily show hidden files on your Mac using a context menu. Remember to exercise caution when modifying or deleting hidden files, as they can be critical to the functioning of your system. Unlock the potential of your Mac by revealing hidden files and enjoy the benefits of customization, troubleshooting, and decluttering. Happy exploring!