How To Clean Up Hidden Files On My Mac 10.11

Demand to testify hidden files on a Mac? This is pretty common if you find yourself needing to access subconscious files on your Mac, similar an .htaccess file you downloaded, a .bash_profile, a .svn directory, – literally anything preceded with a '.' indicating it is invisible past default – you tin run the below command from the terminal to fix subconscious files to become visible throughout Mac Bone X.

For some quick background to fill up in those who don't know, files that are hidden in Mac Os are determined so by preceding the filename with a single period symbol (.), you tin can actually make any file hidden by placing a period in front end of the name, thus making it invisible to the Finder. Let's walk through making all hidden files get visible in Mac Bone X, regardless of what system software version is on the Mac.

How to Bear witness Hidden Files & Folders on Mac

This changes the default setting of Mac OS 10 then that Finder always shows all files, including showing hidden files.

1. Launch the Terminal app, establish in /Applications/Utilities
2. Enter the proper control exactly as shown below, choosing for your version of MacOS or Mac Os 10:

For showing hidden files and folders in macOS High Sierra 10.13, MacOS Sierra 10.12, Os X El Capitan 10.11, Yosemite 10.10, and OS X Mavericks 10.9, use the post-obit control string to show hidden files:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE;killall Finder

For showing hidden files in Mac Os X ten.8 Mountain Lion, Bone X ten.7 Lion, Mac Os X ten.6 Snow Leopard, and before, use this defaults command string instead:

defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE;killall Finder

3. Hit the Return key after the command is entered into the Terminal command prompt, that will execute the command and let the subconscious files to become visible in the file system of Mac Os

Here is what the defaults command string which shows subconscious files looks like in the Mac Terminal:

The Finder will refresh after y'all hitting the Return cardinal, which causes Finder to quit and relaunch itself for the changes to take effect, thus revealing subconscious files on the Mac.

"Hidden" files are at present visible in Finder windows, but they will display as a dimmed version of their corresponding file icons, being slightly transparent. Examples of how subconscious files evidence up in the Finder are shown below.

This is how hidden files await when they're visible in a modern version of Mac, like an macOS High Sierra, Sierra, Bone X El Capitan or Yosemite Finder window, note the hidden folders and files are visible but have dimmed gray names:

And this is how the one time invisible files prove in prior releases of Mac OS 10, highlighted here:

This setting stays in place until it has been reversed or disabled, which would cause all files to become hidden again just as the default. With all the files visible a Finder window can look much busier than you may be accustomed to, and it's non always desired to leave on constantly. Thankfully it'due south simply as easy to switch back.

Remember the Finder must relaunch to show hidden files and folders, they will appear every bit slightly translucent icons alongside the normal icons. The files and folders that are hidden typically volition have a '.' in front end of their name, only other items tin can be hidden besides through chflags commands.

If you're having difficulty with the higher up commands for some reason, yous can split up them up into two parts like so:

First the command to show invisible files on Mac:

defaults write com.apple tree.finder AppleShowAllFiles True

Then the control to kill and relaunch Finder on Mac, which is where the invisible files volition at present be shown:

killall Finder

Note that refreshing Finder is always necessary. This is the same in Os Ten El Capitan, Yosemite and old versions of Mac OS X too, the Finder must always be refreshed this style to reveal the hidden folders and files.

* Quick note about different versions of Mac Os X: If yous look carefully, you'll notice at that place is a very slight difference in casing for making hidden files and folders visible in modern versions of macOS and Mac Os X versus older versions of Mac OS X system software (com.apple.finder vs com.apple.Finder). That casing is important, however, which is why y'all must enter exact syntax.

Contrary to Default & Brand Files Hidden Again in Mac OS X

To hide files that are intended to be hidden again, thus going back to the default Mac settings of keeping them invisible, you lot can just type the following defaults command. Equally you can run across, everything is the aforementioned except that Truthful has been switched to "Simulated":

defaults write com.apple tree.Finder AppleShowAllFiles False;killall Finder

Remember the slight difference in OS 10 Mavericks, El Capitan, and Yosemite has to do with capitalization:

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

Hit return, and again the command will fix the file visibility modify and relaunch Finder and so that it tin can relaunch for changes to take effect.

That's all there is to it! The change volition revert and you'll be dorsum to the default with subconscious folders and files no longer visible in the Mac Bone X Finder.

Show Hidden Files in a Mac Open or Save Dialogue Temporarily

Another approach to without using the to a higher place defaults control is to rapidly show all hidden files in any Mac Os X Open or Save dialogue box by hitting Control+Shift+Menstruum on the keyboard together. You will instantly see the change as once-hidden files are revealed.

That command sequence can exist used to toggle back or forth, thereby revealing and hiding the files again as needed. For many users, this keystroke is the most advisable use for when an invisible file must be modified but there is no need to make them all visible all the time.

Prove Subconscious Files & Folders on a Mac Temporarily with Terminal

Some other way to speedily see hidden files in OS Ten is by using the ls command within the Terminal, at the command line blazon the following:

ls -a

The -a flag tells the ls (list) command to testify all contents, including hidden files. You then just accept to specify a directory if you want to run across the subconscious files in it:

ls -a ~/Sites/betasite

This method does not outcome the Finder or the visibility of hidden files outside of using the -a flag, making it a temporary measure to quickly see all contents of any directory or folder, even if the above defaults command isn't used.

I fashion to acquit over the terminal to the GUI though would be to utilise the 'open up' command, directed at a hidden file. Hither's an example:

open .not_visible_by_default

This volition launch the file called ".not_visible_by_default" into the default GUI app associated with it'due south file type, in this example information technology would be a text file and so TextEdit would open. This pull a fast one on can also be used to open hidden directories into the Finder, for example with the following syntax:

open ~/.git

That would launch the hidden ".git" directory in a users home directory into a Finder window, without revealing all other files.

Source: https://osxdaily.com/2009/02/25/show-hidden-files-in-os-x/

Posted by: harrisdonelly.blogspot.com

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