How to make Windows invisible files visible on a Mac?

[FMiguelez]

Hello.

I have a few data CDs created from a PC with Windows 2000 or so. The files in the CD had the Invisible property checked in Windows.

To see the CD contents on my Mac, I had to make Hidden files Unhidden. Fine. Easy enough. HOWEVER, they're really still invisible. I would like to change the Visibility property from invisible to visible, so I don't need to keep doing the Show Hidden files/Hide Hidden files routine in the Terminal.

Can I batch-change them with some kind of command so they're always visible?

Thanks!

[MIDI Life Crisis]

I believe invisible files start with a . in the name. Maybe try renaming them. You could batch rename them but I’m not sure how that would work with invisible files.

[FMiguelez]

That's what I thought, but I don't see any dots or periods in the names, except for the normal one for the extension.

I do see the period you mentioned in other OS files, but not in the Windows CDs.

All I see are regular file names quite faded (so you know they're invisible but temporarily being unhidden).

Command-I doesn't reveal anything related to this, BTW. I suppose it would have to be some kind of Terminal command, but all I can find is information related to showing hidden files, not destructively changing the visibility property.

[daniel.sneed]

Just in case:
Onyx (free utility) has an option to reveal all hidden files in Finder.
https://www.titanium-software.fr/en/onyx.html
Of course, you can set it back to normal when you're done.

[mikehalloran]

How to Hide folders without an app: Updating an old system will often show previously hidden folders. Here is how to hide them again. Obviously, this has other uses.

1) Show Hidden Files
2) Rename the folder you’d like to hide by adding a dot (.) at the beginning of the name. For example, MyFolder would become .MyFolder
3) Re-hide Hidden Files

In Terminal. Best to copy and paste.

Show Hidden Files

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE

killall Finder


Re-hide Hidden files:

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles FALSE

killall Finder


Show User Library:

chflags nohidden ~/Library

killall Finder (optional — close/open folder works also)

Hide User Library: re-sets the default if you want.

chflags hidden ~/Library