Display hidden files, like appdata, without displaying desktop.ini all over the place

Question

Had my computer this way, but something happened and the desktop.ini icons reappeared. How do I need to set things to display hidden apps, but not desktop.ini?

Answer 1

To display hidden files like AppData without showing the desktop.ini files in Windows 11, you can adjust your folder options. Here’s how to do it:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Click on the View menu in the toolbar.
3. Hover over Show and then select Hidden items to ensure hidden files are displayed.
4. To prevent desktop.ini files from being shown, you need to ensure that these files are marked as System and Hidden. This is usually the default setting for desktop.ini files.

If desktop.ini files are still visible, you may need to check their properties:

• Right-click on the desktop.ini file, select Properties, and ensure that both Hidden and System attributes are checked.

By doing this, you should be able to see hidden folders and files like AppData while keeping desktop.ini files hidden from view.

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References:

• How to Customize Folders with Desktop.ini
• How to Implement Custom Verbs for Folders through Desktop.ini

Answer 2

You mean that they clutter the desktop? I usually stuff them into the Recycle Bin. Yeah, they come back every once in a while, but not often enough so that it is disturbing.