[Elvandil]

This attached file will add "Hidden Files Toggle" to the right-click menu, making it fast and easy to show or hide them.

[JohnWill]

I leave hidden files visible all the time, but I do allow Windows to hide O/S files.

[Elvandil]

I used to leave them visible all the time, but the desktop.ini files sitting on my desktop and a few others I just didn't want to see all the time made a quick remedy ideal. It seesm I need to see hidden in Vista more than ever before, but that may be because I'm still exploring and tweaking.

There are also times when I want to see what others who still have files hidden would see.

[JohnWill]

Hmm... I never see the desktop .INI files on my desktop.

[Elvandil]

I actually get 2 of them on the desktop and at least one in every folder.

[Elvandil]

I found the reason: I have superhidden files unhidden, too. It turns out that I have 17 superhidden files and folders in my User folder, for example, that don't appear when only hidden files are unhidden. So, I guess I still need the toggle to get rid of all the desktop.ini's if I want to be able to see all the hidden files when I want.

[JohnWill]

That could be the difference. Now, tell me what a "superhidden" file is? Are you talking about operating system files? I don't have a "superhidden" option.

Oh, and I checked my Vista Home Premium on my laptop, and hidden files are displayed, and I don't see any DESKTOP.INI files on the desktop.

[Elvandil]

Yeh, the desktop.ini's disappeared, even with hidden shown, when I re-hid superhidden.

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanc ed

ShowSuperHidden:REG_DWORD:1-enable, 2-disable

Not sure of the function of this one, so I always change both at once:

SuperHidden:REG_DWORD:1-enable, 2-disable

Then, take a look in your user folder. You'll be surprized how much more is there (for better or worse).

[JohnWill]

I had never heard of "superhidden" files, learn something every day.

I wonder if that's the same as system files?

[Elvandil]

They aren't the same. I think I remember reading that it is a whole different attribute, not accessible to users. But I have system files enabled and the extra folders and desktop.ini's only appear when superhidden is enabled.

[JohnWill]

That's why I don't see them, I didn't even know that attribute existed!

[firestormer]

Usefull. I generaly have hidden files hidden. Sometimes its nice to hide the clutter especialy with the way user documents and files are now aranged in vista

[Diabo]

Originally Posted by Elvandil

This attached file will add "Hidden Files Toggle" to the right-click menu, making it fast and easy to show or hide them.

Nice app.

I've wrapped a primitive installer/uninstaller around it (just two batch files and a copy of pskill.exe). HiddenToggle.zip at the bottom of this post.

Is there a way to change the "Hidden Files Toggle" entry in the context menu into something else?
If the dll can detect the hidden show/hide status, it could display "Show Hidden Files" or "Hide Hidden Files" in the context menu, depending on the current setting.



p.s. you can also toggle hidden files on/off with a simple vbs script. Just save the script below as a .vbs file and put a shortcut on your desktop/start menu/quick launch bar/etc.

Option Explicit
On Error Resume Next
Dim WSHShell, n, p, itemtype, MyBox
Set WSHShell = WScript.CreateObject("WScript.Shell")
p = "HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced\Hidde n"
itemtype = "REG_DWORD"
n = WSHShell.RegRead (p)
errnum = Err.Number
if errnum <> 1 then
WshShell.SendKeys "%a"
WSHShell.RegWrite p, 2, itemtype
End if
If n = 2 Then
WshShell.RegWrite p, 1, itemtype
'MyBox = MsgBox("Hidden Files and Folders visible", 64, "Hidden Files and Folders")
End If
If n = 1 Then
WshShell.SendKeys "%a"
WshShell.Regwrite p, 2, itemtype
'MyBox = MsgBox("Hidden Files and Folders hidden", 64, "Hidden Files and Folders")
'Set WshShell = Nothing
End if

[Diabo]

I changed the method for restarting explorer in the uninstall batch file: explorestart instead of pskill.

explorestart is a bit smaller than pskill, and the license terms concerning distribution are more favorable.

[Elvandil]

In case you're bored.....

Here's a couple more. One toggles file extensions for common file types and the other adds "Select All" to open folders so that it is not necessary to go to the Edit menu to do this.

Attached.

Thanks for your handy enhancements. I have friends whose computers I work on often who like hidden files hidden and common file endings hidden. To me, that's like trying to paint in the dark, but they are "personal" computers, so I like having these tools.