Hide & Unhide Hidden Files in Mac and Delete Duplicates

/ Apple, Removing Duplicates, Solutions / By

Just like any other operating system, some files are hidden in Mac from an ordinary user. Even though these files are hidden, they take a significant portion of the disk space. Some of these files are stored in the ~/Library folder while others are scattered across different locations. In this article, we’ll learn various ways to hide as well as unhide the Hidden Files in a Mac. In the latter half, we will look at how you can delete duplicate files to free-up precious storage space.

 

Hide & Unhide Hidden Files in Mac

Method 1: Use the Finder

The Finder provides you easy access to local folders on your Mac, along with the content stored on the iCloud Drive and any other removable storage devices such as a Backup Drive or a USB Stick. Furthermore, you can search across various files, folders and organize them in a single place for your ease. The fastest and easiest way to hide/ unhide hidden files in macOS is to use the Finder. Here’s how:

  1. Click on the Go menu, and then select Computer.
  2. Now select the Macintosh HD folder.
  3. Simply press the command + Shift + Dot shortcut combination to unhide the hidden files.

Note: To hide these files, simply press the shortcut keys once again.

 

Method 2: Use the Terminal

The command-line based Terminal window in Mac is the equivalent of the Command Prompt in Microsoft Windows. It gives you access to some of the most powerful commands to unpack the functioning of your Mac operating system.

  1. Click the Go menu, and then select Utilities.
  2. In the Utilities window that opens, scroll down and look for the Terminal icon.
  3. Once the Terminal is opened, use the following commands:
    (a) Show hidden files
           defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles true
           killall Finder
    (b) Hide hidden files
    defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles false
           killall Finder
  4. Press Return.

 

Method 3: Use a File Manager

If you’re already using a third-party File Manager app such as ForkLift or DCommander, they might have possibly replaced the standard user interface in Mac. In such cases, you can hide hidden files as shown below:

  1. Click the View menu, and then Show View Options.
  2. To hide hidden files, uncheck the box labeled Show hidden files.

Note: To unhide hidden files at a later point of time, select the checkbox for Show hidden files again.

 

Find & Delete Duplicate Files

A large collection of music, videos, and photographs creates a big mess for an average Mac user. Duplicate files reduce the total storage capacity of your SSD by a big degree, making it difficult to store files that are of high importance. Besides, a huge collection of identical copies also impacts the user’s efficiency as they end up spending long periods of time looking for a specific file they really need to work on.

Clone Files Checker is a powerful duplicate finder app designed to detect and eliminate duplicate files stored on your Mac SSD and any other removable storage drives. It uses the widely popular MD5 Hash Algorithm to accurately find duplicate copies of your files. The process is highly sophisticated and automated. When the job has been done, you will be surprised by the huge amount of SSD space that will now be freed up because of the cleanup of the duplicate files.

 

5 Key Features Of Clone Files Checker:

  1. Support for Major File Types: CFC supports finding different kinds of duplicate files ranging from Documents, Images, Movies, Music to Archives. You can find tons of duplicates irrespective of their file types.
  2. Content-based Search: CFC compares your files by their actual content, not names. This assures 100% accuracy in the duplicate file scan and deletion.
  3. Preview Functionality: As soon as a duplicate search is finished, you’ll be able to see the results listed out. If it is an image, simply select it to view its preview within the CFC user interface, all thanks to the in-house Preview functionality.
  4. Batch Selection: CFC allows you to bulk select files by a pattern of your choice. This includes selecting the newest files in each group, selecting the oldest files in each group, selecting files by location, and so on.
  5. Delete Permanently or Move to Folder: You don’t necessarily have to delete all duplicate files. You can safely move them to a separate folder of your choice. You can review them later and decide what to do with the duplicates.
Raza Ali Kazmi
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Raza Ali Kazmi works as an editor and technology content writer at Sorcim Technologies (Pvt) Ltd. He loves to pen down articles on a wide array of technology related topics and has also been diligently testing software solutions on Windows & Mac platforms. If you have any question about the content, you can message me or the company's support team.