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Imola Ghost

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 21, 2009
1,142
12
I've got a external usb hard drive I use back and forth between my car and my MBP. The external hard drive is formatted FAT32 and I need to find all of the files that Windows leaves behind, which I believe they are hidden.
 

res1233

macrumors 65816
Dec 8, 2008
1,127
0
Brooklyn, NY
I've got a external usb hard drive I use back and forth between my car and my MBP. The external hard drive is formatted FAT32 and I need to find all of the files that Windows leaves behind, which I believe they are hidden.

Run this script in the AppleScript Editor app in the utilities folder.

Code:
tell application "Finder" to quit
display dialog "Show Hidden Files..." buttons {"ON", "OFF"} ¬
  default button 3
copy the result as list to {buttonpressed}

try
  if the buttonpressed is "OFF" then do shell script ¬
    "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles OFF"
  if the buttonpressed is "ON" then do shell script ¬
    "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles ON"
end try

tell application "Finder" to launch
 

Ratatapa

macrumors 6502a
Apr 3, 2011
665
25
Wow long for nothing

Paste this in terminal

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
killall Finder

also if it doesn't work add sudo
 

Imola Ghost

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 21, 2009
1,142
12
Guys, I'm a rookie Mac user. I probably shouldn't be playing around in Terminal.

Anything else?
 

Ratatapa

macrumors 6502a
Apr 3, 2011
665
25
Dude it's nothing bad I promise

Open terminal and paste this

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
killall Finder

If it gives you an error paste it that way

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

then enter your account password

then close terminal that is all just a copy and paste

----------

If you are really scared to blow everything up

just do this

http://gigaom.com/apple/quick-tip-showhide-hidden-files/


And has a tip you should learn how to use Terminal. CLI is the base of Unix systems
 

Imola Ghost

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 21, 2009
1,142
12
Trying to turn if off now. It asks for my account password but as I input it, the cursor doesn't move.
 

Ratatapa

macrumors 6502a
Apr 3, 2011
665
25
Normal it's security

just write it and press enter

P.s Even for security if you put a wrong letter you cannot erase it

So if you put a wrong letter just press enter and restart
 

Imola Ghost

macrumors 65816
Original poster
Mar 21, 2009
1,142
12
Normal it's security

just write it and press enter

P.s Even for security if you put a wrong letter you cannot erase it

So if you put a wrong letter just press enter and restart



I keep putting in my password and it says SORRY, TRY AGAIN
 

Ratatapa

macrumors 6502a
Apr 3, 2011
665
25
then you are entering wrong characters

Make sure to use caps if your password has caps and all

Going to sleep hope it will be fixed for you

So did it work
 
Last edited by a moderator:

blastoboy1000

macrumors newbie
Aug 7, 2011
12
0
For whatever reason, the trick of using an AppleScript doesn't seem to work to show hidden files. Instead, this terminal command works fine:
Code:
defaults read com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE && killall Finder

To disable it, change TRUE to FALSE. I see that you've also put that you're a new user, scared of the Terminal, to which I ask why you need to get rid of the invisible Windows files. Mac OS adds far more invisible files than Windows does, and none of them should affect the drive's ability to work in your car; they're just files, same as all your mp3s. Also, this won't blow anything up, I promise.

If you're insistent on sticking with the Automator workflow (which does nothing more besides automate running that Terminal command), you can just save it as an Application (that linked article was from 2007, so things have changed a bit), and it'll work as expected.
 
Last edited by a moderator:

Taita

macrumors newbie
Jun 14, 2013
1
0
I dunno how that worked for you, but for me it wasn't just a matter of showing all the files, but I had to use terminal to navigate to the external drive in the first place, or else any modifications made in terminal would be made in the default drive (i.e. your mac's main HD)

In terminal first you would have to navigate using

cd "/Volumes/My External Harddrive"

where 'My External Harddrive' would be the name of your actual harddrive (i.e. 'Untitled')

after which, your termal lines will start off with

YourCompName:ExternalHDName UserName$

At this point, then you can command it to show hidden files using

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
killall Finder

It took me forever to figure this out, but I had to do it this way. I kept just entering "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
killall Finder" and yes, it did show all the hidden files on my harddrive, but not the hidden files on the Ext HD. Not until I switched the terminal to the actual external HD did it show THOSE hidden files.
 

benwiggy

macrumors 68020
Jun 15, 2012
2,371
179
You can press <command><shift> <period> in any File dialog (i.e. open/save window) to toggle showing or hiding Hidden files.
 

JHRB

macrumors newbie
Oct 5, 2013
1
0
External Harddrive with Hidden Folders

I dunno how that worked for you, but for me it wasn't just a matter of showing all the files, but I had to use terminal to navigate to the external drive in the first place, or else any modifications made in terminal would be made in the default drive (i.e. your mac's main HD)

In terminal first you would have to navigate using

cd "/Volumes/My External Harddrive"

where 'My External Harddrive' would be the name of your actual harddrive (i.e. 'Untitled')

after which, your termal lines will start off with

YourCompName:ExternalHDName UserName$

At this point, then you can command it to show hidden files using

defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
killall Finder

It took me forever to figure this out, but I had to do it this way. I kept just entering "defaults write com.apple.finder AppleShowAllFiles TRUE
killall Finder" and yes, it did show all the hidden files on my harddrive, but not the hidden files on the Ext HD. Not until I switched the terminal to the actual external HD did it show THOSE hidden files.

Your post was SOOOO helpful. I was able to retrieve old profiles with this process and move them to a new PC. Thank you. :)
 
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