How to find a hidden file?

[crazypeter]

My Safari webpage occupies about three quarters of the desktop on my laptop, and my Downloads folder is open and visible next to the Safari webpage. When I download an item, a "wheel" appears to fly from the webpage, where I clicked to obtain the download, to the Downloads folder and the download begins.

I clicked on an image on a website and at the same time as the image opened in a new tab, something appeared to be download because a "wheel" appeared to fly to the Downloads folder. However, when I looked in the folder and in the downloads list at top right of Safari, nothing was shown.

I looked at the "invisible files" using command+F etc, and there were numerous .filename items and 20 other items, mostly folders, but nothing that appeared to be created at about the time of the problem, except possibly two .abcdi files. Should I worry about these .abcdi files?

Two questions:-

Are there any other ways that a file could be hidden.

How would malware or a computer nasty appear? Would it just have a .exe extension?

As an Addendum:-

I wonder it I am better off using Firefox because at least with that, I can set it so that it will "Always ask me where to save files", so that I can stop a download if I want to. If you downloaded an application with the 6 year old Safari it used to ask if I wanted to download an application, shame the 6.0.2 version no longer does that, or does anyone know how to set that up?
.

 

[justperry]

Don't worry about malware, the chance you get malware in OS X is VERY slim, in all the 12-13 years I used OS X I never got anything on my Mac.

Mac Virus/Malware FAQ - Mac Guides

Oh, and a .EXE file doesn't do anything in OS X.

You can still pause a download, you have to click on the Icon on the far Right-Top in Safari.
And, you can change the Download Folder, see screenshot.

 

[crazypeter]

Thanks justperry, but it was my impression that with my 6 year old Safari, the download of an application would be halted until I clicked OK in the dialogue box that appeared and it would tell me that the item contained an application even if it was not obvious from the extension. With Safari 6.0.2 there is not necessarily any way of knowing if the download contains an application.

 

[justperry]

Thanks justperry, but it was my impression that with my 6 year old Safari, the download of an application would be halted until I clicked OK in the dialogue box that appeared and it would tell me that the item contained an application even if it was not obvious from the extension. With Safari 6.0.2 there is not necessarily any way of knowing if the download contains an application.

Don't really understand this, yes I know what you're saying here but it doesn't make sense to me.

If you are downloading an Application you know because it is you which downloaded it in the first place!
It doesn't really matter does it, most Applications nowadays (In OS X) are contained within an image (.dmg) and only after the download has finished you can see the contents.

 

[GGJstudios]

Macs are not immune to malware, but no true viruses exist in the wild that can run on Mac OS X, and there never have been any since it was released over 10 years ago. The only malware in the wild that can affect Mac OS X is a handful of trojans, which can be easily avoided by practicing safe computing (see below).

3rd party antivirus apps are not necessary to keep a Mac malware-free, as long as a user practices safe computing, as described in the following link. Read the What security steps should I take? section of the Mac Virus/Malware FAQ for tips on practicing safe computing.

 

[crazypeter]

Don't really understand this, yes I know what you're saying here but it doesn't make sense to me.

If you are downloading an Application you know because it is you which downloaded it in the first place!
It doesn't really matter does it, most Applications nowadays (In OS X) are contained within an image (.dmg) and only after the download has finished you can see the contents.

1. I have clicked on what I thought was a legit website in a Google search and it automatically downloaded a .exe file, although I realise that it does not work on a mac.

2. An application can be hidden in a zip etc, and surely it is better to prevent the download rather than find that it contains an application when trying to open it.

 

[justperry]

1. I have clicked on what I thought was a legit website in a Google search and it automatically downloaded a .exe file, although I realise that it does not work on a mac.

2. An application can be hidden in a zip etc, and surely it is better to prevent the download rather than find that it contains an application when trying to open it.

As both GGJstudios and I said, don't worry too much about viruses/malware, follow the instructions and you'll be safe.

There are some Apps to avoid though, they are not malware but they can damage your Mac by removing too much stuff:

MacKeeper
CleanMyMac
CCleaner

Avoid the above and try not to use virus scanners, they are not necessary.

 

[crazypeter]

As both GGJstudios and I said, don't worry too much about viruses/malware, follow the instructions and you'll be safe.

There are some Apps to avoid though, they are not malware but they can damage your Mac by removing too much stuff:

MacKeeper
CleanMyMac
CCleaner

Avoid the above and try not to use virus scanners, they are not necessary.

Thanks, I do avoid anything like those, in this case I just got worried because I could not find the "download". The "wheel" was fainter than normal, the movement across the screen appeared much shorter than a normal download and did not really seem to reach the Downloads folder, so maybe mac realised that it was dodgy and may have stopped it downloading.