Normally to make hidden folders and files visible, the Folder Options configurator should be opened and the appropriate boxes checked. But, some viruses can disable this option in order to prevent hidden files from the possibility being visible. The common symptom of this problem is that every time you try to activate "Show Hidden Files and Folders" option and press Ok, it just flashes and no hidden files or folders are shown. The second symptom is that this option "Show Hidden Files and Folders" simply disappears from the list.

This problem can be fixed very easily by editing Windows registry entry:

1. Navigate to [Start] > [Run] > type in: "regedit" without quotation marks. Press Enter.

2. In the Registry Editor window navigate to the following registry key

"HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced"

On the right pane, double click on "Hidden" value and change its value to "1".