How to Show and Recover Hidden Files on SD Card in 6 Ways?

How to Show Hidden Files on an SD Card?

If your SD card suddenly stops showing some of your files, they’re often just hidden from view. Here’s how to uncover those hidden files and make them visible again.

Method 1: See Hidden Files on SD Card in Windows File Explorer

Windows File Explorer allows you to modify view settings for any location, including an SD card. Sometimes your SD card may look empty simply because Windows is set to hide certain files and folders, but a quick change in the settings can bring them back into view.

Follow the steps below to reveal all hidden files stored on your SD card on Windows 10:

• Connect the SD card or flash drive to the USB port of your computer.
• Open the "File Explorer" and navigate to "Folder" options, and then onto the "View" Tab.
• Select "Hidden items" from the drop-down menu. You could then be able to see your hidden files on an SD card.

Steps for Windows 11:

After opening File Explorer, click the "View" tab to find the "Show" option. Expand this option and click the "Hidden items" to view all the hidden files.

Method 2: Adjust Settings in File Explorer to Show Hidden Files on SD Card

If the files still don’t appear, the next step is to adjust File Explorer’s view settings to ensure all hidden and system files on your SD card are visible.

• Connect the memory card or SD card to your Windows computer.
• Seaching for File Explorer and open it, click on the "View" tab.
• Next. find the "Option" tab and click on it.
• Now check on "Show hidden files, folders & drives". If there is an option that says Hide protected operating system, such should be unchecked.
• Click on “OK” for all the changes to take effect.

Steps for Windows 11:

After opening File Explorer, click the three dots to see more. Then click "Options" to check "Show hidden files, folders, and drives" under the "View" tab.

Method 3: View Hidden Files on SD Card by Using Google Chrome

Many people aren’t aware that Google Chrome can be used to access hidden files on an SD card. With a simple command, you can reveal all files and folders right inside the browser. Here’s how to do it:

• Connect the SD card that contains hidden files to the computer, then open Google Chrome.
• Type in file:///E:/ into the web search box (You should change the drive letter E to the one of your SD card.)
• The browser will display a list of all the available files on the card.

Method 4: Unhide Hidden Files on SD Card by Using CMD

The Command Prompt can remove hidden and system attributes, making files on your SD card visible again. By running a simple attrib command, you can quickly reveal all hidden files and folders, including those hidden by system settings. Follow the steps below to safely show hidden files on SD card using CMD.

• Connect the SD card to your PC using a card reader. Wait for the computer to recognize it.
• Hit Windows + R and enter "CMD" in the Run dialog box. Click "OK" to proceed.
• As soon as the command prompt window opens, you have to enter this command: attrib -h -r -s /s /d E:\*.* and change the letter E with the drive letter of the SD card you have connected.
• Hit the "Enter" key for the execution of the command. And hopefully, you'll get the files finally.

Method 5: Find Hidden Files by Assigning New Driver Letter to the SD Card

The last method is to assign a new drive letter to your SD card, which can help reveal inaccessible files. This approach works well when the card doesn’t appear correctly in File Explorer due to letter conflicts or missing assignments. Follow the steps below to access all hidden files on your SD card.

• Right-click the Windows icon and choose "Disk Management".
• Find the targeted SD card and right click on it. Then, click "Change Drive Letter and Paths".
• When a new windows pop up, choose "Change > Assign the following drive letter", then choose a new letter and click "OK" to apply the changes.

How to Recover Hidden Files on SD Card with Recovery Software?

If you’ve tried all the methods above to show hidden files but still can’t find them, it may mean that the files have been deleted. While this can be alarming, you can recover your files using professional SD card recovery software like Tenorshare 4DDiG. This tool makes it easy to restore hidden or deleted files from a variety of storage devices, including SD cards, external hard drives, cameras, and USB drives.

4DDiG can recover over 2,000 file types, whether you’ve lost photos, documents, videos, or audio files. It can also restore data lost due to system corruption, accidental deletion, or improper ejection of your storage device. Below is all about its compatibility.

Check the following guide to restore hidden files on the SD card with 4DDiG:

• Insert the SD card into your computer and open 4DDiG. From the main interface, select the “SD Card” option and click “Scan” to begin searching for lost files.
• 4DDiG will automatically perform a scan. Once it’s complete, you can browse the deleted files in the tree-view panel on the left. To narrow down your search, use the “Filter” function to display specific file types, such as photos, videos, documents, or emails.
• Double-click any file to preview its content. Then select the files you want to recover and click “Recover” to save them to a safe location on your computer or another external storage device.

With this convenient recovery tool, you can restore hidden files from SD cards on Android and other mobile devices on both PC and Mac in just three simple steps: scan, preview, and recover.

Why Files on SD Card Are Hidden?

Now that you know how to find hidden files on your SD card, it’s also important to understand why they became hidden in the first place. Several common issues can cause files to disappear.

• File system errors that mark files or folders as hidden.
• Virus or malware infections that modify file attributes.
• Accidental user actions, such as manually hiding files.
• Corrupted SD card sectors making files temporarily invisible.
• Improper ejection of the SD card causing attribute changes.
• Unsupported or unreadable file formats in certain devices.

FAQs about Hidden Files on SD Card

1. How do I see hidden files on an Android SD card?

To view hidden files on the Android SD card, go to "Menu > Settings" and turn on "Show hidden files" by scrolling down a little.

2. How do I view hidden files on SD card Windows 10?

From the "View" tab of the menu in the File Explorer, select the "Show hidden files, folders, and drives" option.

3. Can you recover files on an SD card?

Yes, you can recover files on an SD card. If you know how to use Google Chrome or CMD, recovering hidden files is a viable alternative to open hidden files on SD card.

4. How do I delete hidden files on my SD card?

After going to "Menu > Settings" and turning on "Show hidden files," simply go to SD card and delete the files you want.

Conclusion

This article explored five different methods to show hidden files on SD card. In addition, we recommend using 4DDiG Data Recovery for retrieving deleted or lost files from your SD card. Whether your data was lost due to accidental deletion, formatting, or virus attacks, this tool can recover your files with a 99.9% success rate.