22000 Files Missing!

iinm, my "Users" folder used to have about 7 subfolders, including one named "XPS", under which major stuff like AppData used to sit. but most of it is gone now, after i stupidly clicked "hidden" (and "apply to subfolders as well") on it. i was trying to SEE some hidden files in there, but i guess what i actually did was HIDE things.

so right now, Users>"properties" shows "208G, 21782 files, 3055 folders" but if i go into it, it only displays 2 folders -- "Default.migrated" (empty) and "Public", itself containing "24.9k, 26 files, 16 folders". so where's everything else?!

if i punch a direct URL in -- "C:\Users\XPS\Downloads", say -- it has no problem bringing it up. and displaying all sorts of subfolders below that. so it's just at the highest level that things are invisible.

i should note, the "hidden" box is *NOT* checked on any of these folders, even the "Users" folder. while ticking that seems to be what triggered all this, it is not displaying as such in the here and now.

so how do i fix/undo this? i'm a tad nervous about 21,756(!) files disappearing from view....

 

Go to Window Explorer and toggle to view hidden files (google 'how to' if need be). Now that you can see hidden folders/files, locate the c:\users\xps folder. Right click and choose properties. Uncheck 'hidden'. If asked, click apply to all subfolders. This should unhide the folders/files.

Once solved, toggle back to uncheck 'view hidden files' (for safety).

 

thanks, u confirmed what i was thinking, that "hidden" under properties was not "display hidden contents" but rather "define this folder as 'hidden' henceforth". and -- lo and behold, "c:\users\xps" did indeed have "hidden" still checked! how did i miss that?

i guess i was off by one level. even after i realized it (likely) meant "define things as hidden" -- i.e. hide things -- i was thinking it meant "hide the contents of this folder" (what's actually shown) rather than "hide this folder itself". so i was worrying about tryna get "c:\users" unhidden -- which it wasn't, even -- rather than the next level down.

anyways, unchecked hidden on xps and, boom!, everything's back. many thanks. (didn't actually need to do the first half of your answer, since hidden folder displays fine when cut/pasting URL)

PS: curious sidenote: coupla apps balked tryna use the download folder while it was hidden! not clear why; if i could cut/paste my way to "C:\Users\XPS\Downloads" why couldn't they read/write to it?

lost a bunch of partial DLs. apparently apps zeroed things out when they failed to find their targets. files (partials) did NOT reappear when i unhid things just now; they're just gone.

oh well, no biggie. but it is a bit puzzling.