That decision has echoed for five decades. Linux, macOS, and even Windows (though it uses a different native mechanism) now support dot-file hiding as a cross-platform convention. Git ignores .git/ . Python uses .venv for virtual environments. Every developer knows that .*rc files ( .bashrc , .vimrc ) hold the soul of their environment.
This is the story of the hidden folder—from its origins in Unix philosophy to its role in modern malware, and why, after decades, we’re still arguing about whether that checkbox should be on by default. To understand hidden folders, you have to go back to 1971. Ken Thompson and Dennis Ritchie, working on the first version of Unix at Bell Labs, needed a way to hide certain files from the default ls command. The solution was elegant and almost accidental: any file or directory whose name began with a period ( . ) would simply not appear unless you explicitly asked for it with ls -a . show hidden folders
Why the dot? The lore suggests it was a quick hack. Thompson and Ritchie wanted to hide the . and .. directory entries (current and parent directory) from listings to reduce clutter. Someone—accounts vary—realized that if the code skipped anything starting with a dot, they could create hidden files like .profile for user configuration. No special attribute flags. No complex permissions. Just a naming convention. That decision has echoed for five decades
The real issue is that hiding is not encryption. A hidden folder on a stolen laptop is readable. A hidden partition is not secure. The checkbox gives the illusion of privacy without any actual access control. Look at the language. “Show hidden folders.” Not “reveal system directories” or “display all objects.” The word “hidden” implies intent—someone deliberately concealed these files. In reality, most hidden folders were never hidden from you . They were hidden by default by a developer who followed a convention. Python uses
Windows also introduced a separate “Protected Operating System Files” toggle, because marking system files as Hidden wasn’t enough. Files like boot.ini and pagefile.sys got the System + Hidden double-whammy, requiring an extra warning dialog to reveal.