Can't See pagefil.sys and hiberfil.sys Files!?

Thanks.

Please check these registry keys and values.


Note- these are the defaults- or at least as I have them- and they do NOT change when you change those file explorer options.

Do you see file explorer 'blink' when you apply this from the GUI?

Normally when these options are used other hidden files become visible too, e.g. desktop.ini and possibly others become visible on, for example, your desktop. Do you see those or not?

Have you ever applied registry tweaks or used a registry cleaner or changed permissions that might account for this?

As this is common to any account, you could try an in-place upgrade repair install, but as you have a means that works, that would seem a sledgehammer approach- and no guarantees.

You could also try the method I posted (screenshot, freeware) to add the context menu option as a convenience.

Otherwise it's a matter of research and hoping someone's been thru this and found a specific fix.

I do use the software Advanced System Care, to clean up junk and temporary files as well as tidying up/defragmenting the registry. Otherwise I don't use a specific registry cleaner.
Maybe this ASC software is causing this issue of being unable to display hidden files manually?

We do not suggest using 3rd party Registry Optimizers/Cleaners or "Tidying Up" the Registry like ASC. These apps cause more problems then they solve.

Most of the apps in this suite have Windows options that are built into the OS.

Export the registry keys as a backup. Change them to align with mine and recheck.

Maybe this ASC software is causing this issue of being unable to display hidden files manually?

- It may be it has caused this.. or something else.

It would seem that something you've done or has happened is not a common experience.

As for a group policy, there doesn't seem to be one included by default, but there are guides on adding one to control this.

Pretty sure Microsoft has hidden the Pagefile.sys completely which is a relatively new thing so that people can't mess with it. I cannot confirm this and last time i was doing stuff with the page file it was visible with hidden folder option checked but now it does not show at all.

i just read online now and there is some information that is saying the same. This must be a new outcome because this is not normally the resulting outcome and the page file should show with hidden files turned on.

i did do some logic testing over multiple computers that produced the same result.

Using cmd shows that it is there dir * /a:h
Basically for what you are wanting to achieve just start systempropertiesperformance.exe and it will tell you what the page file is doing and you can go from there.

It's still visible on mine... 19045.3930 - with hidden files made visible.
(For convenience I used the reversible context option provided by Easy Context Menu that I posted).

well on 22h2 19045.3803 over two computers the results were the same page file is not visable with the hidden files turned on but cmd shows its there.

The second computer has only one hard drive which does not really matter because of how it works but that also show on a granular level the resulting outcome.
IDK maybe a GPO setting now but this is new to me because it has always been viewable with the setting on. I will look over it more. because i am curious now.

Maybe its not showing now unless you are actually paging? idk tbh because this is different to how it been previously.

SOLVED: Cannot See Hidden Files Like PageFile.sys on Windows – Up & Running Technologies, Tech How To's

its protected files setting

There is of course the option for No paging file.. (which I just missed off the screenshot!)