Why Is Library Hidden Mac

The files and folders in /Library are generally meant to be left alone, but if you’ve been using OS X for a while, chances are you’ve delved inside. Perhaps you wanted to tweak something using a tip from Macworld, Mac OS X Hints, or elsewhere on the Web. Jan 12, 2020 Apple hides the Library folder by setting a file system flag associated with the folder. Any folder on your Mac can have its visibility flag turned on or off; Apple just chose to set the Library folder's visibility flag to the off state.

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The Library folder for the users on a Mac is always hidden as Apple just doesn’t want you to access it as it thinks you don’t need access to it. However, macOS does provide an option to see this folder and access its contents, but you should only do that if you know what you are doing as a single mistake may mess-up everything in there.

Dec 12, 2016 Because the users /Library folder contains important data and files for Mac user accounts and apps to function, it’s generally a good idea to leave the directory and its contents alone unless you have ea specific reason to dig around, and know exactly what you’re doing. Hidden files on Mac are the files hidden from the user’s eye. These files are invisible, nevertheless, they take up disk space the same way regular files do. By default, Apple hides such files as preferences, caches, logs and other service files of the installed apps and of the macOS system. Follow this step-by-step guide to access hidden user library files in macOS when troubleshooting problems with your Adobe products. Can't see user library files in macOS X 10.7 and later. The user Library folder is hidden by default in macOS X 10.7 and later releases. Use one of the following methods to make the user Library content visible. Dec 04, 2017  Here is how to get there and not cause your Mac to collapse in a cloud of dust in the process. What Is The Library Folder On MacOS? The library folder is the area of your MacOS computer where app settings are stored. When you install a program, a folder is created in the Library for all of the essential settings. Jul 22, 2011 Mac OS X 10.7 Lion and OS X 10.8 Mountain Lion both hide the /Library directory by default, the reason likely being to prevent accidental deletion of critical files that are needed for apps to run.

We already have a guide that shows how you can quickly access the Library folder on your Mac, but what it doesn’t do is it doesn’t let you unhide the folder. That way, you can access the folder, but it will not always be visible in the file explorer – the Finder app – on your Mac.

So, if you really want to open the Library folder using the Finder quickly, you can’t do as the folder is not visible anywhere in the app. If you happen to access the folder occasionally, you should not have any issues as you can just use any temporary method to get access to the folder, however, if you happen to use the folder now and then, you will need a permanent solution to quickly accessing the folder.

In the guide below, we’re going to show you how you can unhide the Library folder on your Mac. That way, the folder will start to appear in the Finder beside the other folders, and you should be able to access it with a single click.

Mac Hidden Library Folder

If that’s what you would like to do, here’s all you need to do to get that:

Using the Shift key to Launch the Folder

One of the ways to access the Library folder is to use the Shift key. When you hold down Shift on your keyboard, some extra options appear in your regular menus that let you access to some special content such as the Library folder.

Here’s how to use this method:

Get inside a Finder window so that you can access its options. Going to your Mac’s desktop is the best way to do that.

Once you are on the desktop of your Mac, you should see the Finder options on the top of your screen. What you need to do is find the menu labeled as “Go” and click on it.

Why is library hidden mac 10

As you can see above, the Library folder just doesn’t exist there although it does exist on your system. To enable it in this menu, hold down the “Shift” key on your keyboard, and the folder will appear in the menu. Clicking on the folder will take you to the current user account’s Library folder.

So, that was a nice way of accessing the Library folder as all it needed was a press on the Shift key and you were ready to go.

Unhiding the Library Folder Permanently on Your Mac

While the method above lets you access the Library folder for your user account, the option for the folder will go away as soon as let go of the Shift key. If you would like for the option to continue to be there, you need to do the following procedure to make it stick there:

Go to the desktop area of your Mac so that you are inside a Finder window.

Why Is Library Hidden Macbook

Why Is Library Hidden Mac 10

Click on the “Go” menu at the top and select the option that says “Go to Folder.” This option allows you to jump to any directory on your Mac and you just have to input the path to the directory.

Enter in the following path into the box on your screen and hit “Go” to go there. Make sure to replace Mahesh with the username of your Mac’s account.

/Users/Mahesh/

When the user folder opens, and you can see your files, click on the “View” menu at the top of your screen and it will reveal the Finder’s view options. Click on the option that says “Show View Options” to see the settings that control what should be shown in the Finder windows. Alternatively, you can press the “Command + J” key combination to access the option.

Why Is Library Folder Hidden Mac

The view options will appear on your screen, and you can now modify them however you want. What we’re interested in is the option that says “Show Library Folder.” You need to checkmark this option and it will make the Library folder to appear in the regular menu of the Finder app. Just checkmark the box and close the panel.

From now on, you should be able to access the Library folder from any window of the Finder app. To do that, you just have to pull down the Go menu and click on “Library,” and you should be inside the Library folder for your user account.

So, that was a permanent method to enable the Library folder in the Finder menu on your Mac. The option for accessing the folder should now always be visible in the Finder, and you are just a click away from getting to that folder on your machine.

Unhiding the Library Folder Using Terminal on Your Mac

Another way to enable the Library folder in the Finder is to use a command in the Terminal app. The command does exactly what you did in the above section, but this uses fewer steps as you just have to enter the command in the Terminal app and hit Enter and you are all set. Here’s how to do that:

Hold down the Alt (Option) key when using the Go menu. The user Library folder is listed below the current user's home directory. Note: After you open the Library folder, you can drag the Library icon from the top of that window to the Dock, sidebar, or toolbar to make it readily accessible. Keystroke to mac 10.7.5 display library folder mac.

Launch the Terminal app on your Mac by clicking on Launchpad in the Dock and searching for and clicking on “Terminal.” The app should launch.

When Terminal launches, type in the following command and press Enter.

chflags nohidden ~/Library/

For commands that are compatible with Office 2016 for Mac, see.Support for COM add-ins that use custom ribbon controlsAvailableOffice 2016 for Mac doesn't support third-party COM add-ins.idMSOs compatible with Office 2016 for MacFor information about the idMSOs that are compatible with Office 2016 for Mac, see the following:.See also.Support and feedbackHave questions or feedback about Office VBA or this documentation? Please see for guidance about the ways you can receive support and provide feedback. Excel 2016 vba can't find project or library. Some might not be available.

As soon as you press Enter, the command will get executed, and it will unhide the Library folder in the Finder menus on your Mac.

You are all set.

So, above were some of the ways to access the Library folder on your Mac. The last two methods let you permanently enable the folder in the Finder, so you don’t need to hold down Shift key or do anything else to access the folder as the folder is now always visible in the Finder menus.

Library Hidden Mac

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Hidden Library Mac

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