[tacvbo83]

Can I hide files on a Mac as I can in Windows? If yes, how? There are some files that come with my external HD that I do not want to see all the time.

[BuonRotto]

You could add a period to the beginning of their name, e.g., change "file.ext" to ".file.ext" I think.

[Brad]

Though, you'll have to do that in Terminal. Finder won't let you.

[tacvbo83]

Originally Posted by Brad Though, you'll have to do that in Terminal. Finder won't let you.

Terminal? How do I use that?

[Brad]

mv filename .filename

For more information:

man mv

[Brad]

In case that was too vague, here's a broader explanation. Terminal is an application located at /Applications/Utilities/Terminal.app. It provides a command-line interface for Mac OS X.

"mv" is one of the many commands you can use. You want to "cd" to the directory containing the file you want to change (like "cd /Users/brad/Desktop/"), then "mv" it from its old name to the new name that is preceded by the period.

To learn more about the "mv" command, you can use the "man" command (short for "manual"). By entering "man mv", you will get the manual for the "mv" command. You can use the up and down arrows to scroll through it. When you're finished, press the 'q' key.

On the other hand, there are several apps with a GUI that allow you to toggle visibility without renaming the file.

[tacvbo83]

thanks for the explanation. I think I will just try a program for this.

[alcimedes]

yeah, there are a lot if you search for this on macupdate.com and a few others.