How to view hidden files in Mac?

Viewing hidden files allows you to access hidden UNIX directories or for recovering files such as Music from an iPod. Moreover, by prefixing the name of a folder with a "." (dot), you can create a folder that is hidden from prying eyes.

To view hidden folders:
  1. Open the Terminal Window (located in /Applications/Utilities)
  2. At the command prompt, type the following:

      defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool true    
  3. Press return (enter) to execute the command.
  4. For the changes to take effect, either log-out or log back in again, or relaunch Finder (this can be done from the Force Quit Window or by typing "killall Finder" in the Terminal window).


To hide the folders:
  1. Open the Terminal Window
  2. At the command prompt, type the following:

      defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles -bool false    
  3. Press return (enter) to execute the command.
  4. Log-out or log back in again, or relaunch Finder (as discussed above).


~ Hope that helps! :)