How to See All Files on a Mac Hard Drive

Can’t find a file on your Mac hard drive? Or maybe you can’t see the files you need on an external hard drive on your Mac? We’ve got you covered. Our team has handled every kind of situation where files seem to vanish even though you’re sure they were there. We’ll break this process into three simple steps to help you access all the files you need on your Mac, no matter where they’re hiding.

Step 1: Find Files on a Mac Hard Drive

Let’s start with the basics: Finder, macOS’s built-in file manager, is your go-to for locating files. This tool lets you navigate user files, folders, and connected drives, plus it offers advanced search options for narrowing down your results. Here are some useful tips and tricks to view all files on Mac Finder:

  • Launch Finder from the dock or press Command + Space to search “Finder.” To view everything on your Mac hard drive, go to Go > Computer. This will show all main folders on Mac, connected drives, and shared folders.Select "Computer"
  • To quickly view folders that may contain specific types of files, head to Go > Applications for apps, Go > Documents for personal files, or Go > Downloads for files from web downloads. This shortcut helps if you know the general location.
  • Finder’s advanced search is a powerful way to track down specific files based on detailed criteria. Click File > Find in Finder (or use the Command + F shortcut), then type a keyword like “report” if you look for a document. Click the + button below the search bar to add filters. Select Kind and choose Document if you need text files or Image for pictures. This narrows your search to files that match your criteria.Choose Document if you need text files
  • Finder also allows you to search by dates. If you remember modifying a file last week, set the filter to Last Modified Date and choose Within Last 7 Days. This helps find recent documents without the need to scroll through months’ worth of data.Set the filter to Last Modified Date
  • Finder lets you search by file type directly within the search bar. Type “.pdf” in the search bar to display only PDF documents or “.jpg” to see all images in that format. If you work with specialized files, this shortcut can save you a lot of time.Type “.pdf” in the search bar
  • Large search results can clutter Finder, but simple sort options make it manageable. Navigate to View > Sort By and select Date Modified to move the most recent files to the top. As another option, Sort By Size helps you spot large files that occupy extra space.
💡 Tip. When you combine file extensions with keywords, you’ll get faster results. For example, when you type “invoice .pdf”, all PDF invoices appear instantly, so you get what you need without digging through files.

Step 2: Check for Hidden Files

Sometimes, if you can’t see the files on your internal or an external hard drive on your Mac, they might be hidden. Whether it’s due to system settings or intentional actions, these files often stay out of sight. If Finder doesn’t show what you’re after, here are a few ways to reveal these files, temporarily or permanently.

Method 1: Show All Hidden Files and Folders on Mac Temporarily

A lot of people start looking for a “Show Hidden Files” option in macOS settings, but Finder doesn’t have one. Instead, there’s a quick keyboard shortcut that lets you temporarily view hidden files without any settings.

Once you’re in Finder, press Command + Shift + . (dot) on your keyboard. This shortcut instantly reveals hidden files and folders in your current Finder window, so you can see files that usually stay out of sight.

Press Command + Shift + . (dot) on your keyboard

You’ll see grayed-out files that macOS typically hides. When you’re done, press Command + Shift + . (dot) again to toggle the hidden files off and return Finder to its usual view.

Method 2: Use Terminal to See All Hidden Files on Mac

If you need hidden files to stay visible each time you open Finder, you’ll need to make a quick change in Terminal. This method keeps hidden files visible until you decide to hide them again.

  1. You can press Command + Space and type “Terminal” to launch it directly.
  2. In the Terminal window, type this command and press Enter:
    defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles trueType this command to unhide files
  3. To apply the change, type killall Finder and press Enter. Finder will restart automatically, and hidden files will now remain visible in all Finder windows.Type killall Finder
  4. If you want to return to the default setting, repeat the steps above, but replace true with false in the first command: defaults write com.apple.Finder AppleShowAllFiles false
  5. Then, type killall Finder again to reset Finder.
📝 Note. Sometimes, file permissions can restrict access to certain folders or files on your Mac. First, double-check that you’re logged in with the correct credentials, especially if you have multiple user accounts on your Mac. Then, if you still can’t see the files, right-click the folder, select Get Info, and review the Sharing & Permissions section. Make sure your account has the right access level, or adjust permissions by selecting Read & Write if needed. You may need admin access to make these changes.

Adjust permissions

If that didn’t help and you still don’t see the files you want to find, they might have been deleted, or the file system on your drive could be corrupt (a corrupt file system can lead to lost files because it disrupts how macOS reads and organizes data on your drive). For that, we’ll need to use data recovery software to try to bring those files back.

Step 3: Search For All Lost files on Mac with Data Recovery Software

There are plenty of data recovery tools for Mac to choose from. Our team has tested and reviewed many options, and we recommend using Disk Drill for this situation. Here’s how to find files on your Mac hard drive with Disk Drill:

  1. Go to the Disk Drill website and download the application. Install it on your Mac, but make sure to install it on a different drive than the one you want to recover files from, to avoid overwriting any recoverable data.
  2. Disk Drill supports all kinds of devices, so no matter where you’re looking for files, it can work with it—whether it’s an internal drive, external drive, SD card, or even an Android or iOS device. Open Disk Drill, and you’ll see a list of drives connected to your Mac. Select the drive where you last saw your files, then click Search for lost data to start the scan.Select the drive you want to scan
  3. Disk Drill will scan your drive and show a list of recoverable files. You can use filters to narrow down results by file type (e.g., Documents, Images, Audio) or use the search bar to find files by name or extension.Disk Drill scanning the drive
  4. You can also adjust what shows up in the scan results. Just click Show and pick what you want to see: All files, Deleted or lost, or Existing files. You can also check Show system & hidden files to show files that might be hidden or system-related. This makes it easier to find exactly what you’re after in the recoverable files.Select Show system & hidden files
  5. Click on the files you want to recover to see a preview.Select the files you want to restore, then click Recover
  6. Select the files you want to restore, then click Recover. Choose a safe recovery location (on a different drive), and it will complete the process. Disk Drill’s free version for Mac allows you to scan and preview recoverable files, but to actually recover them, you’ll need the PRO version. At least with the free version, you can make sure the files are still there.
💡 Tip. Disk Drill’s free version offers a lot of extra useful features, like a duplicate finder, cleanup tools, and byte-to-byte backup. We often use the byte-to-byte backup feature when we think a drive might be too fragile for a full scan. It lets you create a complete image of your drive and scan that instead, so the original drive stays under less strain.

Our team has used Disk Drill often and has yet to find a situation where it can’t deliver. Here’s why it’s such a solid tool for data recovery:

  • Disk Drill can recover files from just about any device. It also works with file systems macOS doesn’t natively support, like NTFS and EXT3/EXT4, in addition to APFS, HFS+, FAT32, and exFAT.
  • Disk Drill handles data recovery from compromised drives with corrupt/missing file systems. Its advanced “signature mode” scan uses patterns to detect over 400 different file types, it can locate files even on severely damaged drives.
  • You can pause and resume scans whenever you need to, which gives you flexibility with longer scans.
  • Disk Drill is very easy to use, even for casual users, with a clean interface that’s free of annoying pop-ups. It also has a dark mode.
  • Plus, Disk Drill receives frequent updates, which is very important for a tool of this kind; it keeps it reliable and effective as new file types and macOS updates roll out.

Final Words

In our experience, these three simple steps are usually enough to access all files on your Mac, whether they were misplaced, hidden, deleted, or lost. However, we also want to mention that sometimes files become inaccessible due to issues with the drive itself. This is especially common with external drives, which tend to get moved around frequently—something HDDs don’t really like.

We recommend you check the health of your drive and run a basic repair if needed. Luckily, you already have the tools for this installed. Disk Drill offers a smart monitoring feature that keeps an eye on drive health and alerts you to potential issues before they cause data loss. Here’s how to activate it and what to watch for:

  1. Open Disk Drill, go to S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring, and click  Turn on.S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring
  2. Once activated, Disk Drill monitors drive health, showing indicators for each attribute. If everything is well, you’ll see a Good health level and OK status for each metric, as shown in the image.
  3. If there’s an issue, Disk Drill will alert you and flag specific metrics in yellow or red, which signals that it’s time to back up data or consider repairs.

If Disk Drill’s S.M.A.R.T. Monitoring alerts you to issues or if you notice problems with your drive (file access issues, slow performance, or unexpected crashes), the next step is to run First Aid in macOS. First Aid is a built-in tool in Disk Utility that scans and repairs file system issues, which can help fix errors that make files inaccessible or slow down your drive. Here’s how to run First Aid on your drive:

  1. Go to Applications > Utilities > Disk Utility. You can also hit Command + Space and type “Disk Utility” to open it quickly.
  2. In Disk Utility, find the drive you want to check, whether it’s your Mac’s internal drive, SSD, or an external drive with issues.Click the First Aid button at the top
  3. With your drive selected, click First Aid in the top toolbar and hit Run. Disk Utility will scan the drive for file system errors and attempt repairs if it finds any problems.
  4. When First Aid finishes, it’ll show a summary of what it found and fixed. If it successfully repaired errors, your drive should run more smoothly.

FAQ

There are a few reasons why you might not be able to see all files on your Mac:

  • Hidden files. macOS hides certain files by default, like system files, configuration files, and app data, to keep things organized and prevent accidental deletion. You can use the Command + Shift + . (dot) shortcut in Finder to temporarily reveal hidden files.
  • File permissions. If you don’t have the right permissions for certain folders or files, they won’t be visible or accessible. Make sure you’re logged in as an admin or adjust permissions.
  • External drive issues. Sometimes, files on external drives don’t show up due to compatibility issues or file system errors.
  • Corrupt file system. A corrupt file system can make files disappear from view or even make the drive unmountable. If you suspect corruption run First Aid in Disk Utility and use a data recovery tool like Disk Drill to get access to your data.
  • Deleted or lost Files. If files were accidentally deleted or lost, they won’t appear in Finder. Data recovery software like Disk Drill can scan your drive for deleted files and help you recover them.
The Library folder on macOS is hidden by default, but you can easily access it with a few steps. Open Finder, then click Go in the top menu bar. Press and hold the Option key, and you’ll see Library appear in the drop-down menu. Click Library to open it.
Here’s how you can quickly find a file on a Mac:

  • Press Command + Space to open Spotlight, then type the name of the file, app, or folder you’re looking for. Spotlight provides instant results and suggestions.
  • Or open Finder and go to File > Find or use the Command + F shortcut. Type in the file name, keywords, or even a file extension (e.g., “.pdf”) to filter your results. You can also add criteria with the + button to narrow down your search by date, file type, or location.
Jeff Cochin
Jeff Cochin is a distinguished expert in data management, recovery, and warehousing, with over a decade of hands-on experience. His expertise extends to data clouds, failovers, SaaS, and constructing digital marketing strategies for high-growth startups. Notably, he holds comprehensive knowledge of Mac computers, Apple's ecosystem, and iPhone technology, making him a trusted authority in these domains. With nearly five years as a dedicated technical writer, Jeff has become a seasoned researcher and reviewer of new applications and services, particularly those within the Apple and Mac universe. His articles and tutorials, often covering nuances of Mac and iPhone use, have graced the pages of many publications, including Macgasm, OnMac, Applenapps, LAWeekly, and more. They have collectively reached a global audience of millions. Jeff spends a substantial portion of his professional life interfacing with AWS, Docker, Medium.com, freeCodeCamp, and SQL-related technologies, integrating these tools with his profound understanding of Mac systems and software. When he's not immersed in writing, troubleshooting, or scripting for Mac and iPhone environments, or staring at computer screens, Jeff embraces the thrill of outdoor adventures. An enthusiast of biking, kayaking, and hiking, he often seeks new trails to explore alongside his like-minded, outdoors-loving friends.
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