The Windows operating system by default hides many important files and folders. For example; the main Windows directory is hidden in Windows XP by default. The same goes for other programs, even video games. When a video game is installed the program installer sets permissions on all of the files that it creates during the installation process, sometimes these files are set as Hidden, so they cannot be accidently deleted.
In the case of video games, some PC games hide various files for the same reasons any other program would, to protect them from becoming accidently damaged. However, in rare cases the files which are hidden can be very useful in unlocking various things within the game, a form of cheating. Always use cation when editing a file and always create a backup copy of the original, in case you mess something up, you can simply revert to the original file.
To see hidden files in Windows do the following: On the Tools menu in Windows Explorer, click Folder Options. Click the View tab. Under Hidden files and folders, click Show hidden files and folders.
Note: To access Windows Explorer, click Start, point to All Programs, and then click Windows Explorer, or simply open a folder, such as My Documents and follow the above instructions. Windows Explorer is simply the program used to navigate through the computer via a visual interface.
Special note: If you have more than one user who uses your Windows login, it may be a good idea to switch this back to the default settings once you are finished editing the file in question. And as previously mentioned, always back a backup of the file in case something goes wrong.
