Windows hides files and folders marked with the Hidden attribute by default. This includes important configuration directories like .git, .ssh, .config, and AppData. Developers working on projects that use dotfiles or need to access user profile directories will want these visible.
Setting Hidden to 1 in the registry tells Explorer to show hidden items. Explorer is restarted to apply the change immediately. Hidden items appear slightly dimmed compared to regular files so you can tell them apart at a glance.
You can also toggle this in File Explorer via View → Show → Hidden items.