Group policy on windows sets hidden files as invisible upon startup

"There is no such policy, but here is registry setting and registry settings can be enforced through GPO with Administrative templates.

This is the registry key:

User Key: [HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced]
Value Name: ShowSuperHidden
Data Type: REG_DWORD (DWORD Value)
Value Data: (0 = Hide Files, 1 = Show Files)

This article explains how to create custom adm template:
http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323639 ""How to create custom administrative templates in Windows 2000""

And this article explains how to use adm templates with GPO:
http://www.petri.co.il/adding_new_administrative_templates_to_gpo.htm

Here is an ADM template I have used in the past:

CLASS USER
CATEGORY ""System""
CATEGORY ""Folders Files""
POLICY ""Hide\Show Hidden Files""
EXPLAIN ""This setting will allow for you to set the show and hide files and folders by default Keep in mind that this information will be stored in cleartext in the systems registry.""
KEYNAME ""SOFTWARE\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced""

PART ""SetThis"" NUMERIC REQUIRED TXTCONVERT
VALUENAME ""Hidden""
MIN 1 MAX 2 DEFAULT ""2""
END PART

END POLICY
END CATEGORY
END CATEGORY

Save the text with an "".adm"" extention and place it somewhere.
( We save our custom ADM's here: C:\WINDOWS\inf\ADM Templates )
Create a GPO called ""HiddenFiles"" then open it up and add this template to your GPO
Right click the ""Administrative Templates"" -> View -> Filtering -> ""Only show policy settings that can be fully managed""
Then go into your ""User Configuration"" -> Administrative Templates -> System -> Folders Files -> ""Hide\Show Hidden Files""

The only catch with using unmanaged ADM's is they need to be reversed not disabled when you want to remove them from your system.

If you set ( Hidden = 1 )
You will need to set ( Hidden = 0 )

Some Quoting from here: http://www.experts-exchange.com/OS/Microsoft_Operating_Systems/Server/Windows_2003_Active_Directory/Q_23056271.html

1: ""How to create custom administrative templates in Windows 2000"" http://support.microsoft.com/kb/323639"