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Introduction

This Knowledge Base article provides a step-by-step guide on How to Change the Default Settings using File Manager in cPanel. File Manager allows you to manage and edit your website files directly from the cPanel interface. Adjusting these settings helps you control the default directory, show hidden files, and manage encoding dialogs.

Prerequisite

• Access to your cPanel login page.

Step-by-Step Guide

Step 1: Log in to cPanel

• Access and log in to your cPanel account using your username and password.

Step 2: Open File Manager

• In the Home page, under Files, click File Manager.
• This will open the File Manager interface.

Step 3: Open Settings

• In File Manager, click Settings in the top-right corner.
• The Preferences pop-up window will appear.

Step 4: Adjust Preferences

1. Select Default Folder (Choose where File Manager opens by default):
   • Home Directory: The main folder for your account.
   • Web Root (public_html or www): The folder where your website files are stored.
   • Public FTP Root (public_ftp): The folder for FTP files.
   • Document Root for: Select the root folder for a specific domain.
2. Show Hidden Files (dotfiles): Check this box to display hidden files. For example: .htaccess
3. Disable Character Encoding Verification Dialogs: Check this box to skip encoding confirmation when editing files.

Step 5: Save Changes

• Click Save to apply your new preferences.

Step 6: Verify Changes

• Select Default Folder: Close File Manager, then open it again from cPanel → Files → File Manager. It should now open in the folder you selected.
• Show Hidden Files (dotfiles): Look for files that begin with a dot, such as .htaccess. If they are visible, the setting is working.
• Disable Character Encoding Verification Dialogs: Try editing a file (For example: index.html). If the encoding popup does not appear, the setting is applied.

Conclusion

By following these steps, you can easily update the default settings using File Manager in cPanel. Adjusting preferences such as the default folder, showing hidden files, and managing encoding dialogs helps make file management more efficient in cPanel.