.htaccess file

I am setting up multisite on a wordpress install that has content (not concerned with the content at all), I have successfully completed the first two steps of the setup but in step three it instructs me to alter or create the .htaccess file. I looked in the folder and there is none visible there, I did a search for the file and it says that the file exists on my server but when I click on the provided link it simply delivers me to the top tier of the domain I am setting up multisite on.

Is this a common problem?

Can anyone please direct me how to correct this so I can have multisite successfully run?

Thank you.