is there anyway to view or convert just the .mxf files without the directory folders. i took some files from a friends HD and forgot to get them in directory format. now i can't view them.
That really depends on what tools (and computer) you use, which of course you didn't get into.
The Serious Magic/Adobe DVCProHD Decoder / Batch Converter will convert MXF to AVI or QT containers, and Edius 4 Broadcast can open MXF files by dragging and dropping them into the bin or timeline.