Quick Access is a handy feature in Windows 10. It enables you quickly access recently opened files and frequently opened folders. Quick Access, with default settings, displays up to 10 frequent folders and 20 recently opened files.
Recently, I noticed that the Quick Access window was not showing recently opened files. In fact, the Recent files section was missing. However, the Frequent folders section was showing up and seemed to work as usual.
If the Quick Access window is not showing recently opened files or the Recent files section is missing, you can bring back the Recent files section again by following solutions given below.
Solution 1 of 4
Check if Recent files feature is turned off
Step 1: Open the Folder Options dialog. To do that, click the File menu and then click Options/Change folder and search options.
Step 2: Under the General tab, navigate to the Privacy section. Here, make sure that Show recently used files in Quick access check box is selected. If not, check the box next to the option and then click the Apply button.
Solution 2 of 4
Check if Jump List is turned off
Did you know that disabling Jump List removes the Recent files section from Quick Access? Yes, Quick Access won’t show recent files if the Jump List feature is turned off. Here is how to check the same.
Step 1: Open the Settings app. Navigate to Personalization > Start page.
Step 2: Here, check if Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar option is turned on or off. If turned off, turn on the same.
After turning on the Jump List feature, please follow the directions in Method 1 again to make sure that the Show recently opened used files in Quick access option is enabled.
Solution 3 of 4
Disable and then enable Quick Access
If the Quick Access is not working or not showing Recent files, try disabling and then enabling the Quick Access feature. Here is how to do just that.
Step 1: Open Folder Options by clicking on the File menu in File Explorer and then clicking Options/Change folder and search options.
Step 2: Under the General tab, change Open File Explorer to This PC, and then click the Apply button. This will disable the Quick Access.
Step 3: To enable it again, set Open File Explorer to Quick Access. Click Apply.
Solution 4 of 4
Clear Quick Access history
Clearing the Quick Access history might help you to fix the issue. Here is how to do that.
Step 1: Open Folder Options. Under the General tab, in the Privacy section, click on the Clear button to delete Quick Access history. Open any file now. The recently opened file’s entry should now appear in the Recent files section.
steeplejack Tom says
Thank you so much. after hours of trying I discovered the jump list was off.
all good now.
David K. says
Solution 4 of 4 did the trick for me. Recent files are now appearing as expected. Thanks for the help!!
Rob says
So Simple and I completely missed it – Thank you!
David says
Tried all 4 and still could not see any recent files. I right clicked and an odd menu popped up. I moved the mouse and did another right click. Now a different menu. That’s when I realized I had right clicked the words for “Recent Files”. So I moved the mouse back and right clicked again. Then clicked expand. Then all my files showed up. You might want to try this BEFORE you clear the cache.
Jerome says
Thanks for your tutorial, only useful one I found online after one hour research.
Veronica L DeLoach says
I have been trying to see why my recent files aren’t showing in file explorer. I’ve tried the view option but it would keep unchecking the box. Then I read your resolution. It was the Jump List was off. Thank you so much!
Arthur Manos says
“Since Office home & student install, not all documents I created & viewed show up in Quick Access – RECENT FILES! Also, ONE DRIVE caused many, many problems! Too easy at first to accidently save a document to one drive that causes cascading issues! This feature should have been created and applied solely by itself, activated only upon need instead of the intermingling as I have no use for it but for confusion and expected problems!” Far too many whistles are loudly ringing the bell!
William S Coffin says
I have recently been losing Recent Access files in Windows 10.
I believe Cleaner might be doing it.
Another way to get recent access is to open a blank Word page. Click File and Recent files will display
SSP says
Working Perfectly when enabled Step 2
Marianne says
I tried all the suggestions but still can’t see recent files in the quick access toolbar – and I just had Windows 10 reinstalled on my computer. That was when the problem appeared.
eric mcmanus says
Didn’t work. It was perfectly fine and then an update happened and suddenly it’s gone. Is the update the problem?
ally says
solution #2 worked on my laptop Thanks
Carolyn Judd says
THANK YOU so much!!
Piotr says
Unfortunately nothing works… I still cannot see the files recently used in taskbar. Maybe there is solution related to Registry editing?
Heinz Gunther says
thanks man. i mean it… Thank You
Aniruddha v {No lies(name of my youtube channel)} says
Worked solution 2 Thank you!!!!!!!!!!!!!?
Aimee says
After month’s of just sucking it up, this has finally resolved the issue. Thank you!
Daniel Randolph says
Resetting File Explorer: “Open to Quick Access” solved the problem for me (step 3). Thank you
Ron Anderson says
Thanks. Second solution worked.
RAJ RUPAREL says
Thanks for the help `
Chandler F says
HUGEEEE HELP OMG THANK YOU I HAVE NEEDED THIS SOLUTION FOR WEEKS!
Sneha Rapheal says
I tried all the 4 techniques.but error didn’t solve at all.
Dan says
I tried everything above and still can’t get it to work :(
admin says
Glad to know that. Thanks for the comment.
miguelang611 says
After trying lot of solutions, including regedit, the 2nd one made it for me.
5 STARS!!
kekey says
thankyou very much, you help me alot!
Mariana says
Thank you so much. Sorted my Quick Access.
Chris says
Hello,
After doing all the steps listed above, Quick Access still refuses to show frequently used files and folders. Sometimes it will show and then disappear again the next time I open it. When it disappears it will default my view to the “List” view instead of the “Tiles” that I have checked. This has been an ongoing thing for months now and it gets really annoying. I have considered reinstalling Windows. Any help is much appreciated.
Laura says
HUGE help! Thank you!!
Brett Pigon says
The recent lists via quick access are limited in the number of files – where can a more complete list be found?