How To Find Recently Created Files In Windows 11

Are you unable to find a file you created recently on your Windows 11 PC because you do not remember the file location and name? Would you like to know how to find a recently created file on a PC running Windows 11? If yes, you should be able to find the file by following the methods mentioned below.

Finding a recently created file can be challenging, especially when you do not know the file name and saved location. However, if you know the correct method, you should be able to find the file in a few minutes.

Windows 11 offers multiple options to find recently created files. The following are the four easy ways to find recently created files in Windows 11.

Method 1 of 4

Find recently created files using File Explorer

The Windows 11 File Explorer Home shows not only frequently accessed files but also recently created files. All newly created files and recently accessed files appear in the Recent section of Home.

Go through the Recent files list. The Recent files section displays the creation date next to each file name. This should help you identify the recently saved file.

If the file you are looking for is not in the list, it’s likely because you have opened/accessed several files after creating the file. The methods mentioned below should help you find the file.

Method 2 of 4

Use the Recent Files folder to find recently created files

The Recent Files folder in Windows 11 File Explorer displays hundreds of recently accessed and created files. Here is how to use it.

Step 1: Open the File Explorer using search or any other method.

Step 2: In the File Explorer address bar, copy and paste the following path and then press the Enter key.

%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent

Step 3: The Recent Items folder displays all recently accessed and created files and folders.

Step 4: You may click on the Date modified column header to arrange files by their modified dates.

Method 3 of 4

Find files created on a specific date

If you remember the date when the file was created, then you can use the File Explorer search filter to find the file.

Step 1: Open This PC in File Explorer. If you remember the drive or folder of the file, you may navigate it.

Step 2: Use the following search filter to find all files created on a specific date. For instance, if you need to find files created on 29^th January 2025, then the search filter would be this:

datecreated:>=2025-01-29 <=2025-01-29

If you would rather search for files created between two dates, the following filter should help you:

datecreated:>=2025-01-09 <=2025-01-29

Method 4 of 4

Use the app that you used to create the file to find the file

Most apps offer an option to quickly access recently created or edited files. For instance, the Office Word, Excel, and PowerPoint programs allow you to quickly access recently created files.

Launch the program and then right-click the program icon in the taskbar to see if the recently created file appears in the list.