Since Windows 10, the Windows operating system has offered an easy way to view recent files. The Quick Access (Windows 10) or Home (Windows 11) in File Explorer shows a list of up to twenty recent files so that users can quickly and easily access previously accessed files.
While most users are happy with this default setting, many want to know how to view more recent files. For instance, what if a user wants to find the last hundred recent files instead of the default twenty?
Luckily, both Windows 10 and the latest Windows 11 versions offer an easy way to view all recent files, not just twenty. Here is how.
View all recent files in Windows 10/11
Step 1: Open the File Explorer by clicking on its icon on the taskbar, using search or Windows logo + E hotkey.
Step 2: In the File Explorer address bar, copy and paste the following path and then press the Enter key to open the Recent Items folder.
%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
Step 3: The Recent Items folder, as you can see in the picture below, shows a long list of recently opened files and folders. Yes, it shows both files and folders.
The list on my Windows 11 PC shows 84 recent folders and files, but on another test PC, it showed a total of 147 files (yes, it shows recently opened folders as well).
To make the most out of this, you can click on the Date modified filter (refer to the picture below) to sort the list by modified date so that you can quickly find recent files.
Add Recent Files to File Explorer Quick Access in Windows 10/11
If you wish to use this feature more often but cannot remember that path, you can pin the Recent Items folder to the File Explorer Quick Access so that you can quickly access all recent files and folders. Here is how.
Step 1: Type %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent in the File Explorer address bar and then press the Enter key to open the Recent Items folder.
Step 2: Once the Recent Items folder is open, click the three dots in the toolbar and then click the Pin to Quick Access option.
Alternatively, drag and drop Recent Items from the address bar to the Quick Access area to pin it.
Peter Sanchioni says
I have Windows 11. Your solution is good but is still limited. It will only list the past 150 files. I want to see the last 1000. Is there a way to get to that? Perhaps there is something else limiting “recent” as the 150 files go back exactly 4 weeks. Is there a way to extend the time to go back further?