Windows x keeps rail of all the files and folders you open and displays that information in a number of locations inside the user interface–such equally Spring Lists associated with applications and the Frequent Folders and Contempo Files sections of File Explorer'due south Quick Access feature. Merely the goal of the Recent items listing is to make information technology easy for you to access files that you use often. Instead of burrowing through File Explorer or an Open up dialog box, you can access the Recent items listing, select the file you've been using, and get correct back to piece of work.

Now, even though Recent items is a boon to your productivity, you will probably achieve a point when you want to articulate out the listing and start over from scratch. In this commodity, I'll prove you lot how to do simply that.

How it works

Before I show you how clear the list of Contempo items, let's await at how the feature works. If you launch File Explorer and select the Quick Access panel in the tree pane, you'll find the Frequent Folders and Recent Files sections, shown in Effigy A.

Figure A

File Explorer's Quick Access panel shows the Frequent Folders and Recent Files sections,

The Frequent Folders department displays the folders you access more than in one case, while the Recent Files section lists all the files you've recently opened, regardless of the file blazon. The file you opened about recently will appear at the top of the list.

Jump Lists, on the other hand, will show you a list of the files yous have recently accessed with a detail awarding. For example, Word's Spring List will brandish DOCX files and Notepad's Jump List will display TXT files, equally shown in Figure B.

Figure B

A Jump List will testify all recent files associated with a particular application.

Once an detail appears on a Jump Listing, you can make it remain on the list indefinitely. To pin the particular to the list, click on the pushpin icon next to the detail.

  • Of form, Windows follows a few rules when information technology comes to Recent items. Co-ordinate to a WindowsDev Eye article covering the Recent items characteristic:
  • A new item is e'er added at the top of the Recent items list.
  • Items volition move downwardly in the list over time. One time the listing is full (reaches the maximum number of items specified in markup), older items autumn off the bottom of the list as new items are added to the top of the list.
  • If an item already appears somewhere in the list just is accessed again, it moves back to the pinnacle of the list.
  • If an item is pinned, information technology will still travel down the list, simply information technology will not autumn off the bottom. Instead, once the list is full, the commencement unpinned item to a higher place the pinned item will fall off when a new item is added to the list.
  • If the number of pinned items ever reaches the maximum number of items, then no new items will become added to the listing until an detail is unpinned.

SEE: How to apply Task Director'south Processes tab to troubleshoot problems in Windows 10

Clear Contempo items

You can clear all the Recent items past turning the feature off and then turning it dorsum on again. To practice so, access Settings from the Showtime menu and then open Personalization, every bit shown in Figure C.

Effigy C

After you launch Settings, select the Personalization tile.

When the Personalization window appears, select the Beginning tab to access the settings shown in Effigy D. Then, toggle off the Show Recently Opened Items In Jump Lists On Start Or The Taskbar option. As soon as you practice, all the Recent items will be cleared. (Annihilation that you lot have explicitly pinned volition remain.) You can then switch the toggle back to On.

Figure D

On the Start tab, plough the toggle switch to Off and then back to On.

Also read…

  • The Universal Windows Platform flexes its muscles at Build 2016
  • The Windows 10 roadmap provides in-depth details on Device Guard and Credential Guard
  • Windows x rollout: Unwary pocket-size firms mutter of unwanted upgrades
  • Windows x: The best new features coming to Microsoft's latest OS (pictures)

What's your take?

How much do you rely on the Windows x Recent items feature? Share your experiences and advice with swain TechRepublic members.