Forum Discussion
Random Scammy PDFs Appearing in "Recent"
Not sure what this is, but these files are appearing in "Recent" (https://onedrive.live.com/?view=1), and there's no way to remove, hide, or even open them.
3 Replies
None of this is working. Microsoft have basically notified that it's a known bug and they are fixing it.
As far as I've researched afterwards, Microsoft has acknowledged a widespread issue where users receive scammy shared PDFs (often with names like "GET BTC" or "GET CACHE") that are nearly impossible to remove from the Recent list. So yes, in a practical sense, this is a "bug," or at least a behavior Microsoft has said they're working to fix.
The standard advice—going to Shared and selecting "Remove from shared list"—is still the first thing to try. But as your own experience shows, that option is often missing entirely for these particular files.
One trick that has worked for some users: try favoriting the file (click the star icon) and then immediately un-favoriting it. After refreshing the page, the file may disappear from your Recent list. It's a bit of a workaround, but it's worth a shot.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
It's been some time since you created this post, but perhaps this information could still help you.
If I may recommend from the outsett, never click "Open" or "Download" on these files. They are very likely scams or could contain malware.
Try these steps in order to remove them:
Method 1: Remove from the "Shared" List (Most Direct)
- In OneDrive on the web, click "Shared" in the left navigation pane.
- Look for the offending files in the "Shared with you" list.
- Select the file(s), and on the toolbar or by right-clicking, look for an option like "Remove from shared list" or "Remove from this list." This should hide them from your view, including the "Recent" list.
Method 2: Try Directly in the "Recent" View
- Stay on the "Recent" page.
- Hover over one of the offending files, or click the "..." (More actions) icon that appears next to the name.
- Carefully check the context menu for an option like "Remove from list" or "Hide."
Method 3: Adjust Notification Settings (Preventative)
To potentially stop these from appearing in the future, you can try to change your sharing notification settings:- Click the Settings gear icon in the top right of OneDrive > "Options."
- Go to "Notifications."
- Under a section like "Someone shares a document with me," try turning off notifications. Sometimes this can prevent the items from being pushed to your "Recent" list.
My answers are voluntary and without guarantee!
Hope this will help you.
