Forum Discussion
What causes the pinned folders in Quick Access to vanish on Windows 10?
What would make the folders I pinned to Quick Access in File Explorer suddenly disappear after an update or a restart, leaving only the default Desktop, Downloads, and Documents entries? I've re-pinned them several times, and they stay for a while, then vanish again without me removing them.
Could this be a corrupted Quick Access cache, a permissions issue with the automatic destinations folder, or something in a recent update that resets the pinned list? And is there a way to back up or lock the pinned folders so they don't keep getting wiped?
1 Reply
You are re-pinning folders in Quick Access, but the pins disappear after a restart or update while the default folders remain. Confirm that each target folder still exists and is reachable, especially if it is on removable storage, a network location, or synced storage. Pin one affected folder, restart the PC, and check whether that one survives. If no pins persist, open File Explorer Options, review privacy settings, then use Clear to rebuild recent and frequent history before pinning a test set again. Do not delete hidden shell or destination files while troubleshooting, because that can remove the list without fixing the cause. Test a new local Windows account: pins that remain there point to a problem in the original profile rather than the folder itself. Windows does not provide a supported lock or automatic backup feature for Quick Access pins, so keep important paths documented until the cause is isolated.
