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LibertyFlames2013's avatar
LibertyFlames2013
Copper Contributor
Apr 17, 2025

How do I restore quick access to File Explorer in Windows 11?

At work, my team and I extensively use Quick Access in File Explorer in Windows 10. Our agency is about to upgrade to Windows 11, which I use at home. My File Explorer at home (Windows 11) allows me to right-click folders and select Pin to Quick Access, but the quick access is missing from the Navigation Pane and none of the "fixes" I've found on the Internet have helped. I can live with this at home (very unhappily and resentfully), but at work, because of our heavy reliance on the Quick Access in File Explorer, losing Quick Access will be catastrophic. How do I restore Quick Access to File Explorer?

 

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4 Replies

  • Dyloinan's avatar
    Dyloinan
    Silver Contributor
    Dec 02, 2025

    Clear the Quick Access cache.

    Corrupted cache files can make your pins vanish. To rebuild them:

    del /F /Q %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\*
del /F /Q %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations\*
del /F /Q %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\CustomDestinations\*

     

  • mark_muldoon's avatar
    mark_muldoon
    Copper Contributor
    Nov 30, 2025

    You left out the part where there has been a deliberate changes in the minimal remaining options so that you HAVE to use the 'new' somewhat retarded way of having your Quick Access menu where it is no longer a Quick Access menu, situated below the cranky OneDrive (that is always expanded) AND with an ad in the search box to encourage you to overfill your nice OneDrive so that Microsoft can harp continually at you to "Get more space" so that you pay them more.   

    Or am I being overly cynical?

  • Nobel_Baynes's avatar
    Nobel_Baynes
    Iron Contributor
    Apr 19, 2025

    Open File Explorer and click the three-dot icon at the top-right of the window. Select "Options" and change the "Open File Explorer To" option to "Home." Click "OK" and relaunch File Explorer

    • Greg_N's avatar
      Greg_N
      Copper Contributor
      Aug 06, 2025

      (Dripping with sarcasm) Of course that's how Microsoft decided to modify "Quick Nav", noting that the functionality isn't mentioned in a single piece of the solution.  Thanks a lot Nobel, that saved me hours of searching around endlessly in the settings to try and find this.

       

      My only question to Microsoft is...why?  (Let's take this perfectly working piece of our software from Win10 and change it for Win11; and not just change it, but change it so drastically that all the users will be unable to figure it out on their own)

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