Forum Discussion
"Show recently used files" Checked But I Am Not Seeing Them.
I no longer see Recent files in File Explorer. My understanding is that this is a problem introduced by a Win11 update a while ago. But my understanding too is that these Folder Options should restore the Recent Files. But I am not seeing them. I'll be grateful for any help.
If "Show recently used files" is checked but they don't appear in File Explorer, try these steps to fix it:
- Clear Recent File History:
- Open Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history.
- Clear the activity history, then re-enable "Show recently used files" in Folder Options.
- Ensure Recent Files Is Enabled in Quick Access:
- Right-click Quick Access in File Explorer and choose "Options."
- Confirm both "Show recently used files" and "Show frequently used folders" are checked.
- Rebuild the File Explorer Cache:
- Open File Explorer, go to View > Options > Change folder and search options.
- Under the General tab, click "Clear" under Privacy, then restart File Explorer.
- Run Windows Update:
- Make sure your system is fully updated to address any bugs from previous updates.
If the issue persists, it might require a deeper look into system settings or registry changes. Let me know if you need more details!
- Clear Recent File History:
5 Replies
I can not find "Activity history" under "Privacy & security".
Thanks, but that is not working
I don’t know if any of these solutions worked for you, but if not, I believe the answer is that you have to disable controlled folder access in your Windows security settings.
Note that I’m just a person trying to help and offer a solution, not a professional or saying you should do that or anything like that, i don’t know your situation so I don’t know if that’s a good or bad idea for you, but I do believe doing so will allow the recently used files to be visible.
If recent files aren't showing in File Explorer:
- Ensure Recent Files is Enabled: Go to File Explorer Options, ensure "Show recently used files in Quick Access" is checked, and click Clear under Privacy to refresh.
- Check Indexing Settings: Go to Settings > Privacy & Security > Searching Windows, ensure indexing is enabled for your drive.
If it still doesn't work, try restarting your PC or rebuilding the search index. This issue may also be related to a Windows update bug.
If "Show recently used files" is checked but they don't appear in File Explorer, try these steps to fix it:
- Clear Recent File History:
- Open Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history.
- Clear the activity history, then re-enable "Show recently used files" in Folder Options.
- Ensure Recent Files Is Enabled in Quick Access:
- Right-click Quick Access in File Explorer and choose "Options."
- Confirm both "Show recently used files" and "Show frequently used folders" are checked.
- Rebuild the File Explorer Cache:
- Open File Explorer, go to View > Options > Change folder and search options.
- Under the General tab, click "Clear" under Privacy, then restart File Explorer.
- Run Windows Update:
- Make sure your system is fully updated to address any bugs from previous updates.
If the issue persists, it might require a deeper look into system settings or registry changes. Let me know if you need more details!
- Clear Recent File History:
