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:
6 Replies
For reference, in my new Win 11 pro PC from HP, checked "Show recently used files". Then closed the dialog. No change. Opened dialog again. The option was unchecked. Tried checking again and closing FE. Same (lack of) result after reopening Then tried rebooting. Same result.
So looking at this post...
Tried #1: No "Activity History" option exists.
#2: No "Options" item exists in the dropdown when right-clicking Quick Access.
#3: In the View dropdown, there is no Options item.
#4: Ran update. No change.So what is this deeper look???
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:
