Windows 10: Add or Remove Frequent folders from Quick access in Windows 10

How to: Add or Remove Frequent folders from Quick access in Windows 10

How to Add or Remove Frequent folders from Quick access in Windows 10


Windows 10 replaced Favorites from previous Windows with Quick access. The Quick access page is the shortest route to files you've been working on and folders you often use. These are your frequent folders and recent files.

In Windows 10, File Explorer opens to Quick access by default which shows your Frequent folders and Recent files.

• Frequent folders = Displays up to ten folders that you frequently opened on the system.
• Recent files = Displays up to twenty files that you most recently opened.

This tutorial will show you how to add or remove Frequent folders in Quick access in File Explorer for all users or only your account in Windows 10.

When you hide or remove Frequent folders in Quick access, it will also clear it's history except for the locations you pinned to Quick access.

If you set to hide Frequent folders and have folders pinned to Quick access, then Frequent folders will still show in Quick access until you unpin the folders.



Contents

• Option One: Hide or Show "Frequent folders" in Quick Access for Your Account using File Explorer Options
• Option Two: Hide or Show "Frequent folders" in Quick Access for Your Account using a REG file
• Option Three: Add or Remove "Frequent folders" in Quick Access for All Users using a REG file

EXAMPLE: Quick access in Windows 10









OPTION ONE [/i] Hide or Show "Frequent folders" in Quick Access for Your Account using File Explorer Options
1 Open File Explorer Options.

2 Do step 3 or step 4 below for what you would like to do.


3. To Show "Frequent folders" in Quick access
This is the default setting.

A) In the General tab under Privacy, check the Show frequently used folders in Quick access box, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)
4. To Hide "Frequent folders" in Quick access
A) In the General tab under Privacy, uncheck the Show frequently used folders in Quick access box, and click/tap on OK. (see screenshot below)








OPTION TWO [/i] Hide or Show "Frequent folders" in Quick Access for Your Account using a REG file
1 Do step 2 or step 3 below for what you would like to do.


2. To Show "Frequent folders" in Quick access
This is the default setting.

A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Show_Frequent_folders_in_Quick_access.reg

Download
3. To Hide "Frequent folders" in Quick access
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 4 below.

Hide_Frequent_folders_in_Quick_access.reg

Download
4 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

5 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

6 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

7 If the Quick access is currently open, then refresh (F5) it or close and open it to apply.

8 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.





OPTION THREE [/i] Add or Remove "Frequent folders" in Quick Access for All Users using a REG file
You must be signed in as an administrator to be able to do this option.

Removing frequent folders using this option will override what users have set in Option One and Option One above.


1 Do step 2, step 3, or step 4 below for what you would like to do.

2. To Add "Frequent folders" to Quick access in 32-bit Windows 10
This is the default setting.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

32-bit_Add_Frequent_Folders_to_Quick_access.reg

Download
3. To Add "Frequent folders" to Quick access in 64-bit Windows 10
This is the default setting.


A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

64-bit_Add_Frequent_Folders_to_Quick_access.reg

Download
4. To Remove "Frequent folders" from Quick access
A) Click/tap on the Download button below to download the file below, and go to step 5 below.

Remove_Frequent_Folders_from_Quick_access.reg

Download
5 Save the .reg file to your desktop.

6 Double click/tap on the downloaded .reg file to merge it.

7 When prompted, click/tap on Run, Yes (UAC), Yes, and OK to approve the merge.

8 If the Quick access is currently open, then refresh (F5) it or close and open it to apply.

9 You can now delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.

That's it,
Shawn


Related Tutorials

• How to Add or Remove Quick access in Navigation Pane of File Explorer in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Favorites from Quick Access in Windows 10
• How to Add or Remove Recent files from Quick access in Windows 10
• How to Pin or Unpin Locations from Quick access in Windows 10
• How to Turn On or Off 'Recent Items' and 'Frequent Places' in Windows 10
• How to Reset and Clear Recent Items and Frequent Places in Windows 10
• How to Hide a Specific File or Folder from Quick access in Windows 10
• How to Change Quick Access Icon in File Explorer in Windows 10

:)

 

"you need permission to preform this action"

We are volunteers willing to help you try to resolve this issue.

You don't delete it there as that is only a virtual representation of the folder.

These should help :

How to Add or Remove Frequent folders from Quick access in Windows 10

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2712-add-re...

How to Pin or Unpin Locations from Quick access in Windows 10

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2893-pin-un...

Also, check the "Related Tutorials" at the end of those for more.

Please let us know the results and if you need further assistance.

 

Increase number of recent folders in quick access

Hi,

If you want a folder to show up in Quick access, right-click it and select
Pin to Quick access as a workaround.

1. Open an Explorer window.

2. Click File in the top left corner.

3. Uncheck ‘Show frequently used folders in Quick access’.

4. Drag and drop the file or folder you want to add into the Quick Access window.

Remove recent files from Quick Access in Windows 10

Removing recent files from Quick Access is a little simpler. To remove resources, you do not have to turn it off.

1. Open an Explorer window if you closed it.

2. Right click on a file or folder and select ‘Remove from Quick Access’.

3. The resource should now disappear from the window.

If you need further insights into this issue, you might as well post this in the Feedback page via the inbuilt Feedback App in Windows 10.

Let us know if you have any questions. We are happy to help!

 

Hey Edwin,

Unpinning "Desktop" from Home doesn't remove "Frequent Folders" from Home for me, but I'll add this option to the tutorial below.

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/2...dows-10-a.html

Thank you. *Smile

 

Greetings from Holly Jerusalem
Very nice
But how to open to specific folder

 

Hello Aksalaymeh, *Smile

I'm not sure what you mean. What do you want to open to a specific folder?

 

Greetings from Holly Jerusalem
windows explorer to open to a specific folder

 

Depends on the folder, which folder do you want to 'pin to the taskbar', I take it?

 

Hello Aksalaymeh,

In addition, if you like, you could use OPTION ONE in the tutorial below to pin any folder to your taskbar that will always open to that folder in File Explorer. *Smile

Taskbar - Pin or Unpin a Folder - Windows 7 Help Forums

 

Shawn,
Option 1 doesn't appear to be working for me in Build 10041, have you been successful in turning off Quick Access in the File Explorer?

 

Hey mate,

Yep, it still works in build 10041.

Double check to see if you still see "Frequent folders" due to having folders pinned to Quick Access. *Smile

Quick access - Pin or Unpin Locations in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

 

Having individual recent folders show up in quick access is a nice option to have, but I prefer the "recent places" approach of Win81, which was a single folder in favorites that you clicked that opened up to recent folders.

Do you know how to add that? It's easy to add "Recent items," as that's just a shortcut to:
%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent Items

But Recent Places is apparently a filtered view of "Recent items" showing just folders.

 

Isn't there a directory where the links are stored similar to Taskbar and Start Menu?

 

Hello Casey,

Here's the locations for them. *Smile

https://www.tenforums.com/tutorials/3...set-clear.html

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent Items

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations

%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\CustomDestinations

 

In addition. *Smile

How to Create a Recent Folders Shortcut in Windows 10

How to Create a Recent Items Shortcut in Windows 10