Windows 10: Backup/restore Explorer navigation pane Quick Access?

I'm reluctantly upgrading to W10 as my new laptop isn't supported by W7. My goal is to get W10 to work as similar as possible to W7.

Anyway, one of the things I'm finding really awkward is the new "Quick Access" links in Explorer's navigation pane, which replaces the old Links or Favorites.

With Favorites:

• I could backup my links using a script.
• I was able to change the location of the Favorites folder using a registry hack, which was also very useful.
• I was able to rename Favorites while keeping the target folder name unchanged, which is a very real and typical scenario
• Ability to set custom icons
• Relied on the familiar and simple mechanism of Explorer shortcuts, which allows easy and convenient manipulation

None of this is now possible with the new and super-duper Quick Access that Microsoft spent time and money to re-invent. Why they had to go out of their way to "fix" something that worked remarkably well is beyond me.*Sad

Long story short, I need a way to back up Quick Access links, but I can't find them anywhere on my c:\ drive. Favorites used to be stored in %UserProfile%\Links, where the heck are Quick Access links stored?

Cheers

:)

 

Why Does a Quick Access Icon Keep Getting Created on my Desktop

I was using a registry tweak to hide quick access in the explorer navigation pane.

I have since restored quick access and the icon hasn't appeared since.

 

Windows 10 Restore Down Bug

Disable your navigation pane (File Explorer - View - Navigation Pane on top left).

Restore down, it will "shrink" to tiny box.

Resize the window.

Enable Navigation Pane.

Restore down will work normally now.

Why?

Ask Microsoft!

 

Hi try this from the excellent Tutorials section -- do have a look.
File Explorer Quick Access Toolbar - Backup and Restore in Windows 10 - Windows 10 Forums

Further:
You can use Win 10 as a desktop PC much like Win 7. The control panel remains, but is slowly migrating to Settings, and there are features like the Action Centre which are obviously different.

You can avoid:
- the start menu - use Classic Shell (free) and you'll be much happier. (Still lets you use the Win 10 start menu)
- universal apps (they are not exe's- different
- Cortana

It's really not worth trying to uninstall stuff you don't use.

Appearance: this is what I've done. There is far less flexibility with Win 10, but see the Customisation section to see some things others have done.






Note the Win 7 Orb.

 

Thanks, unfortunately that's not what I was looking for, it's a tutorial for backing up the toolbar buttons, not the Quick Access (a.k.a. "Favorites") folders in the navigation pane.

Luckily I just found a way to do it, basically you need to copy all files in:

C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations

Then, on the new system, delete any files in the same folder and paste the backed up files overwriting any left-over files.

Again, you'll encounter one of those "mystery" path problem, so typical of Microsoft, where the path displayed in the addresss bar and the actual path are not the same:

Displayed: C:\Users\Manuel\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent Items\AutomaticDestinations
Actual: C:\Users\Manuel\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations

Furthermore, if you go to:

C:\Users\Manuel\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\

The "AutomaticDestinations" folder is nowhere to be found, even if you configure Explorer to not hide protected system files. It's one of those special and very typical Microsoft mystery folders that exist but don't exist. There is clearly no logic behind this system where not all folders are the same... I do hope Microsoft go bust ASAP and major software developers start writing code for Linux, then we won't have to deal with Microsoft's nonsense.