Windows 10: Quick Access folders are no longer working in File Explorer

Hi, I am running Windows 11, and the latest update which was installed on 12th October has caused issues with my File Explorer. It appears to now be running in a window that looks more like an internet page, which doesn't worry me either way. The bit that is bothering me is that all of my Quick Access folders have disappeared. I have tried to re-pin them to Quick Access, but nothing happens. I no longer have a Quick Access folder. Due to the number of folders I have in File Explorer, it is taking me a lot longer to find the files that I need and is greatly impacting my productivity. Could some

:)

 

File Explorer W11; Restore Pictures Folder to Quick Access

To restore the Pictures folder to Quick Access in Windows 11 File Explorer, you can follow these steps:

1. Open File Explorer by clicking on the folder icon in the taskbar or by pressing Windows + E on your keyboard.
   
2. In the left pane of File Explorer, right-click on Quick Access and select Options.
   
3. In the Folder Options window, select the General tab.
   
4. Under Privacy, make sure that "Show recently used files in Quick access" and "Show frequently used folders in Quick access" are both checked.
   
5. Click on the Clear button next to "Clear File Explorer history" to remove any history that might be preventing the Pictures folder from appearing in Quick Access.
   
6. Click on the Restore Defaults button to restore the default settings for Quick Access.
   
7. Click on Apply and then on OK to save the changes.
   
8. If the Pictures folder still does not appear in Quick Access, you can manually add it by navigating to the folder in File Explorer, right-clicking on it, and selecting Pin to Quick Access.
   

If these steps do not work, you can try creating a new user account and see if the Pictures folder appears in Quick Access for the new user. If it does, you can copy the contents of your old user account's Pictures folder to the new user account's Pictures folder and continue using the new account.

Let me know if it helps.

 

Quick Access Crashes Explorer

Hi Bill,

Quick Access is a new feature in Windows 10 File Explorer navigation pane which helps users quickly navigate to locations which are frequently used. However, if you're having issues with Quick Access, you can try to disable and enable it. To disable Quick
Access, follow these steps:

• Type File Explorer Option in the search box.
• Click on File Explorer Options.
• Under General tab, choose This PC in the Open File Explorer to: drop down menu.
  
• Uncheck Show recently used files in Quick access and
  Show frequently use folders in Quick access.
• Click Apply an OK.
• Restart the computer and re-enable Quick access.

Let us know how it goes after performing the suggested troubleshooting steps.

 

Quick Access Not Working

Hi Dustin,

Thank you for writing to Microsoft Community Forums.

Follow the below steps to repair the broken database of Quick Access.

Method 1:

Before repairing the database, try to disable and then re-enable Quick Access to see if it helps. To disable and re-enable Quick Access, follow the below steps:

Step 1: To remove frequent folders and recent files list from Quick Access, open File Explorer > click on View tab in Ribbon >
click on Options > Change folder and search options to open Folder Options.

Step 2: You’ll have to uncheck the following two check-boxes present under the Privacy section to disable Quick Access:

• Show recently used files in Quick Access.
  
• Show frequently used folders in Quick Access.
  

Step 3: Click Apply and Exit. The action will instantly remove these two sections from Quick Access in File Explorer. (To clear your Quick Access history press the ‘Clear’ button against Clear File Explorer History).

Step 4: Then, check
the following two check-boxes again to enable Quick Access that you did in
Step2.

• Show recently used files in Quick Access.
  
• Show frequently used folders in Quick Access.
  

Step 5: Restart the PC once and check the issue and if the issue persist, follow the
Method 2.

Method 2:

The Method 2 will repair the broken database of Quick Access.

Step 1: Open File Explorer and paste this folder path: %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations in the address bar and hit Enter.

Step 2: Once the folder is opened, press ‘Ctrl’ key and the ‘A’ from your keyboard to select all of its contents and delete it.

Step 3: Do the same for this folder path as well: %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\CustomDestinations

Step 4: Restart the PC once and check the issue.

Hope it helps.

Shafeeq Ali Khan

Microsoft Community - Moderator