Windows 10: Recent items not showing in quick access or start list

Hi there,

I've only just upgraded to windows 10, so still getting to grips. I have the recent items option enabled in both the quick access panel and jump lists, but they're appearing in neither. Does anyone have any suggestions?

Many thanks

:)

 

Recent Items on Start Menu in Windows 10

I have found that there is a line in File Explorer that is like the old Recent Items list.

It is called Quick Access.

Look for it at the top of the file list on the left side, it has a blue star next to it.

It displays Frequent Folders as well as Recent Files.

When you 'right-click' the Quick Access line you can click Pin To Start.

After pinning it to the Start Menu it will be near the bottom of the list of Apps.

I did a 'click and hold' while dragging it to the top of the Apps list.

I then 'right-clicked' the Quick Access button/icon and clicked 'Resize" and clicked 'small'.

This shows up as a small blue square with a star in it.

Just click the star and there are your recently accessed items along with frequently used folders.

 

Recent File / Quick access Files

Check your Start settings. You may have disabled "show recently opened items...." in Personalize > Start settings.

REf: Show recently used files in Quick Access" Disables Automatically in Windows 10

 

Hi, have a look at this:
Recent Items and Frequent Places - Turn On or Off - Windows 10 Forums

There are many tutorials: just search (e.g.)
<your problem text> site: w w w.tenforums.com tutorials

(omit spaces - had to put them in so it doesn't appear as a hyperlink)

 

OK, so I had misunderstood - I was expecting an actual recent items item on the start menu like we used to have in windows 7 that shows all recent items rather than lists for individual programmes. I guess this is what you get in the in the quick access option, but that means you have to open a file explorer window, then quick access to get to it, whereas previously you could click on start and hover over recent items for a complete list. Also I don't get jump lists for all the programmes I keep on the taskbar, only some of them. It just seems like windows 10 makes a lot of things a click or two further away than it used to be and therefore less easy to use - put me right if I'm mistaken.

 

Hi
Jump Lists
You might want to experiment with right clicking items on the taskbar.

Recent Items (rather than programs) in Win 10 start menu
As far as I know this is not present. Hint: it is in Classic Shell (!)

Start Menu
It seems to me that where in 10240, there was a popup list of recently accessed files associated with each desktop program, post TH2 you now have to right click the program. (But I don't use Win 10's start menu normally).

That's consistent with rt click for jump lists on the taskbar, I suppose.

To me, the Win 10 start menu is useless-it's not intuitive, accessible, usable. It renders my traditional start menu as a linear list below the top level folders- all subfolders are removed and the contents organised alphabetically, so under All Apps I might read
Help
Help
Help

or
Readme
Readme
Readme

- all from different programs.

Classic Shell - a Win 7-like XP-like optionally expanding start menu with search is very much my preferred option.

Explorer - they've gone to town on Quick Access here, but I dislike seeing the bulk of the pane dominate by this as the default arrangement. But that's a list of files and folders recently accessed. (If I want recent items, I prefer to use another method so I can click and get a drop-down list. E.g. Listary (3rd party program)).

 

Hi pennywhistle,

You might find the following tutorial useful:

How to Create a Recent Items Shortcut in Windows 10


If you pin the shortcut to your start menu you are close to having what you want.

 

Thanks for both your replies, really helpful - I shall do some experimenting and I suspect I shall go for Classic Shell for the Start Menu - thanks for that tip Dalchina, and I've already added a recent items icon to the task bar which is great, so thank philc43 for that.

Much happier bunny now!*Biggrin