How to fix Quick Access Windows 11 error not showing recent files

The recent files section in Quick Access can be missing for a number of reasons. Today's article will show you some quick troubleshooting steps to help recover recent files in Quick Access in Windows 11.

1. Enable Jump List in Settings

Quick Access may stop showing recent files if you have turned off the Show recently opened items in Start, Jump List, and File Explorer option in Settngs.

To enable Jump List for File Explorer:

1. Press Win + R to open Run.
2. Type ms-settings: and click OK to open the Settings app. Don't forget the colon.
3. In the Settings app, open the Personalization tab .
4. Next, click on the Start option on the right.
5. Here, turn on the toggle for Show recently opened items in Start, Jump List, and File Explorer option and set it to On.

Now, open a document or any other file and it will immediately appear in the recent files section in Quick Access.

As discussed earlier, enabling Jump List means that recent files and apps will appear in the Recommended section of the Start menu. It's an inconvenient solution for some people. But unfortunately, there is still no solution.

If the Jump List option is already set to On, proceed to the next step.

2. Enable Recent Files in Quick Access Properties

You can enable or disable recent files and other properties for the Quick Access feature. Here's how to enable recent files from Folder Options.

1. Press Win + E to open File Explorer.
2. Right click on Quick Access .
3. Click Show more options and then click Options .
4. In the Properties window , open the General tab .
5. Next, in the Privacy section , select the Show recently used files in the Quick Access option .
6. Click Apply > OK to save the changes.

Now, open any file to see if it appears under Recent files in Quick Access.

Sometimes the Show recently used files in the Quick Access option remains unchecked after applying the changes. This happens if you have turned off Jump List as discussed in the first method.

Follow method one in this article and enable Jump List option in Start settings to resolve the issue.

3. Clear File Explorer History

Clearing File Explorer history can help you fix recent files not showing up in Quick Access.

To clear File Explorer history:

1. Open File Explorer.
2. Right click on Quick Access , select Show more options > Options .
3. Click the Clear button below the Privacy section .
4. Click Apply > OK to save the changes.

4. Restore Folder Options to Defaults

You can reset Folder Options for Quick Access to the default configuration to fix this problem. Note that reset will remove all customizations you may have made to Folder Options and require reconfiguration.

To restore Folder Options:

1. Right-click Quick Access , and then select Show more options > Options .
2. Click the Restore Defaults button .
3. Click OK to save the changes.
4. Open File Explorer and check for any improvements.

5. Create a new local user account

Another way to restore Recent Files in Quick Access is to create a new local user account. Follow these steps to create a new local user account in Windows 11.

1. Press Win + I to open Settings.

2. On the left, click the Account tab .

3. On the right, click Family & other users .

4. Scroll down to the Other users section .

5. Click the   Add account button for Add other users .

6. To create an account without adding a Microsoft account, click I don't have this person's sign-in information .

7. Next, click Add a user without a Microsoft Account .

8. Enter a name for the user account and enter the password. You can leave the password field blank, but remember not to create an unprotected admin account.

9. Click Next and the new user account will appear under Other users .

10. Click your account name to expand the options. Then click Change account type .

11. Click the drop-down menu and select Administrator .

12. Click OK to apply the changes.

Now, log in with the new user account and the recent files will show up again in the Quick Access section.

Micah Soto

Update 03 April 2023