How to Remove Recent Files from Quick Access in Windows 11

Quick access in File Explorer allows you to easily view and access recent files and folders. While this is convenient, you may want to remove files from Quick Access in Windows 11 To maintain privacy or organize the list.

Windows allows you to remove specific entries, clear the entire list, or prevent Quick Access from showing any recent files at all. This guide will show you how to perform these three actions on your Windows 11 PC.

Note: Microsoft renamed Quick Access in File Explorer to File Explorer Home in Windows 11, version 22H2 (Build 22593). So, if your PC is running this version or later, click Home in File Explorer instead of Quick Access.

Remove files and folders from Quick Access in File Explorer

If you want to remove specific files or folders from Quick Access (or the Home page) in File Explorer, you can do so in a few steps. Here's how:

Step 1: Press Windows key + E keyboard shortcut to open File Explorer On your computer, click on Home Or Quick access on the left sidebar.

Step 2: Locate and select the entry you want to delete. Hold down the Control key to select multiple entries. Right-click on your selection and choose Remove from Recent from the context menu.

Similarly, you can also remove any pinned folders. Right-click the folder you want to remove and select "Unpin from Quick Access." You can hold down the Control key to remove multiple folders.

Remove all entries from Quick Access at once

Although it's easy to delete a file or folder from Quick Access in File Explorer using the method above, it's not the most effective way to clear all entries at once. You can delete All recent files and folders Get quick access once through the following steps:

Step 1: Press Windows key + S keyboard shortcut to open the menu. WindowsSearch.

Step 2: Type File Explorer Options In the search box and select the first result that appears.

Step 3: Under the tab general, Click the button to survey Next to Clear File Explorer History.

Windows will remove all entries from the Quick Access section.

Prevent File Explorer from showing recent files and folders in Quick Access

Don't want to have to manually delete Quick Access entries all the time? If so, you can prevent Windows from adding files and folders to the Quick Access section (or Home page). There are two ways you can do this. Let's go through them one by one.

1. Modify File Explorer options

The easiest way to prevent File Explorer from displaying any entries in the Quick Access section (or Home page) is to adjust the privacy options in the File Explorer Options window. Here's how to do it.

Step 1: press the . key Windows + E keyboard shortcut To open File Explorer.

Step 2: Click on the icon Three horizontal dots list At the top to select Options from the context menu.

Step 3: In the File Explorer Options window, switch to the General tab. Under the Privacy section, uncheck the boxes that say Show recently used files وShow frequently used folders.Then click on "Application" followed by "OK" to save the changes.

2. Use the Settings app

Another way to prevent Windows from displaying files in Quick Access (or the Home page) involves using the Settings app. Here are the steps for the same.

Step 1: Right click on the icon START YOUR and select Settings From the menu. Alternatively, you can press the Windows key + I keyboard shortcut to open the app. Settings quickly.

Step 2: Select tab “Personalization” From the left sidebar. Then click Start.

Step 3: Turn off the toggle button next to Show recently opened items in the Start menu, Jump Lists, and File Explorer.

Then, File Explorer will not display any entries. In the Quick Access section (or Home page) except for folders that you manually pinned.

Quick Access Cleaning

Quick access (or Home) in File Explorer eliminates the need to browse drives and folders to open recently used files. However, you may need to remove files from Quick access, especially if you share your Windows 11 PC with someone. Fortunately, this is very easy to do using the steps above.