If you don’t want Windows 10 tracking your files and showing them in the Start menu, jump lists, and File Explorer, follow the below steps to disable recent files and frequent places.
Out of the box, Windows 10 automatically keeps track of all the files, locations, and websites you open. It then uses this information to show recently opened files and frequently visited places in the Start menu, taskbar jumplists, and File Explorer. While this feature is useful to quickly find and open your recently opened files and frequently visited directories and websites, it can also be a privacy issue. This is especially true if you are sharing your PC with others (a family PC, for example).
The good thing is, if you don’t want it, you can disable recent files in Windows 10 using the Settings app. This tutorial shows you how. Let’s get started.
Disable Recent Files & Frequent Places in Windows 10
- Press “Windows key + I” to open Settings.
- Click the “Personalization” option.
- Go to the “Start” tab on the sidebar.
- Turn OFF the “Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar and in File Explorer Quick Access” toggle.
- Close the “Settings” app.
- With that, you’ve disabled recent files and frequent places in Windows 10.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
As always, the first thing you should open the Settings app. To do that, right-click the Windows icon on the taskbar and select “Settings” or press the “Windows key + I” shortcut.
In the Settings app, Click the “Personalization” option. Next, go to the “Start” tab from the sidebar. This is where you can manage your Start menu and recent files. On this page, On this page, turn OFF the “Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar and in File Explorer Quick Access” toggle.
Finally, close the Settings app and you are done. From now on, you will not see recent items and/or frequent places either in the start menu, taskbar jumplists, or File Explorer.
Disable Recent Files in Windows 10 Using Registry Editor
As an alternative, you can modify the registry to disable recent files in Windows 10. This method is useful if the Settings method is not working for some reason or to automate this process on multiple systems. One thing to keep in mind is that modifying the registry is risky and you should always create a registry backup before making any changes to it.
Note: The below steps require administrator rights.
- Press the Windows key to open the Start menu.
- Search and open “Registry Editor“.
- Go to the below folder:
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced - Right-click the “Advanced” folder.
- Select “New” > “DWORD (32-bit) Value“.
- Set the value name as “Start_TrackDocs“.
- Double-click the “Start_TrackDocs” value.
- Type “0” in the Value Data field.
- Click “OK“.
- Close the Registry and restart your system.
Detailed Steps (With Screenshots)
First, open the Registry Editor. To do that, press the “Windows key” to open the Start menu. Then, search for “Registry Editor” and click the “Open” option.
Once the Registry Editor opens, go to the following folder. This is where you must create a new registry value to stop Windows 10 from creating and displaying the recent files list.
HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced
Next, right-click the “Advanced” folder and select the “New” > “DWORD 32-bit Value” option. This creates a new 32-bit value. Set the name of the value as “Start_TrackDocs“.
After that, right-click the “Start_TrackDocs” value and select “Modify“. Next, replace whatever value in the “Value Data” field with “0” and click “OK” to save the change.
Finally, close the Registry Editor window and restart your computer. Once restarted, the system will no longer track your files and you’ve disabled recent items and frequent places in Windows 10. To reverse it and enable recent files, follow the same steps but set the “Value Data” to “0”.
Wrapping Up — Disabling Recent Items in Windows 10
As you can see, whether you are using the Settings app or the Registry, disabling recent files in Windows 10 is fairly simple. While both methods work the same, you should be careful while editing the registry. Along with the recent files, you can also remove quick access in File Explorer to improve your privacy a bit more.
If you have any questions or need help, comment below. I’ll be happy to assist. If you are using Windows 11, follow this guide instead: How to disable recent files in Windows 11.
