How do you delete recent files in windows 10​?

Windows 10. like other operating systems, offers a feature that keeps track of recently accessed files for quick access. These recent files are displayed in various places within the operating system, such as in the Start Menu, Quick Access in File Explorer, and other parts of the UI. While this is a convenient feature for many users, it can sometimes raise privacy concerns or simply create clutter. Thankfully, there are several ways to clear or delete these recent files in Windows 10.

1. What Are Recent Files in Windows 10?

Recent files are those that you’ve opened or worked on recently. These files are stored by the system in various places, including:

Quick Access: A section in File Explorer that shows files and folders you’ve recently accessed.

Start Menu: The Start Menu in Windows 10 displays recently opened apps and documents.

Taskbar: If you’ve pinned apps or documents to the taskbar, they may show recent files or activities when you right-click on an app icon.

Microsoft Office: Applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint also have a recent files section that tracks your opened documents.

While this feature is useful for quick access, some users may want to clear these recent files for privacy reasons or simply to declutter their system.

2. Deleting Recent Files from the Start Menu

The Start Menu is one of the first places where recent files are shown in Windows 10. Whenever you open an application or a file, it gets listed here for easy access. However, you may want to delete these files for privacy concerns or just to tidy up your Start Menu.

Method 1: Clear Recent Files via Settings

Open Settings: Click the Start button (Windows logo) in the bottom-left corner of your screen and select Settings (the gear icon).

Navigate to Personalization: In the Settings window, select Personalization.

Go to Start: On the left-hand sidebar, click on Start.

Turn off Recently Opened Items: In the Start settings, you’ll see an option that says “Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar.” Toggle this option off to stop Windows from displaying recent files in the Start Menu altogether.

While this method stops Windows from showing recent files, it doesn’t actually clear the files already listed in the Start Menu.

Method 2: Manually Remove Recent Files from the Start Menu

If you want to clear the recent files manually:

Open the Start Menu: Click the Start button or press the Windows key.

Scroll to the Recent Files Section: Under the Recently Added and Most Used sections, you will see a list of recently opened files and apps.

Right-click on a Recent File: Right-click the recent file you want to remove from the list.

Select Remove from List: From the context menu, choose Remove from this list.

Repeat this for any other recent files you want to remove. This method only clears the items in the Start Menu and won’t affect your actual files.

3. Deleting Recent Files in File Explorer (Quick Access)

Quick Access in File Explorer is another place where Windows 10 shows recently opened files and folders. If you want to delete recent files from Quick Access:

Method 1: Clear Recent Files in Quick Access via File Explorer

Open File Explorer: Press Windows key + E or click the File Explorer icon on the taskbar.

Navigate to Quick Access: In the left sidebar of File Explorer, you’ll see Quick Access at the top.

Clear Recent Files: Right-click on Quick Access and select Options.

Open Folder Options: In the Folder Options window, go to the General tab.

Clear File History: Under the Privacy section, click Clear to remove the history of recent files and folders shown in Quick Access.

This will clear the recent files and folders in Quick Access, but you’ll still be able to access them if they are still stored in the file system.

Method 2: Disable Recent Files in Quick Access

If you want to stop Quick Access from showing recent files:

Open File Explorer: Press Windows key + E or click the File Explorer icon.

Navigate to Options: Click the View tab at the top and then Options on the far right.

Open Folder Options: In the Folder Options window, go to the General tab.

Turn Off Recent Files in Quick Access: Under the Privacy section, uncheck both options: “Show recently used files in Quick Access” and “Show frequently used folders in Quick Access.”

Apply: Click Apply and then OK to save the changes.

This disables the display of recent files and folders in Quick Access, and the history will no longer accumulate.

4. Deleting Recent Files in the Taskbar

If you’ve pinned apps or files to the Taskbar, right-clicking on these icons may display recent files you’ve worked on. These can be removed as well.

Method 1: Remove Recent Files from the Taskbar’s Jump List

Right-click on the Taskbar App: Right-click any app icon on the taskbar to bring up the Jump List.

Remove Recent Files: Under the recent files section, hover over the file you want to remove and click the small X next to it. This will remove that file from the Jump List.

Alternatively, you can go into Settings to disable the Jump List feature entirely:

Open Settings: Click the Start button, then select Settings.

Go to Privacy: In the Settings window, click on Privacy.

Clear Activity History: Scroll down and click Activity History on the left-hand side.

Clear All Activities: Click Clear under Clear activity history to remove all recent activities from the system, including files in Jump Lists.

5. Deleting Recent Files from Microsoft Office

Microsoft Office applications like Word, Excel, and PowerPoint also track your recent files, providing quick access to documents you’ve opened. If you want to clear the recent file list in these applications:

Method 1: Clear Recent Files in Microsoft Office

Open the Office Application: Launch Word, Excel, or any other Office application.

Go to the File Menu: Click File at the top-left corner of the window.

Click on Open: In the File menu, select Open.

Clear Recent Files: Under the Recent section, you’ll see a list of files. Click Clear Recent Documents at the bottom to remove them.

This clears the recent documents in the Office application, providing you with a fresh list the next time you open the program.

6. Deleting Recent Files in the Run Dialog Box

When you use the Run dialog (press Windows + R), the recent commands and file paths are stored for quick access. You may want to delete these as well, especially for privacy concerns.

Method 1: Delete Recent Files in the Run Dialog Box

Open the Run Dialog Box: Press Windows key + R to open the Run dialog.

Delete Recent Commands: Type regedit into the search bar and press Enter to open the Registry Editor.

Navigate to the Run History: In the Registry Editor, navigate to:

HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\RunMRU

Delete Entries: On the right side, you’ll see a list of recent run commands. You can right-click each entry and select Delete to remove it.

7. Using Disk Cleanup to Clear Recent Files

Windows 10 has a built-in tool called Disk Cleanup that can be used to remove temporary files, cached data, and recent file history.

Open Disk Cleanup: Press Windows key + S, type “Disk Cleanup,” and select the app.

Select the Drive to Clean: Choose the drive (usually C:) and click OK.

Choose Files to Delete: In the Disk Cleanup window, check System created Windows Error Reporting and Temporary files. You can also select Thumbnails and System files for a deeper clean.

Clean Up: Click OK, then select Delete Files to confirm.

Disk Cleanup will remove various temporary files, which can include recent files in some cases.

8. Using Third-Party Applications

If you prefer a more comprehensive approach, third-party applications like CCleaner or BleachBit can help you delete recent files, clear caches, and perform other privacy-focused maintenance tasks.