"Recent Places" folder always empty

I'm Running Windows 7 64 bit, Home Premium, fully updated.

On my laptop (64 bit Win7), "Recent Items" works properly, showing all docs I've opened only (no folders, as it should be). The taskbar Jumplists for each program also show recent docs opened in that program.

The "Recent Places" folder, however, is always empty, nor do recent folders show on the Jumplists for folders.

Searching has turned up nothing useful, but tells me I'm not the only one with this issue.

What I've tried already:

• sfc /scannow
• making sure both the "Store and display" options in Taskbar and Start Menu Properties are checked.
• making sure the reg key HKCU\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Shell Folders\Recent points to the correct folder (%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent Items) and that the folder itself is actually named "Recent Items" and not just "Recent"
• running a disk scan (chkdsk)
  
• Safe mode
• deleting/restoring default links in the Favorites list
  

Essentially, it seems as if documents opened are recorded but not folders. I'm stumped at this point. Anyone know what's up with this?

PJ by disk scan did you mean a chkdsk? if no the try that

https://www.sevenforums.com/tutorials/433-disk-check.html < use the /f and /r switches in Option 2 if necessary
As a precaution run these too

http://www.superantispyware.com/

http://www.malwarebytes.org/products/malwarebytes_free/

http://www.bleepingcomputer.com/download/adwcleaner/

download from bleeping computer – delete any rubbishthese find.

I think Bright Blessings has nailed the answer for that one in that the account (data) is corrupted itself v

Just curious, but what is the System File Checker supposed to do exactly? Is it not supposed to find and replace corrupted/missing system files? Every time I've used it over the years it never seems to find anything wrong when Windows is acting up. In my situation here, creating a new user profile cleared up the problem with Recent Places which seems to suggest a particular system file was recreated in the new account that had become corrupted in the old user profile. Why wouldn't a "System" file check correct this...?

SFC /SCANNOW checks Windows 7 System Files.
Your user account is not a system file.