I just use "Recent Items" in Start Menu. Unless you clear recent items using Ccleaner or similar the most recent files remain in the list. So if you downloaded and save a file anywhere - it should appear in the list (even after a reboot). The list can only display 60 items maximum.
Open File Location (right click menu) opens the containing folder with the file highlighted.
Interesting Callender. I erroneously dismissed the idea of working with the "Recent Items" menu on the Start Menu after reading the comments in the original post about the "Recent Places" link not populating for the OP. I'm not sure what the relationship is between that "Recent Places" link within Explorer's navigation pane and the "Recent Items" menu on the Start Menu.
For what it is worth: Chrome populates that "Recent Items" menu on the Start Menu when the "Save As" dialog box is used - even if Chrome is in the incognito mode.
@UsernameIssues The ctrl-J solution is exactly what I was looking for. Thanks! I am an "average home user," so much of the ensuing discussion was beyond me.
@RolandJS I also checked the "Restore previous folder windows at login" option, although it caters to a an extreme use case, not a typical one. The typical one I had been trying describe would be titled "Going back later to a previously downloaded file."
Thanks to all for your help.
Sorry. I let the frustrations of the OP set the adversarial tone for my post. Also, I agree that most* home users just put downloaded files in the Download Folder.
*not that I have asked most home users or even a significant number of home users. I don't happen to use the download folder, even for personal downloads.
As for renaming the downloaded file...
...yes, that can be done during the download process
...but my guess is:
the OP regrets using that task as the example.
That said, for a user that did not know that the file could be renamed before being saved, your info would be most helpful and would probably cause the user to say, "DOH! Why didn't I think of that? I've been renaming files via Explorer all of these years - when I could have just been renaming it before saving it."
As the OP stated in post #4:
No matter the reason for the folder structure. No matter the reason for the time that lapsed between when the file was downloaded and when that same file is to be accessed again. No matter why the file is to be accessed after being downloaded --- the question is: how does the OP get to the file without navigating thru the same folder structure that the OP went thru to save the file? Let's see of the "Recent Items" menu on the Start Menu works for the OP.
perkinw, we are all glad you got the solution; I'm sure many other home and office users will find the various posts useful. This has been teamwork from start to finish.
Last edited by RolandJS; 20 Aug 2016 at 17:54.
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