clear recent list for programs

[TheUnseen]

How do I clear all recent lists from a specific program in start menu? I don't want to disable the recent program/list feature globally, just want to in one click clear all recent lists from that specific program instead of manually one at a time.

 

[Dwarf]

Which program are we talking about?

 

[alishanoon]

The same problem is present in Windows Vista, I guess clearing them manually is the only option.

 

[Antman]

??? is file extension of desired app
Create a batch file ClearRecent???.cmd
(example below)

Assign a shortcut
Edit shortcut properties as desired
Pin/place shortcut to wherever

Assumes User Profiles are located on C:


c:
cd\
cd %USERPROFILE%\Recent\
del *.???.lnk
cd\
cd %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
del *.???.lnk
exit

 

[alishanoon]

??? is file extension of desired app
Create a batch file ClearRecent???.cmd
(example below)

Assign a shortcut
Edit shortcut properties as desired
Pin/place shortcut to wherever

Assumes User Profiles are located on C:


c:
cd\
cd %USERPROFILE%\Recent\
del *.???.lnk
cd\
cd %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
del *.???.lnk
exit

This actually changes nothing, except force removal and more complicated, it will remove the shortcuts manually, he just said something faster then manual removal, like a click to clear them all.

 

[Antman]

This actually changes nothing, except force removal and more complicated, it will remove the shortcuts manually, he just said something faster then manual removal, like a click to clear them all.

Hmm...

So modify it.

Duh.

 

[Antman]

How do I clear all recent lists from a specific program in start menu? I don't want to disable the recent program/list feature globally, just want to in one click clear all recent lists from that specific program instead of manually one at a time.

In the event that I misinterpreted the clearly worded request:

This will clear all links, with a single click. Note the lack of the file type variable ???

c:
cd\
cd %USERPROFILE%\Recent\
del *.lnk
cd\
cd %USERPROFILE%\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent
del *.lnk
exit

 

[poin2]

For individual items listed as "Recent" on the start menu or on jump lists, you can right click on them and select to remove from this list. It will remove the recent item but leave the source program on the main menu.

Otherwise you can go to the Task Bar properties and on the Start Menu tab, uncheck the "store and display..." boxes, click apply, then you can re-enable. This will globally clear things though.

Providing more efficient and detailed control over the taskbar and start menu recently-used lists, etc., is something they can hopefully add in the future.

Wherever the info for those things is stored, it's separate and distinct from the Recent Places and Recent Items folders like: %appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent

I believe the following folders are tied to the jumplists and start menu recent items, but have lost my pinned items as well when I've messed with them:

%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations
%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\CustomDestinations

 

[Antman]

The OP asked how to clear items from the Start Menu/Recent for a specific application. The Start Menu Recent flyout already has a clear all command.

The prescribed batch file works perfectly on my machine for removing a single file type by extension.

 

[theyenk]

Another way to go about this

I just conquered this issue in a different manor.
I wanted windows to quit displaying a recent list for a specific application.

The recent list for each application is stored in a database file located here:

%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations

I opened a file - to add it to the recent list that I wanted to eliminate.
Sorted the files in the above location by date modified.
Changed the permissions - so my user account was DENY'd Read access - BLAM no more recent list for that application.

I win \o/

 

[mikeymikec]

I've written a VBS and batch file that work together to clear out specific results (based on file extension) which works for me in Win7. I probably could make it entirely VBS, but it was a quick fix in the first place I can post my scripts if anyone wants them, though they're not doing anything terribly clever (but it might help people track down weird behaviour in their scripts).

Have you been able to make head or tail of the files in that AutomaticDestinations folder? I came across this thread because I've been trying to get OpenOffice to forget the folder it last saved in, but I don't want to lose its whole jump list in the start menu as well. Each file seems to have a whole load of munged-together data that doesn't seem to be from one specific application, but I could be wrong.

 

[twanger]

Regarding the "AUTOMATICDESTINATIONS" files, open them in Notepad and among the clutter of binary values you'll find the actual filenames that correspond to the entries in the jumplist for the particular program that the file is for.

As was mentioned previously, if you open a file using the program that you want to block the jumplist for, and then immediately list all the AUTOMATICDESTINATIONS files in Date Modified order, that jumplist file will be the most recently-updated one.

 

[jonnyhotchkiss]

This rocks

I just conquered this issue in a different manor.
I wanted windows to quit displaying a recent list for a specific application.

The recent list for each application is stored in a database file located here:

%appdata%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations

I opened a file - to add it to the recent list that I wanted to eliminate.
Sorted the files in the above location by date modified.
Changed the permissions - so my user account was DENY'd Read access - BLAM no more recent list for that application.

I win \o/

Cleanest security solution to application behaviour in ... forever!

If only all fixes were so coherent...

Thanks for sharing man, inspired!

ALWAYS BACKUP (Although I didn't here.