How to Clear Recent Items List in Windows 7
Information
Recent Items is a list of your recently opened files.
This will show you how to clear recent items list to be empty afterwards in the Windows 7 Start Menu.
This will show you how to clear recent items list to be empty afterwards in the Windows 7 Start Menu.
Note
The hidden system folder Recent Items is located at:
C:\Users\(User Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent Items
If you go to the Recent Items folder location above and you have a yellow folder named Recent instead of one named Recent Items with a icon, then right click on the Recent folder and click Delete. Type shell:recent in the white line (Start Search) area of the Start Menu and press Enter. Logoff and logon, or restart the computer, to rebuild the folder back to the default Recent Items. Recent Items will not function correctly if is not set as the default Recent Items folder.
If this did not fix the Recent Items folder, then see the post at this link to make sure that the registry locations at the link have the correct locations entered for them.
C:\Users\(User Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent Items
If you go to the Recent Items folder location above and you have a yellow folder named Recent instead of one named Recent Items with a icon, then right click on the Recent folder and click Delete. Type shell:recent in the white line (Start Search) area of the Start Menu and press Enter. Logoff and logon, or restart the computer, to rebuild the folder back to the default Recent Items. Recent Items will not function correctly if is not set as the default Recent Items folder.
If this did not fix the Recent Items folder, then see the post at this link to make sure that the registry locations at the link have the correct locations entered for them.
EXAMPLE: Recent Items Cleared in Start Menu
OPTION ONE
To Clear Recent Items List Automatically on Exit
NOTE: This option will also clear the Recent items in Jump Lists as well, and not just in the Start Menu.
1. For how, see: How to Clear Recent Items and Documents on Exit of Windows 7
OPTION TWO
To Clear Recent Items from Start Menu
1. Open the Start Menu.
2. Right click on the Recent Items button, and click on Clear recent items list. (see screenshot below)
OPTION THREE
To Clear Recent Items using Start Menu Properties
NOTE: This option will also clear the Recent items in Jump Lists as well, and not just in the Start Menu.
1. Right click on the Start button, and click on Properties.
2. Uncheck the Store and display recently opened items in the Start menu and the taskbar box, and click on Apply. (see screenshot below step 4)
NOTE: Turning off recent items will clear it.
3. If you would like to turn recent items back on, then check the Store and display recently opened items in the Start menu and the taskbar box. (see screenshot below step 4)
4. Click on OK. (see screenshot below)
OPTION FOUR
To Clear Recent Items using Windows Explorer
1. Open Windows Explorer, and do either step 2, 3, or 4 below.
2. Navigate to the hidden system folder Windows folder below, right click on Recent Items, and click on Clear recent items list. (see screenshot below)
C:\Users\(User Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows
OR
2. Navigate to the hidden system folder Recent Items folder below, right click on a empty space in the Recent Items folder, and click on Clear recent items list. (see screenshot below)
C:\Users\(User Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent Items
3. Navigate to the hidden system folder Recent Items folder below, and delete any file in the Recent Items folder that you want cleared from the recent items list. (see screenshot below step 2)
WARNING: DO NOT DELETE the Recent Items folder itself.
C:\Users\(User Name)\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent Items
OPTION FIVE
To Reset and Clear "Recent Items" using a REG File
1. Click on the Download button below to download the file below.
Reset_and_Clear_Recent_Items.reg
Download
2. Click on Save, and save the .reg file to the Desktop.
3. Right click on the downloaded .reg file and click on Merge.
4. Click on Run, Yes, Yes, and OK when prompted.
5. When done, you can delete the downloaded .reg file if you like.
That's it,
Shawn
Related Tutorials
- How to Clear Recent Items and Documents on Exit of Windows 7
- How to Reset and Clear All Items in Windows 7 Jump Lists
- How to Turn Recent Items On or Off in Windows 7
- How to Enable or Disable Recent Items in Windows 7 and Vista
- How to Change the Number of Recent Items to Display in Windows 7 Jump Lists
- How to Change the Maximum Number of Recent Items to Display in Start Menu
- How to Delete "Recent Pictures" from List in Windows 7 Paint
- How to Delete "Recent documents" from List in Windows 7 WordPad
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