Viewing recent files in Explorer

[williej]

Here is the sequence I do. I work on a file in Word, I saved it. Then I want to email it to someone or upload to a website. When I open Explorer it just gives me an option called Recent Places which is a list of folders I have recently accessed. Then I have to remember (Word doesn't make that easy as it doesnt say at the top of every file the folder it is in like Word perfect wonderfully does) which folder I saved the file in. Is there anyway that I can set up Explorer so that a list of recently saved files, not just folders they are in? That would make things wonderfully easier and I wont have to go back and forth through a bunch of folders to find my file to email or upload. Thanks.

 

[rap33042]

Maybe a recent files list is what you're after?

If so, Right-Click the Task Bar and choose Properties
Choose the Start Menu tab and choose Customize
In the Window that opens, drill down to Recent Items and make sure that is Checked

Hope this is what you need!

Welcome to SF!

 

[williej]

Thanks. I did that so now I can see Recent Files in the start menu, but I want to be able to, when I am clicking on Attach Files in an email to be able to access in Windows Explorer Recent Files easily without having to remember which folder they are in. I still only get under "Recent Places" in Windows Explorer a list of folders and not a list of recent files.

 

[davehc]

This maybe not quite what you are looking for but, in, for example, Word, in the drop down from "File", there is an item "Recent" , which will show you all those recently accessed.
At the same time, under Options - Advanced., and in the "Display" section halfway down, you can select the number of recent docs you wish to display.
Of further help, under "Save" in the options, you can change the path of your saved docs or, alternatively, "save as" to a specific location, which would help you to quickly access them
For Windows Explorer, the only suggestion I can make there is that you create , under "View" - "Choose details" one of the date options columns.(There are a few)

 

[williej]

Thanks.Strange that there is an option Recent Places but not a Recent Files in Explorer. The Word options are ok but I want to be able to access many files in many folders when I am uploading or posting an attachment in an email.

Sometimes I do see some category called "Today" and "yesterday" in explorer but I can't recall when I see it. I wish this could be more regular.

I tried the View Option. It is a bit clunky though. In a word drop down folder you can toggle 'date' for example and the most recent file will show upat the top. In Explorer, you do the same toggle and folders are sorted first at the top and if there are a lot of folders you have to scroll down to find the most recent files. The other problem with View Details is that if files are in different folders you don't see them. You have to remember, and then find the folder you put the file in. Not a very good solution. I hope someone on here has a better one.

 

[davehc]

FWIW. You might try the toggling in the "group" option. You can then alternately have folders or files at the top. Very cumbersome though, as you say!

 

[williej]

Where is this 'group option' you speak of? I don't see it.

 

[Imperfect1]

You can set the Taskbar to have grouped or ungrouped Buttons or Icons:Taskbar Button Grouping - Enable or Disable

 

[gina55]

Williej, I work in a similar fashion. Here's how to get the list of recent files and folders to display in Windows Explorer:
After having added "Recent Items" to your start menu as explained by rap33042, right click it and select "copy".
Then open Windows Explorer (I generally do it through "Documents"). Then right click where you want this folder with recent items to display, and right click "Paste Short cut". I have it under my "Favorites" folder, which shows at the very top right in Windows Explorer, so it is one of the first locations to show.
So, next time you need to access one of your recently edited files, the sequence is
START. Documents. Recent Items.
Did this help?

The "Recent Items" directory can also be found in the directory structure by following this path:
C:\Users\{name}\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent

 

[Imperfect1]

Williej, I work in a similar fashion. Here's how to get the list of recent files and folders to display in Windows Explorer:
After having added "Recent Items" to your start menu as explained by rap33042, right click it and select "copy".
Then open Windows Explorer (I generally do it through "Documents"). Then right click where you want this folder with recent items to display, and right click "Paste Short cut". I have it under my "Favorites" folder, which shows at the very top right in Windows Explorer, so it is one of the first locations to show.
So, next time you need to access one of your recently edited files, the sequence is
START. Documents. Recent Items.
Did this help?

Interesting. I had a different experience. When I tried to "copy" my Recent Items folder (following your directions), instead of giving me a 2nd copy of the folder, Windows Explorer treated the "Paste" command as a "Move" command, and would only move the folder to the new location, NOT create a shortcut.

But the good news was, I found an acceptable alternative. Just right-click either the Start Menu 'Recent Items' link or the Recent Items folder in Windows Explorer (in the C:\ drive) and select Send To, Desktop (create shortcut).
Then, open the Desktop folder in Windows Explorer, and right-click on the new Recent Items shortcut link and move it to wherever you want it in Windows Explorer. Voila!