Where in Windows 7 can I find the recent items menu?

Anonymous
2009-09-04T15:19:56+00:00

Where in Windows 7 can I find the recent items menu that was on the main menu in Vista.

*original title - How do I enable recent items?*

Windows for home | Previous Windows versions | Files, folders, and storage

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Anonymous
2009-09-04T17:10:45+00:00

Right click the 'Taskbar', click 'Properties' > select the 'Start Menu' tab > click 'Customize' > in the dialog displayed, check off the appropriate menu link, 'Recent Items'

Andre Da Costa http://adacosta.spaces.live.com http://www.activewin.com

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Anonymous
2010-11-06T02:41:12+00:00

I am having problems with Microsoft WORD not populating the Recent files used from it's icon on the Task Bar.  But... my excel works fine.  I have Windows 7 and Microsoft Office Professional 2007. 

I've right-clicked the Start Menu: Properties: Customize: and Selected that recent files should appear. 

Plus, I have even dragged certain documents to the task bar icon that I want pinned in Word and they will not show up. 

Hi Catjone

The behavior that you are describing can happen if the Virtual file that holds the data for a pinned programs Jump List becomes corrupted.

  1. Copy the following path.

%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations

Open Windows Explorer, click in the Address Bar and press the backspace key to clear the address bar.

Right click in the address bar and select Paste. Press the Enter Key. This will open the Automatic Destinations folder.

Note:  This folder is Super Hidden and this is the only way that you can access that folder.

  1. Locate the following file in that folder:  adecfb853d77462a.automaticDestinations-ms 

Right click that file and select Delete.

Exit all running programs and restart the computer.

  1. Use the Word 2007 taskbar icon to open a few random files. Exit Word.
  2. Right click the Word taskbar icon and test the Jump List.

Let us know the results.

Ronnie Vernon MVP – Windows Desktop Experience

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-02-17T18:14:57+00:00

    When I do this, under Customize, I don't see Recent Items.  i am using windows 7.  Could it be under something else or do I need to look somewhere else? Please lep me.

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-02-11T04:57:06+00:00

    Thanks Thanks Thanks Thanks....this fixed my problem finally

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-02-07T14:15:43+00:00

    Ronnie,

    I have been experiencing problems with the recent files list associated with Excel 2010. In the context menu (right click) of the Excel 2010 icon in the taskbar or the recent files list for Excel 2010 in the Start Menu the list was not being updated. It contained 6 older files that I had not accessed recently. The pinned item was always the most recent file opened, regardless of which file I had tried to pin. Word 2010 and other recent file lists seemed to update properly.

    I went through the procedure you detailed in your reply to montereySteve and found the file associated with Excel (c4a3f7900dfc6d3a.automaticDestinations-ms). I deleted the old, rebooted and a new file was created. However, I now have an empty recent file list in the Right Click menu but it does not regenerate or populate as I open and close a number of files in Excel. The pinned file continues to change to the most recent open file.

    Any suggestions from here.

    Brian

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