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
    2011-03-31T21:56:37+00:00

    This solution worked perfectly for me. Thanks!

    The preview window for all my other Microsoft Office programs was working except for MS Word (using Word 2007 with Office 7).

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-05-01T13:14:15+00:00

    I had a similar problem, and none of the solutions below helped. I have multiple versions of Office on my laptop, and found to get Excel to show the recent files, I had to "Repair" Office 2010. This should work for 2007 as well. Go to Control Panel, Programs, right-click on Microsoft Office and select "Change", then at the next window select "Repair". It will probably take a few minutes, and you should restart your computer afterward. I immediately started seeing my recent items from my Excel icon on the taskbar. Also, they show the recent even if you have the Recent option turned off for the Start Menu.

    I found this also solved a problem where selecting documents from the Taskbar icon would open the files in Office 2007, even though the icon is for 2010. Seems the last version "Repaired" is the one used from the Taskbar icon.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-05-20T06:34:02+00:00

    Hi!

    I'm using Windows 7, Word 2003, PowerPoint 2003 and Excel 2007. Word and PowerPoint properly show the recently opened files when rightclicking on the Word or PowerPoint icon in the taskbar. But when rightclicking on the Excel icon, no recent files are being shown.

    I deleted all files in %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations and restarted the machine - no result. I also deleted all files in %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\CustomDestinations - no result either.

    Now I'm stuck. What can be the reason for that? Interestingly on my old computer - using the very same programs - it worked. I have no idea, what setting had beeing changed since the pc switch...

    Any help?

    Thanks!

    Mike

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