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
    2011-10-25T00:39:34+00:00

    Ronnie,

    I am attempting to recover my jump list for MS Word 2007 which has disappeared. 

    Following your instructions, I find 2 files that do not match the file you listed.  Both files are 3 and 4 KB.  The file names are as follows:

    f5ac5390b9115fdb.automaticDestinations-ms

    f8f810d971d3f8bb.automaticDestinations-ms

    If I delete both of these files, the folder will be empty.

    I have also attempted your suggestion of isolating each file by moving it to the parent folder under a 'Recent 0' new folder.  But, the Recent Items parent folder does not allow me to create a new folder (the command disappears).  I, instead, pulled each file out of the Automatic Destinations folder and placed them on the desktop temporarily -- no effect.

    Hi

    The file f5ac5390b9115fdb.automaticDestinations-ms is associated with Power Point 2007. If you do not have Power Point 2007 currently pinned to the Taskbar, it may have been pinned sometime in the past and this is why that file is present.

    The file f8f810d971d3f8bb.automaticDestinations-ms is unknown. I don't have any documentation about which program this file may be associated with?

    I just did some more testing with the adecfb853d77462a.automaticDestinations-ms file and this is definitely the one that stores the Jump List for Word 2007.

    When you create a new folder to isolate the files, create it in the Recent Items parent folder. This will be the Windows folder at C:\Users\your name\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft*Windows*. Create a new folder there and name it "Q" this will place it directly above the Recent Items folder.

    Here is a procedure that you can use to try and recover the adecfb853d77462a.automaticDestinations-ms file.

    1. Open the AutomaticDestinations folder using the previous instructions.

    a. In the left side Navigation Pane, right click the AutomaticDestinations folder and select Restore Previous Versions from the menu. Wait for the list to populate.

    b. Select an older version of the folder that has a date and time prior to when you first noticed this behavior.

    c. Click the Copy Button.

    d. In the Copy Items dialog, select the Desktop folder as the target location.

    e. Click the Copy Button again.

    This will place the older version of that folder on your Desktop.

    2. Go to the Desktop, open that older folder, and look for the adecfb853d77462a.automaticDestinations-ms file.

    a. Right click that file and select Copy.

    c. Navigate to your current AutomaticDestinations folder, right click in the folder and select Paste.

    Check the Jump List for Word 2007.

    Let us know the results.

    Regards

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  2. Anonymous
    2011-10-24T16:02:46+00:00

    Ronnie,

    I am attempting to recover my jump list for MS Word 2007 which has disappeared. 

    Following your instructions, I find 2 files that do not match the file you listed.  Both files are 3 and 4 KB.  The file names are as follows:

    f5ac5390b9115fdb.automaticDestinations-ms

    f8f810d971d3f8bb.automaticDestinations-ms

    If I delete both of these files, the folder will be empty.

    I have also attempted your suggestion of isolating each file by moving it to the parent folder under a 'Recent 0' new folder.  But, the Recent Items parent folder does not allow me to create a new folder (the command disappears).  I, instead, pulled each file out of the Automatic Destinations folder and placed them on the desktop temporarily -- no effect. 

    Suggestions?

    Thanks.

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  3. Anonymous
    2011-09-25T02:20:11+00:00

    I know this a year ago, but thank you so much Ronnie for your post.  It fixed the issue brilliantly.  Is there a way to know which file corresponds to which program?  (ie, how to know that "adecfb..." corresponds with microsoft word?)   because i'm having the issue with certain other random programs as well.

    thanks again

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