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
    2010-11-07T21:50:07+00:00

    Ronnie,

    No success.

    The file cdf30b95c55fd785.automaticDestinations-ms did not exist

    I opened excel, edited an existing file and noticed that 1b4dd67f29cb1962.automaticDestinations-ms had a new timestamp.

    I followed the instructions for this file.

    After deletion + restart I opened, saved several files. No .xlsx files appeared in taskbar jump list nor in the startmenu jump list.

    Some background.

    I am using Dell Inspiron 1545, Win 7 Professional, McAfee Security Center. Automatic updates are running.

    I installed office 2010 beta, replaced it with office2010 RTM.

    Early in 2010 the recent item jump list did list .xlsx files. I was able to pin them. I did not notice when new .xlsx files stopped appearing on the jump list.

    Any ideas?

    steve

    Hi Steve

    According to my documentation, the file  1b4dd67f29cb1962.automaticDestinations-ms

    is associated with the Windows Explorer JumpList.

    I don't currently have Office 2010 installed, so I cannot determine which file is associated with Excel 2010. Here are some steps which you can use that I have found to be the easiest way to identify the correct file.

    First, make sure that all programs for all of the pinned items on the Taskbar are closed.

    1. Open Windows Explorer and open the AutomaticDestinations folder, using the previous steps.
    2. Select the parent folder for Recent Items (Windows), create a new folder there

    named 'Recent 0'. This should place the new folder just above the Recent Items folder.

    3. Select the AutomaticDestinations folder again. Move the top file to the new 'Recent 0' folder.

    a. Right click the Excel 2010 Taskbar icon and see if the Recent and Pinned items are gone. If this is the correct file for Excel, the only thing you will see will be the name of the program and the Unpin item.

    b. If this was not the correct file, move that file back, and do the same with the second file in the list. Continue the same procedure with each file until you identify the file associated with Excel.

    You should be able to identify the correct file within a few minutes.

    Once you have identified the correct file, leave that file in the Recent 0 folder.

    Open Excel using the taskbar icon and open/close a few files until the JumpList Recent items appear. Test pinning some of these.

    Let us know what you find. 

    Ronnie Vernon MVP – Windows Desktop Experience

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-11-07T15:41:19+00:00

    Ronnie,

    No success.

    The file cdf30b95c55fd785.automaticDestinations-ms did not exist

    I opened excel, edited an existing file and noticed that 1b4dd67f29cb1962.automaticDestinations-ms had a new timestamp.

    I followed the instructions for this file.

    After deletion + restart I opened, saved several files. No .xlsx files appeared in taskbar jump list nor in the startmenu jump list.

    Some background.

    I am using Dell Inspiron 1545, Win 7 Professional, McAfee Security Center. Automatic updates are running.

    I installed office 2010 beta, replaced it with office2010 RTM.

    Early in 2010 the recent item jump list did list .xlsx files. I was able to pin them. I did not notice when new .xlsx files stopped appearing on the jump list.

    Any ideas?

    steve

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-11-06T17:26:03+00:00

    Ronnie,

    What do you suggest to solve problems with Excel (.xlsx) recent items not appearing on the task bar or start menu jump lists?

    steve

    Hi Steve

    You can follow my previous instructions to Catjone.

    In Step 2, replace the file name with  cdf30b95c55fd785.automaticDestinations-ms  

    In addition there are some known issues with Excel 2003 and 2007 and the JumpLists / Recent Items that we have not been able to fix.

    Let us know the results.

    Regards,

    Ronnie Vernon MVP – Windows Desktop Experience

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