How to get "My Recent Documents" in Windows 7

Anonymous
2010-07-07T00:54:16+00:00

Original title: My Recent Documents

I NEED  "my recent docs". I purchased Win7Pro because I asumed it was created with professionals in mind. People who rely on their computer for their livelyhood rely on "my recent docs" for a million things.

The "Recent Items" function does not seem able to locate any but the last version. When an earlier version is shown in he jump folder, Windows can't find it.  I need to know what I did yesterday, last week, and in 2002. XP does that, (pro and home b.t.w.).

Please tell me there is a setting some place that I just haven't found.  Everyone in my field  relies heavilly on "my recent Docs".  I can't believe it is gone.

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

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Anonymous
2010-07-13T08:42:34+00:00

Here is how I got it back:

  1. Right click the Start/Win button, select Properties
  2. Click the Start Menu tab (it should be select as default)
  3. Click the Customize button
  4. Scroll down and check the Recent Items check box
  5. Click Ok
  6. Click Apply
  7. Click Ok

You should now have a "Recent" option in the start menu.

This is one of the nice things about Microsoft—backward compatibility :P

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Anonymous
2010-07-07T20:42:33+00:00

Hi carzonthehill,

My Recent Documents is removed from the Start menu in Windows 7. Windows 7 categorizes recent items by the program used to open them, and each program on the Start menu or the taskbar has a Jump List of recently opened documents, websites, or files.

This feature is by design in Windows 7.

Additionally, restoring the “Recent items” into the File Save & Open dialogue box doesn’t seem to be feasible.

You can open recent items from a Jump List in one click, or pin favorite items to the top of each list. For more information, see Using Jump Lists to open programs and items. 

However, if you wish to have the feature reinstated in Windows 7, you may leave your feedback/suggestion at the Windows 7 Feedback and Microsoft Connect  site.

Hope this information helps.

Gokul - Microsoft Support

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  1. Anonymous
    2011-09-30T03:30:15+00:00

    I only did a cursory glance at some of the answers but did not see the precise solution to the question posed. I did see some short cuts (pinned programs giving shortcuts to recently opened files for that application only, or a shortcut to the Recent docs folder in Windows, etc.).

    Actually, Windows has hidden this button - NOT disabled it. Here is the correct solution:

    1. Right click on the empty space in the task bar (this is the bottom bar between the Start button on the far left and the system time on the far right)
    2. Select Properties and select the Start Menu tab (middle tab)
    3. Click on the customize button on the top right
    4. Roll the vertical scroll bar a tad below the middle where you should see a Recent Items option, with an empty (unchecked) box against it.
    5. Check this box. Say OK and exit the window.

    Voila - you now have the Recent Items button in your Start Menu again !

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-10-01T17:23:30+00:00

    This drove me nuts for the first few weeks with Windows 7.

    Off the Windows button, if you drag out the Recent Items tab, you will see a brief listing.

    But if you right-click on the "Recent Items" tab, and select Open, you will get a directory listing of all shortcuts to your Recent Items folder (like we're used to seeing in previous versions).

    The directory is located under C:\Users\username\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-09-26T18:16:16+00:00

    ...This feature is by design in Windows 7...

    A backwards step, like many other design flaws in Windows 7. "Document-centric" computing goes out the window. :(

    So what can I expect if I have edited a picture file in 3-4 different graphics programs? It would be on every list? The last program I used? Other?

    I see that right-clicking on a jump-listed item and choosing "Open With..." is not an option, either, so what about the case where I have a Word .doc that I just want to open QUICKLY in WordPad, not taking the time to boot (or wanting to suffer the UI overload of) the full MS Word program?

    In any case the user should not be responsible for remembering/figuring which program to use to open recent documents.

    Another one of those famous Microsoft moments that leaves me wondering "do they even use this software, themselves?" Perhaps so, but evidently the notion of doing so, EXPEDIENTLY, still eludes.

    I will try the "Recent Items" suggestion below, but just as with my migration to Windows 7 in general (from XP): I am prepared to be disappointed. For every neat little "well, that should have been in there 10 years ago" feature I have discovered, I have probably encountered 3-4 "why the heck did they change that?" aspects. It hurts.

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