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
    2010-08-06T16:16:22+00:00

    Don't panic!

    I've just got a new PC with Windows 7 and was initially aghast that there was no "Recent Docs".

    But I've just discovered that it DOES exist - possibly in a better form than in XP!

    In my Start menu, I have "pinned" Word and Excel.  Just to the right of each item, there is right arrow.

    Just left click this arrow and you'll see a list of recent docs for that application.

    Brilliant!

    There have been a number of features that have sadly been removed or omitted in Windows 7. But the improvements in the taskbar (as well as the start menu) are fantastic - IMHO the best feature of 7. Besides what is mentioned above, you can pin folders (and see recently opened folders) as well. Once you get used to using the jump lists, working on a computer with XP is difficult.

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  2. Anonymous
    2010-08-06T15:58:08+00:00

    Don't panic!

    I've just got a new PC with Windows 7 and was initially aghast that there was no "Recent Docs".

    But I've just discovered that it DOES exist - possibly in a better form than in XP!

    In my Start menu, I have "pinned" Word and Excel.  Just to the right of each item, there is right arrow.

    Just left click this arrow and you'll see a list of recent docs for that application.

    Brilliant!

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  3. Anonymous
    2010-07-16T18:11:10+00:00

    I've been searching endlessly for a solution to this problem, so thanks for posting.  But my problem also involves trying to implement this on over 2500 desktops.  Is there a group policy that can add the "Recent Documents" folder to the start menu??

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