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I completed the latest Windows update this morning and opened File Explorer, and the quick access was missing. I can still add files to quick access, but it is nowhere to be seen. When I search the internet, they refer to how great the new file explorer is. Without quick access, it is pretty useless to me, and I want to find out how to get it back.
I do not have AAD. However, the descriptions I see on the internet imply that I am looking at the AAD version and not the consumer version. A lot of the information to describe the new file explorer states the following "Users signed in with Azure Active Directory (AAD) will see a recommended files strip with thumbnail previews. Consumer devices will only show the “Quick Access”, “Favorites” and “Recent” sections."
I wish to see the “Quick Access”, “Favorites” and “Recent” sections." but cannot work out how to do it.
Locked Question. This question was migrated from the Microsoft Support Community. You can vote on whether it's helpful, but you can't add comments or replies or follow the question.
Hi,
Same problem here.
Under Privacy, here is just no such setting. All I can see is:
What can I do now? I just can't pin anything. Can't add folders to Home. Best I can do is pin them to Start which is far from ideal.
Thanks
Quentin
I fixed this by un-checking the Show Recommended Section option.
Quick access tiles are back, but they are now arranged in a horizontal list. Seems like a couple of bugs here. But at least I have my quick action icons back.
On top of disabling "Show recommended section" and "Include account-based insights.." (by the way, unticking this checkbox actually greys out the 'Show recommended section'). What worked for me was to actually also disable "Show all folders" in the View tab :
I then immediately got my quick access items back on the left pane.
Thank you MS...
Ok so i figured it out - for me atleast.
On the left hand side, scroll to the bottom of the folders list into the blank space just below your last folder and the "x items" ribbon. Right-click the empty space, when you do it correctly a flyout will appear with three options:
Show Libraries
Show All Folders
Expand to Current Folder
"show all folders" probably has a tick next to it - Uncheck it. The sidebar will go blank (or only show one folder) for a few seconds and voila - all is right with the world once more.
I have no idea why that became the default for explorer and why that option is buried in such an unintuitive place. Such a ridiculous problem for MS to make. Anyway hope that works for everyone - im glad to have my quick access bar back!
There is no longer such a setting, Ravi!
Thanks much for that answer. I spent over an hour trying to get quick access back after applying the November updates yesterday. I also depend heavily on Quick access to toggle back and forth through my most commonly used folders. I have to wonder what genius at Microsoft decided to automatically hide this most useful feature and why they would do this to their users without warning. I do IT support for a living and I'm sure I'll have to fix this for many users,
