I cannot find Quick Access in the new updated file explorer.

Anonymous
2023-09-27T14:02:02+00:00

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.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Windows update

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Anonymous
2023-09-29T08:01:11+00:00

Hi,
Same problem here.
Under Privacy, here is just no such setting. All I can see is:
Image

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.

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  1. Anonymous
    2023-11-27T07:27:29+00:00

    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...

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  2. Anonymous
    2023-11-27T06:05:15+00:00

    Thank you, Lindsay, this worked!

    If we were doing to our customers what Microsoft is doing to us, we would be out of business very quickly.

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  3. Anonymous
    2023-11-27T05:52:50+00:00

    Yes this works - Un-check the Recommendations option and Quick Access came back for me.

    A poor 'update' that one.

    thanks all

    Lindsay

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  4. Anonymous
    2023-11-24T14:00:24+00:00

    This is because they never do any UAT anymore like they used to back in the old days, back then they still used to have some flaws but not as many as now.

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