How to stop folders from automatically adding into Quick access please?

Anonymous
2023-03-29T03:42:54+00:00

There is no "view ribbon". So please don't tell me to go there. Microsoft goes out of it's way to make things more difficult and less private with every new update.

There is no view tab nor view ribbon anywhere in file explorer so please miss me with the stock answers.

There is a view pulldown and a sort pulldown and three dots. Those are the only things clickable on file explorer and none of them have anthing to do with quick access or any other intrusion of privacy.

Windows for home | Windows 11 | Files, folders, and storage

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.

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Anonymous
2023-03-29T04:38:06+00:00

Hi! I'm Laurice, an Independent Advisor. I am more than happy to help you out. :)

File Explorer adds these folders that you often use. To stop the folders from showing in Quick Access:

  1. Click the See more menu (the three dots icon) and select Options.
  2. On the Folder Options dialog, make sure the General tab is active.
  3. In the Privacy section, uncheck the Show frequently used folders and Show recently used files in Quick Access in Quick Access box.
  4. Click Clear next to Clear File Explorer history.

Click OK.

Please let me know if you need any further assistance.

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  1. Anonymous
    2025-03-11T02:10:13+00:00

    This is NT what I requested. How do I stop my user folders, i.e. Documents, Downloads, Music, Videos, Pictures, etc., from automatically pinning to Quick Access.

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  2. Anonymous
    2025-03-11T07:24:02+00:00

    Sorry Mike.

    I don't know about Documents, Downloads, Music, Videos, Pictures, etc., from automatically pinning to Quick Access.

    That's not what was happening to me.

    I spent hours resolving my own issue (Google Drive was PINNING itself to Quick Access) - which appears similar and may have been analogous. And the more general question re software Pinning themselves to Quick Access was part of this thread, so thought I'd post what I found out.

    Again - sorry it did not help you.

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  3. Anonymous
    2025-03-16T10:18:46+00:00

    the path is as you specified, however, all boxes were unchecked yet i still have a list of thirty pinned folders in the quick access list. clear history also did nothing. windows 11 upgraded from 10.

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  4. Anonymous
    2025-03-20T23:04:14+00:00

    I am glad the question about the document information appearing twice was already asked. I thought for a moment

    I was going insane. Microsoft confuses things unnecessarily. I'm glad I'm not the only one that thinks so.

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