Recent files list shows files which have not been opened by user

Anonymous
2023-10-18T07:04:00+00:00

Hello,

for a couple of days or maybe even weeks I noticed that in my recent files list in Windows Explorer several files appear which I did not actively open. At this moments there are 13 of these files in my list. All of these files seem to be on OneDrive.

This concerns me in two different ways:

Security: have the files been "touched" by some villaineous software, or have they just been checked routinely by Windows and its components?

Usability: In the recent files list are more then 50 percent of files which I did not work on and which will block my view on the files I did open.

I am hoping for advise.

Have a great time

Olaf.

***Moved from Windows / Windows 11 / Files, folders, and storage***

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows

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
2024-01-11T20:56:21+00:00

Has anyone tried unchecking "Include accoutn-based insights, recent, favorite...." under folder options of Home?

Open File explorer > click home > click the "..." > go to options > uncheck Include account-based insights...".

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59 additional answers

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-01-18T19:43:48+00:00

    You wonder if that's not the better way to backup stuff.

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-01-18T16:50:07+00:00

    I never really liked OneDrive; I found it too intrusive. However, if not for this issue, and Microsoft's failure to fix, I'd never have gotten around to extricating myself from it. Now, I'll merely backup my files monthly on an external drive -- like the old days. I like to have control over my own stuff. Old fashioned backup does limit convenience, but I'm adjusting.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-01-18T16:34:06+00:00

    So this gets even more complex, now the files are not with the date the issue started but back to normal dates and time.

    The Folders however have the date of when the issue started, this is clearly a Onedrive issue. Pfffff, glad

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-01-18T15:18:47+00:00

    I cannot find that option in Home in Windows 11.

    Ended up reinstalling Windows 11, without Anti-virus, since maybe my Macfee Total Protection was scanning the files and marking them as recent accessed. Only Office 365 installed and Onedrive. Same thing happened, again files that I did not open. Turned off my notebook for some hours, and no recent files had been added in those hours, but when I turned the notebook on and went to Home, a batch of files with same time stamp marked as recent!

    Worried about a security problem I decided to: Sign out of your Microsoft account everywhere, takes 24h.

    My mobile phone asked me to login again, other devices etc. and since then no recent files appear.

    Which makes me wonder did you guys also have documents open that are highly confidential, and then some random not important ones?

    Is there a way to see if a non-authorised computer, or ip did accessed those files? In Onedrive Online the same recent files were marked as opened, not changed. Also I noticed some folders had been opened, with same date when the issue started.

    Still worried about a security issue, though when left my notebook off for some hours, no recent files were added, which could indicate it is all the time Onedrive that has some kind of bug.

    I hope it was all the time a Onedrive bug, but quite an alarming one, no wonder everybody was worried about a security issue.

    Going to Monitor this for the coming days, and if recent files work properly will update here.

    When I open Word, Excel and Access, 0 recent files, something had a reset.

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