Faulty 'Recent' document list in OneDrive, File Explorer and Microsoft 365

Anonymous
2023-12-04T11:38:15+00:00

I understand there is a bug that engineers are working on and that this 'bug' is a big worry for many of us, ie. I'm seeing a 'Recent' list (shows in my File Explorer and on OneDrive) which includes documents that I did not open recently, and gives wrong dates of when opened. My Microsoft 365 Word files are synced to OneDrive. I use Windows 11.

I came across an additional worry concerning this today. I opened my Microsoft 365 Word and found the faulty 'Recent' list there, too. I clicked on the latest item on the list (which I had, in fact, opened yesterday via Explorer), and I got a message warning me that the file was a potential security risk. This is the main file of a novel I am working on and am doing editing each day. I find I can still open the document via File Explorer with no such warning and the document did seem ok when I opened it this way, but is it safe to do so? I have a deadline to finish my editing and need assurance there is no security problem and that this 'Recent' list problem will soon be rectified.

I have only noticed the wrong 'Recent' list in the past week or two, but there are other threads about this, one I have seen goes back to October with people telling of this same issue. In a later thread (in November) we were told it's a known bug that is currently being investigated. Please can I have an update on when it is likely to be fixed. Meanwhile, are our files safe to continue accessing and working on?

Microsoft 365 and Office | OneDrive | For home | Windows

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  1. Anonymous
    2024-09-30T13:25:34+00:00

    So, my OneDrive Recent list is now blank. If I hover over the area where a files should be, I can click on blank space and the file will open. But it is a surprise what the file will be.

    Any suggestions here?

    T

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  2. Anonymous
    2024-06-10T22:08:47+00:00

    Jeff, I suffered with the issue until the next time Microsoft Office updated, then everything was back to normal. In my case it was about 3-4 days. Good luck.

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  3. Anonymous
    2024-06-10T21:24:43+00:00

    I'm having a similar issue with OneDrive dominance over local storage and recent files. If I open files in any Office application that has recent files list, and the file I opened was on OneDrive, it remembers the file as it should. If I open the files on a local drive/directory, the file is remembered as I expect, however, overnight, the recent files list is reset to those files ONLY ON ONE DRIVE. Office apps refuse to remember previously opened files past the 24 hour mark.

    I've spoken with support, not getting any love there. Ideas?

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  4. Anonymous
    2024-05-31T16:04:58+00:00

    I was one of the posters back in March on this issue. Within a week to 10 days of my post, once Microsoft put out a new update, the matter was solved and recently opened files started showing up again. You had to recreate your list because it went from random, years-old files, to no files. Then as you used various files in the normal course of business, the accessed files are repopulated. All is good now.

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  5. Anonymous
    2024-05-31T09:29:35+00:00

    How on earth has this not been fixed yet? I’m astounded a company as large and successful as Microsoft seemingly has so many better things to do. I am a researcher, and this fault presents a whole array of security risks in various different contexts - not to mention scaring the hell out of me by making me think I’ve lost data, or accessed files I’m no longer cleared to access because they keep appearing at the top of my ‘Recently Accessed’ files list.

    Get your act together Microsoft.

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