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Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Fix the driver behind crashes, sound loss and screen glitchesFind Drivers →Quick access is not a physical folder in Windows 11. It is a File Explorer view that combines pinned folders with recent files and frequently used folders. Pinned folders remain in their original locations; removing one from Quick access does not move, copy, or delete it.
If you need the per-user Explorer cache behind the view, its location is %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations. This is metadata, not a directory containing your pinned folders.
What happened to Quick access in Windows 11?
Starting with Windows 11, version 22H2, Microsoft renamed the former Quick access landing page File Explorer Home. Home still includes Quick access content, such as pinned folders and recent items, so instructions may use either name.
These six known folders are pinned by default:
- Desktop
- Documents
- Downloads
- Pictures
- Music
- Videos
In Windows 11, these folders are also no longer shown under This PC by default. They remain in their normal user-profile locations; they have not been moved into a Quick access folder.
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Where Windows stores Quick access data
The commonly identified Quick access destination-cache file is f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms. It is normally located at %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations, which expands to C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations.
This is a binary Explorer destination-cache file, not a directory of ordinary shortcut files or copies of your pinned folders. The cache is per user, so different accounts on the same PC can have different Quick access lists.
To open the cache location directly, press Win+E, enter shell:recent\AutomaticDestinations in the address bar, and press Enter. You can also enter it in the Win+R Run dialog. To open the related custom-destination cache, use shell:recent\CustomDestinations.
Do not edit or delete the cache casually. If the automatic-destination file is deleted, Explorer can rebuild it, but custom pins may be lost and need to be added again.
What is stored in the Recent folder?
The parent location is %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent. Its Explorer shell view is displayed as Recent Items and can be opened with shell:recent.
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Recent Items is not the Quick access view. It contains links associated with recently used items. The AutomaticDestinations subfolder contains Explorer destination-cache data used for Quick access and Jump Lists; CustomDestinations contains custom Jump List data.
| Location | What it represents |
|---|---|
| shell:recent | The Recent Items shell view |
| %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent | The physical Recent Items store |
| shell:recent\AutomaticDestinations | Automatic destination-cache data used by Explorer, including Quick access-related data |
| shell:recent\CustomDestinations | Custom Jump List destination data |
None of these locations is an ordinary Quick access directory containing the folders you pinned.
How to pin a folder to Quick access
- Open File Explorer.
- Browse to the folder you want to keep available.
- Right-click the folder.
- Select Pin to Quick access.
To remove it, right-click the pinned entry and select Unpin from Quick access. If the command is not visible in Windows 11’s shortened context menu, select Show more options first.
Unpinning removes only the Explorer reference. The original folder and its files stay where they were.
How to restore the default folders
If Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Pictures, Music, or Videos were unpinned, restore the entries through File Explorer rather than looking for a replacement Quick access directory:
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- Select Start > File Explorer.
- Select Home in the left navigation pane.
- Select the Up arrow beside the address bar.
- When the known folders appear, right-click the one you need and pin it again.
How to show only pinned folders
Windows 11 can display recent files and frequently used folders alongside pinned folders. To suppress that recent content:
- Open File Explorer.
- Select View > Options.
- Under Privacy, clear the check boxes for recent files and frequent folders.
- Select Apply.
After changing these settings, Quick access/Home shows the folders you deliberately pinned instead of recent or frequent content.
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How to pin Recent Items itself
If you want a convenient view of recently used items—not the Quick access cache—pin the Recent Items shell view:
- Press Win+E.
- Enter shell:recent in the address bar and press Enter.
- Select See more (the three-dot menu) on the command bar.
- Select Pin to Quick access.
This pins the Recent Items view as an entry. It does not turn Recent Items into a physical Quick access folder.
How to open Recent folders
Windows also provides a separate special-folder view called Recent folders. Open it from the Run dialog or File Explorer address bar with this exact command:
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Once it opens, you can pin the view to Quick access if you want a permanent shortcut to recent folders.
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Why a Quick access entry may be missing
A pinned entry is a reference to the original path, not a copy of the folder. If that folder was moved, renamed, deleted, disconnected, or became unavailable—for example, because a removable drive is not connected—the Quick access entry can become stale.
Check the source location first. If the folder still exists under a new name or path, remove the stale entry and pin the current folder again. If many pins disappeared at once, the automatic-destination cache may have been reset or rebuilt. Re-pin the folders through File Explorer; Windows does not use a directory named C:\Quick Access for this feature.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.Why the Recent path appears not to contain the cache
If you browse to C:\Users\<username>\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows\Recent, File Explorer may present the location as Recent Items, and the cache folders may not appear in the normal display. Use these shell commands to open the relevant locations directly:
- shell:recent\AutomaticDestinations
- shell:recent\CustomDestinations
These locations help avoid confusing the Recent Items display with the underlying cache structure.
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FAQ
Is there a C:\Quick Access folder in Windows 11?
No. Quick access is a File Explorer view, not an ordinary directory. C:\Quick Access is not where Windows stores the feature.
Does unpinning a folder delete it?
No. Unpinning removes the reference from Quick access. The original folder and its contents remain in their existing location.
What is the correct path for Quick access metadata?
The per-user cache is normally under %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations. The commonly identified cache file is f01b4d95cf55d32a.automaticDestinations-ms.
Is %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent the Quick access folder?
No. It is the Recent Items store. Quick access-related destination-cache data is in its AutomaticDestinations subfolder, while the Recent Items shell view can be opened with shell:recent.
Can I restore Quick access pins after the cache is reset?
Yes, but custom pins may need to be added again. Browse to each original folder, right-click it, and select Pin to Quick access.
The Bottom Line
Windows 11 does not have a real Quick access folder. File Explorer builds the view from pinned-folder references and recent or frequent content. Use shell:recent for Recent Items and shell:recent\AutomaticDestinations for the Explorer cache; manage folders with Pin to Quick access.
Sources: Microsoft Support: File Explorer in Windows, Microsoft Q&A: Where are Quick access links stored?, Microsoft Q&A: Recent folders is missing in Windows 11, TechYorker, and ElevenForum.
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