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To stop Windows 11 from showing recently accessed items in File Explorer, open View > Options, clear the privacy checkboxes for recently used files and frequently used folders, then select Apply. This hides those listings; it does not delete the files.
Turn off recent files and frequent folders in File Explorer
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Open File Explorer.
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Select View > Options. Depending on your Windows 11 release, the starting page may be called Home; Microsoft describes Home as the renamed Quick access experience. See Microsoft’s File Explorer guidance.
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In the Privacy section, clear the checkboxes for recently used files and frequently used folders.
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Select Apply.
Microsoft says Quick access will then show only pinned folders. The settings control whether the recent-file and frequent-folder categories appear; they do not remove or erase the files on your PC.
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Choose the setting that matches what you want to hide
| Control | What it affects | What it does |
|---|---|---|
| File Explorer Options > Privacy | Recently used files and frequently used folders in Quick access | Hides those categories; pinned folders remain visible. |
| Settings > Personalization > Start | Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer | Turning off Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer hides recently opened items across those surfaces. Follow Microsoft’s focus settings guidance. |
| Remove from Quick access | One selected entry | Removes that individual item from the list without turning off the categories. |
For a File Explorer-only change, use its Privacy checkboxes. Choose the Start setting if you also want the recent-items display hidden in Start and Jump Lists.
Remove one item without disabling the categories
To remove a single listed file or folder, right-click it (or long-press on a touch screen) and select Remove from Quick access. This is a one-item action, not a setting that prevents other recent files or frequent folders from appearing. Microsoft cautions that previously removed files may show again if you turn the recent-item options back on.
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File Explorer listings are not Windows Activity history
The File Explorer Privacy controls govern what appears in its recent and frequent listings. They do not clear all Windows activity history. Activity history is a separate setting at Settings > Privacy & security > Activity history. Microsoft describes it as locally stored device activity and explains its relationship to Timeline in Windows activity history and your privacy.
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That separate Microsoft guidance notes that sending activity history to Microsoft was deprecated for Windows 11 versions 23H2 and 22H2 with the January 23, 2024 update. This version-specific change does not mean that hiding File Explorer listings clears locally stored activity history.
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