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Disable Quick Access Folder

This article discusses how to disable the Quick Access feature in File Explorer in Windows 10. It explains that Quick Access shows frequently used folders and recent files by default when opening File Explorer. It provides steps to make File Explorer open to "This PC" instead of Quick Access. It also describes how to stop showing frequent folders and recent files in Quick Access so it works like the favorites list in older versions of Windows. The article is intended for users who don't want Quick Access to automatically populate or want File Explorer to default to "This PC" instead.

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70 views8 pages

Disable Quick Access Folder

This article discusses how to disable the Quick Access feature in File Explorer in Windows 10. It explains that Quick Access shows frequently used folders and recent files by default when opening File Explorer. It provides steps to make File Explorer open to "This PC" instead of Quick Access. It also describes how to stop showing frequent folders and recent files in Quick Access so it works like the favorites list in older versions of Windows. The article is intended for users who don't want Quick Access to automatically populate or want File Explorer to default to "This PC" instead.

Uploaded by

Sango Han
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
Available Formats
Download as PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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How-To Geek

How to Disable Quick Access in File Explorer on


Windows 10
CHRIS HOFFMAN @chrisbhoffman
JULY 5, 2017, 10:30PM EDT

Windows 10 introduced the Quick Access view to File Explorer.


Whenever you open a File Explorer window, you’ll see a list of
frequent folders and recently accessed les, as well as show
frequent folders under the Quick Access item in the navigation pane.
But you can disable all that if you don’t want to see it.

Quick Access works something like the old “Favorites” list in


previous versions of Windows, letting you pin your favorite folders for
easy access. That’s handy, of course, but many people don’t like that
Quick Access list getting automatically populated with folders they
use frequently. Many also prefer not to see a list of frequent folders
and recent les every time they open File Explorer—or at the least, to
have File Explorer open by default to “This PC” instead. If you fall into
either of these groups, then read on as we show you how to get
control of the Quick Access feature.
Add Your Own Folders to Favorites (Quick Access) in Windows 7, 8,
or 10

How to Delete the Search History in Windows File Explorer

Make File Explorer Open to “This PC”


Instead of Quick Access
Whenever you open a File Explorer window, you’ll see the Quick
Access view, which provides access to frequently used folders and
recently used les. If you’d prefer to go the more traditional route and
view “This PC” instead, you can. “This PC” is more like the traditional
My Computer view on older versions of Windows that displayed
connected devices and drives. It also displays your user account’s
folders—Desktop, Documents, Downloads, Music, Pictures, and
Videos.

To make File Explorer open to the “This PC” view, click the File menu,
and then select “Change folder and search options.”
In the “Folder Options” window, click the “Open File Explorer to”
dropdown and select “This PC” instead of “Quick access.”

And before you ask: no, Windows still doesn’t provide an easy way to
have File Explorer automatically open to a folder other than Quick
Access or This PC.

Stop Showing Favorite Folders or Recent


Files in Quick Access
The Quick Access list takes the place of the old Favorites list. It really
works the same—letting you pin favorite folders—but adds
frequently-visited folders automatically to the list. You can turn that
off, though, and use it just like the tried-and-true Favorites list if you
want.

In File Explorer, click the File menu, and then select “Change folder
and search options.”

In the “Privacy” section at the bottom, disable the “Show frequently


used folders in Quick access” option.
You can now add your own favorite folders to the quick access list by
dragging-and-dropping them there or by right-clicking a folder and
choosing the “Pin to Quick Access” option. To remove a folder from
quick access, right-click it and select the “Unpin from quick access”
option.
 

Note that disabling showing frequently used folders removes them


from both the Quick Access menu in the navigation pane and from
the main Quick Access view you get when you open File Explorer or
click the Quick Access folder.

While you’re on the “Folder and Search Options” window, you can
also disable the “Show recently used les in Quick access” option to
prevent the main Quick access view from displaying recent les.
If you disable both frequent folders and recent les from Quick
Access, the main Quick Access view will only show favorite folders
that you have pinned there.

The Quick Access view also appears in the traditional Save and Open
windows. Tweaking any of the options we’ve covered will affect how
Quick Access works in those windows, as well as in File Explorer.

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CHRIS HOFFMAN
Chris Hoffman is Editor in Chief of How-To Geek. He's written about
technology for nearly a decade and was a PCWorld columnist for
two years. Chris has written for The New York Times, been
interviewed as a technology expert on TV stations
like Miami's NBC 6, and had his work covered by
news outlets like the BBC. Since 2011, Chris has
written over 2,000 articles that have been read
more than 500 million times---and that's just here at
How-To Geek. READ FULL BIO »

How-To Geek is where you turn when you want experts to explain technology. Since we launched in
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