How to view "Recent Documents" in Windows 10

Important! All actions in this article are based on Windows 21 version 2H10 (19044.1466). This should be taken into , because in other constructions the location and the name of some interface elements may be different. But despite this, the main point of this article remains relevant.

Method 1: File manager

The list of recently opened documents is located in a special directory of the file manager (File Explorer), which cannot be accessed without an active function to show hidden items and folders. For this reason, make the appropriate settings in the operating system beforehand, so that you can carry out other instructions; if necessary, please refer to the article on our website, which provides detailed guidance on this topic.

Read more: How to enable hidden folders in Windows 10

After all the preparatory steps have been completed, use "Guide".to access a catalog of recently opened documents:

1. 1. Start the file manager by clicking the file manager icon on the taskbar. You can also use the keyboard shortcut This computer. on the desk.

      Read also: Find the latest files saved on the computer

   2. Using the navigation in the main window area, navigate to the path below:C:\Пользователи\ИМЯ_ПОЛЬЗОВАТЕЛЯ\AppData\Roaming\Microsoft\Windows

      Note that in the directory "s". you must open a folder with a name that copies the name of the profile given when you installed the operating system on your computer.

   3. Open the directory «Recent documents»to see a list of files of interest. Alternatively, take additional steps to create a shortcut button (more on this in step 3 of this article).

Important! Navigating to the desired folder can be done more quickly by using the file manager's address bar. To do this, simply update the link provided above slightly and insert it into the appropriate field "Explorer".:

C:|s\NN name\NAppData\NRoaming\NMicrosoft\NWindows

Method 2: Run Window

To immediately open the desired folder in the file manager, you can use the command line, which in Windows 10 is invoked via the shortcut Win + R. In the window that appears, simply enter the value shown below and click «OK»:

shell:recent

Keep in mind. When the designated command is entered for the first time, it will be saved by the utility "Run". That way, when you call the interpreter the next time, you can use the dropdown line to quickly execute the desired query.

Method 3: Create Shortcut Buttons

To quickly navigate to a directory of recently used files, you can create special accessor objects in your operating system, placing them in different places.

Option 1: Add to the “Explorer”

Object «Recent documents» it is a standard directory, so it can be added to the quick access bar, which is on the left side of the interface "Explorer". To do this, first navigate to the folder with recently opened files, open the tab «Home» tab. and click «Pin to quick access ».

Now go to the directory «Recent documents» can be accessed immediately after starting the file manager. To do this, just click on the item of the same name in the application's sidebar, the location of which is shown in the image below.

Option 2: Create a shortcut on the desktop

To access recent documents directly from the desktop of the operating system, you can create a shortcut that links to the desired folder. To do this, follow these steps:

1. 1. Go to directory «Recent documents»using one of the methods described above. Then place the cursor in the address bar, highlight the entire folder path and copy it to the clipboard via the context menu or by using the shortcut keys Ctrl + C.
   2. Minimize all active windows so that the desktop is accessible. Right-click on an empty space, hover over it "Create". and select "Shortcut"..
   3. In the window that appears, insert in the field "Specify the location of the object" path of the previously copied directory, and then click "Following".
   4. Enter any name in the corresponding box and finish creating the shortcut by clicking on "Done"..

Important! This is not the only way to create a shortcut to the desired object. If you are having difficulty following the instructions above, we recommend that you read the alternative methods in another article.

Read more: How to create shortcuts on the Windows desktop

Once the above steps are done, a shortcut will appear on the desktop to quickly access the directory «Recent documents». If necessary, it can be moved to any convenient place or placed in another folder.

Option 3: Add a shortcut to the taskbar

To place an icon to open «Recent documents» on the taskbar, you'll need to pre-create a shortcut to this directory using a slightly different method.

1. Right-click on your desktop and select the option "Create". → "Label".
2. Enter the command shown below as the object to execute, and then click "Following":explorer.exe shell:recent
3. Specifies an arbitrary name for the shortcut to create. An example would be Recent documents.. Complete the procedure by pressing the button "Done"..

The created shortcut will appear on the desktop, but it will have a file manager icon because it uses "Explorer".. To avoid having more than one icon on the taskbar, do the following

1. 1. Right-click on the shortcut and select "Properties"..
   2. In the window that appears, click the tab "Shortcut" tab. and at the bottom of the interface click «Change icon»..
   3. In the new menu, insert in the field "Find icons in the next file" the link below and press I went into:%SystemRoot%\System32\SHELL32.dll

      Then select a suitable icon from the list of icons that appears, left-click on it and press «OK».

   4. In the properties window, confirm the changes by clicking "Apply".and then "AGREE"..

Next, it only remains to hover over the modified shortcut, left-click and move it to the taskbar. The icon can then be removed from the desktop.

Option 4: Put a link in the start menu

Button to start the folder «Recent documents» if necessary, it can be placed on the home screen, which is located in the menu "Start". To do this, go directly to the directory with recent files, and then return to the previous directory using the special button to the left of the address bar.

Click on the icon «Recent documents» right-click and select the option from the context menu "Pin to home screen.".

The corresponding icon will appear later in the menu "Start"and its size can be modified according to the needs.

Method 4: Calendar

An alternative method to view previously opened files is to use a feature unique to Windows 10: the Timeline. To do it anywhere in the operating system, just press the key combination Win + DataThe menu will open and a special menu will appear. All active desktops and running applications will appear first, followed by previously viewed documents and media files.

Attention! A major disadvantage of this method is that folders are not listed, only files are displayed. It is also important to understand that the information is stored in the history for a limited time. If you have an authorized Microsoft this time is 30 days, if you use a separate profile it is shorter.