How to View More Than 20 Recent Files in Windows 10

File Explorer’s Quick access view only shows your 20 most recent files, and there’s no setting to raise that number. To see far more, open the Recent Items folder: press Windows key + R, type shell:recent, and press Enter. It lists shortcuts to many more of your recently opened files, and you can sort them by Date modified. You can also raise the number of recent files shown in taskbar jump lists with a registry setting, and in Office apps through their options.

Method 1: Open the Recent Items folder

1. Press Windows key + R.
2. Type shell:recent and press Enter.
3. Click the Date modified column to sort by newest first.

To reach it quickly, right-click Recent Items in the left pane and choose Pin to Quick access. Opening a shortcut here opens the original file.

Method 2: Search File Explorer by date

1. Open File Explorer and go to a folder, like Documents or This PC.
2. Click in the search box, then click the Search tab.
3. Click Date modified and choose This week or Last week, or type datemodified: followed by a date range.

This finds files you’ve changed recently, even ones you didn’t open from Quick access.

Method 3: Show more recent files in taskbar jump lists

Right-clicking an app on the taskbar shows its recent files, usually about 10 to 12. You can raise this with the registry. Create a restore point first.

1. Press Windows key + R, type regedit, and press Enter.
2. Go to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Advanced.
3. Right-click in the right pane and choose New > DWORD (32-bit) Value. Name it JumpListItems_Maximum.
4. Double-click it, choose Decimal, enter a number such as 25, and click OK.
5. Restart your PC.

To undo, delete the JumpListItems_Maximum value and restart.

Method 4: Show more recent files in Office apps

1. In Word, Excel, or PowerPoint, click File > Options > Advanced.
2. Under Display, set Show this number of Recent Documents to up to 50.
3. Click OK.

If recent files don’t appear at all

• Go to Settings > Personalization > Start and turn on Show recently opened items in Jump Lists on Start or the taskbar and in File Explorer Quick Access.
• In File Explorer, click View > Options, and under Privacy, check Show recently used files in Quick access.
• Privacy or cleanup tools may clear recent files automatically. Check their settings.

Frequently asked questions

Can I change the Quick access limit from 20?

Not officially. Windows doesn’t provide a supported setting for the Quick access recent files count.

How do I clear recent files?

In File Explorer, click View > Options and click Clear next to Clear File Explorer history.

Does shell:recent work in Windows 11?

Yes. It works the same way.

Kermit Matthews

Kermit Matthews is a freelance writer based in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania with more than a decade of experience writing technology guides. He has a Bachelor’s and Master’s degree in Computer Science and has spent much of his professional career in IT management.

He specializes in writing content about iPhones, Android devices, Microsoft Office, and many other popular applications and devices.

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