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"Clear Recent Items List" option missing when you right-click on the Recent folder
- Copyright © 2008 Ramesh Srinivasan
- Windows Vista
Symptom
When you open the Windows Vista Start menu and right-click Recent Items, the option Clear Recent Items List may be missing. Also, the Recent folder may be displayed with a generic folder icon in Windows Explorer.
Resolution
This happens if the desktop.ini file in the Recent folder is deleted. Thanks & Credits to dean-dean for posting this solution in the Microsoft Newsgroup.
- Click Start, type "%AppData%\Microsoft\Windows" and press {ENTER}
- Right-click the folder named Recent, and choose Delete. Click Yes when prompted.
- Now, type the command "shell:recent" in Start - Search box, and press {ENTER}.
Note: The above command re-creates the Recent folder, along with a new desktop.ini file and opens the folder. For additional information on Shell: command, see this blog entry: Shell commands (shell:) to access the special folders in Windows Vista
- Logoff and login back. You should now see the context menu entry Clear Recent Items List when you right-click on the Recent Items folder in the Start menu.
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12 Responses to ""Clear Recent Items List" option missing when you right-click on the Recent folder" 
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said this on 18 Dec 2007 7:09:07 AM PST
Solution works. Many thanks!
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said this on 04 Jan 2008 6:48:20 AM PST
simple and effective. many thanks
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said this on 20 Apr 2008 9:38:41 PM PST
WOW CANT BELEIVE IT WORKED. THANKS!!!!!!! :)
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said this on 23 Apr 2008 4:51:08 PM PST
I've been wondering why this was happening! Finally found this advice and it worked perfectly! Brillan!
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said this on 25 Aug 2008 3:43:00 AM PST
thank you so much totally worked!!
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said this on 01 Sep 2008 8:04:17 AM PST
Greatly appreciated - instructions that worked. Well written, clearly presented.
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said this on 22 Oct 2008 3:52:01 PM PST
Great advice, extra cudose for you!
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said this on 26 Dec 2008 8:40:38 AM PST
Awesome - it worked! Thanks a lot.
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said this on 06 Mar 2009 6:05:35 AM PST
I had been using this method fine everytime until last night. I did first part when you type %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows, then deleted the Recent Folder as per usual, only this time when I did the shell:recent part I got some error. So I restarted, and now I have no Recent Folder. I can clear recent items again, but when using the %AppData% part in step 1, it shows a Recent Items File, not a folder, and I cant delete it. Any idea what happened, and how I can fix this?
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