How to Customize Quick Access in Windows File Explorer

Overview

What Is Quick Access in Windows File Explorer?

Quick Access is a File Explorer area that gives you fast access to folders you use often. Instead of browsing through drives and nested directories every time, you can pin important locations such as Downloads, Documents, Work, Projects, Screenshots, or a shared network folder.

Quick Access can show two types of items:

Pinned folders — folders you manually add and keep there until you remove them.
Automatic items — recent files and frequently used folders that Windows displays based on your activity.

If you prefer a cleaner and more private File Explorer, you can disable automatic recent items and use Quick Access only as a manually curated list of favorite folders.

Feature	Purpose	Can You Customize It?
Pinned folders	Permanent shortcuts to selected folders	Yes, you can pin, unpin, and reorder them
Frequent folders	Folders Windows detects as commonly used	Yes, you can hide them
Recent files	Files recently opened in File Explorer and apps	Yes, you can hide or clear them
File Explorer start page	Controls what opens when you launch File Explorer	Yes, you can switch to This PC

Compatibility

Quick Access in Windows 10 and Windows 11: What Changed?

The basic idea is the same in both systems, but the interface names are slightly different.

Windows 10: File Explorer usually opens directly to Quick access, showing pinned folders, frequent folders, and recent files.
Windows 11: File Explorer often opens to Home. Pinned folders are still displayed in the Quick Access area, while recent and favorite files may appear in separate sections depending on your version and settings.

Most customization options are available through Folder Options, the right-click menu, and the File Explorer navigation pane.

Note: In some Windows 11 builds, Microsoft uses the name Home for the File Explorer landing page. However, the pinned folder area is still commonly referred to as Quick Access.

Method 1

How to Pin a Folder to Quick Access in File Explorer

The fastest way to customize Quick Access is to pin folders you open regularly.

Pin a Folder Using the Right-Click Menu

Open File Explorer. You can press Win + E.
Find the folder you want to add.
Right-click the folder.
Select Pin to Quick access.

The folder will appear in the Quick Access section of the navigation pane and on the File Explorer Home or Quick Access page.

Pin a Folder by Dragging It

Open File Explorer.
Locate the folder you want to pin.
Drag the folder to Quick access in the left navigation pane.
Release the mouse button when you see the pin indicator.

Tip: Pin only the folders you actually use. A short, clean Quick Access list is faster than a long list of rarely used locations.

Method 2

How to Remove Folders and Files from Quick Access

You can remove manually pinned folders without deleting the actual folder from your computer. Unpinning only removes the shortcut from Quick Access.

Unpin a Folder from Quick Access

Open File Explorer.
In the left navigation pane, find the folder under Quick access.
Right-click the folder.
Select Unpin from Quick access.

Remove an Automatic Recent Item

Open File Explorer.
Go to Quick access or Home.
Right-click the recent file or frequent folder you do not want to see.
Select Remove from Quick access or Remove from Recent, depending on your Windows version.

Important: Do not choose Delete unless you actually want to delete the original file or folder. Use Unpin or Remove to clean Quick Access safely.

Organization

How to Reorder Quick Access Shortcuts

After pinning several folders, you can arrange them in the order that matches your workflow.

Open File Explorer.
Look at the Quick access section in the left navigation pane.
Click and hold a pinned folder.
Drag it up or down to the desired position.
Release the mouse button.

For example, you might place Downloads, Desktop, and Documents at the top, followed by work folders, cloud storage folders, and network shares.

Privacy

How to Hide Recent Files and Frequent Folders in Quick Access

If you share your PC with other people or record your screen, you may not want File Explorer to show recently opened files. Windows lets you turn off these automatic lists.

Windows 11: Disable Recent and Frequent Items

Open File Explorer.
Click the three-dot menu on the command bar.
Select Options.
On the General tab, find the Privacy section.
Uncheck Show recently used files.
Uncheck Show frequently used folders.
Click Apply, then OK.

Windows 10: Disable Recent and Frequent Items

Open File Explorer.
Click the View tab.
Click Options.
On the General tab, go to Privacy.
Uncheck Show recently used files in Quick access.
Uncheck Show frequently used folders in Quick access.
Click Apply, then OK.

After this change, Quick Access becomes a manual shortcut list rather than an activity-based list.

Cleanup

How to Clear Quick Access and File Explorer History

Disabling recent items stops future activity from appearing, but it does not always remove items already stored in File Explorer history. To clean the current history, use the Clear button in Folder Options.

Open File Explorer.
Open Options: in Windows 11, click the three-dot menu; in Windows 10, use View > Options.
Stay on the General tab.
Under Privacy, click Clear.
Click OK.

This clears the File Explorer history used for recent files and frequent folders. It does not delete your real files.

Startup Page

How to Make File Explorer Open to This PC Instead of Quick Access

If you prefer seeing drives, devices, and standard user folders first, configure File Explorer to open to This PC.

Change the File Explorer Startup Location

Open File Explorer.
Open Options.
On the General tab, find Open File Explorer to.
Select This PC.
Click Apply, then OK.

From now on, pressing Win + E will open File Explorer to This PC instead of Quick Access or Home.

Advanced

How to Reset Quick Access When It Is Broken or Cluttered

If Quick Access shows broken shortcuts, refuses to unpin folders, displays deleted locations, or behaves incorrectly, you can reset its stored data. This removes the Quick Access history and may remove pinned entries, so you may need to pin your folders again afterward.

Reset Quick Access Using Command Prompt

Close all File Explorer windows.
Open Command Prompt as administrator or as a normal user.
Run the following commands one by one:

del /f /q "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations\*"
del /f /q "%APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\CustomDestinations\*"

Then restart File Explorer or sign out and sign back in.

Restart File Explorer

Press Ctrl + Shift + Esc to open Task Manager.
Find Windows Explorer.
Right-click it and choose Restart.

Note: These commands clear File Explorer jump-list and Quick Access destination data. They do not delete files from your folders.

Fixes

How to Fix Quick Access Problems in Windows File Explorer

Quick Access Does Not Show Pinned Folders

Restart File Explorer from Task Manager.
Clear File Explorer history in Folder Options.
Reset Quick Access using the commands shown above.
Check whether the folder was moved, renamed, deleted, or disconnected.

Cannot Unpin a Folder from Quick Access

Right-click the item in the left navigation pane and try Unpin from Quick access again.
If the folder points to a disconnected drive or network path, reconnect it temporarily and unpin it.
If that fails, reset Quick Access destination data.

Quick Access Keeps Showing Recent Files

Open Folder Options and disable recent files in the Privacy section.
Click Clear to remove existing history.
Check whether your Microsoft account or corporate policy restores File Explorer preferences.

Network Folder Pinned to Quick Access Is Slow

Remove the network folder from Quick Access if it is unavailable most of the time.
Use a mapped network drive for frequently used shared folders.
Check VPN, DNS, and network share availability before opening File Explorer.

Recommendations

Best Practices for Organizing Quick Access in Windows

Quick Access works best when it is treated as a small productivity panel rather than a full folder catalog.

Keep only high-value folders pinned. Remove shortcuts you do not use weekly.
Group similar folders mentally. Put personal folders first, then work folders, then network or cloud folders.
Disable recent files on shared PCs. This improves privacy and makes File Explorer cleaner.
Avoid pinning unstable network paths. Offline shares can slow down File Explorer.
Clear history occasionally. This can fix stale or incorrect automatic entries.

FAQ

Quick Access in Windows File Explorer: Frequently Asked Questions

Is Quick Access the same as Favorites?

No. In modern Windows versions, Quick Access is mainly used for pinned folders and frequently used locations. Windows 11 may also show a separate Favorites section for selected files on the Home page.

Does unpinning a folder delete it?

No. Unpinning only removes the shortcut from Quick Access. The original folder and its files remain in their original location.

Can I pin files to Quick Access?

Quick Access is primarily designed for folders. In Windows 11, individual files may appear under Recent or Favorites on the Home page, but the classic Quick Access pinning workflow is folder-focused.

Why does Quick Access show folders I never pinned?

Windows can automatically show frequently used folders. Disable Show frequently used folders in Folder Options if you want only manually pinned folders.

Can I remove Quick Access completely?

Windows does not provide a simple built-in switch to fully remove Quick Access from File Explorer. However, you can make File Explorer open to This PC, unpin all folders, and disable recent/frequent items for a minimal interface.

Why did Quick Access disappear in Windows 11?

In Windows 11, File Explorer may show Home instead of a page named Quick Access. Pinned folders still appear in the Quick Access area, but the layout and labels may differ from Windows 10.

Summary

Conclusion: Customize Quick Access for a Cleaner File Explorer

Quick Access is one of the simplest ways to speed up everyday work in Windows File Explorer. Pin the folders you open most often, remove outdated shortcuts, disable recent files if privacy matters, and switch File Explorer to This PC if you prefer a drive-based starting view.

If Quick Access becomes cluttered or starts showing broken entries, clearing File Explorer history or resetting Quick Access data usually restores normal behavior.