Customize the list of recently used files

Many Microsoft Office programs display the last few documents you opened in that program so that you can use those links to quickly access files. This feature is turned on by default, but you can turn it off, turn it back on, clear, or adjust the number of files that it displays.

If this feature was turned off and you subsequently turn it back on, only the files that you open and save after you turn it on are listed.

If you close a file, and then move it to another location, such as by using Windows Explorer, the link to that file in the program in which you created it no longer works. You must use the Open dialog box to browse to the file to open it. After you save the file in its new location, that link is added to the list.

What do you want to do?

Change the number of files that appear in the list of recently used files

Keep a file on the recently used files list

Add a quick access list to the Backstage file navigation bar

Clear the list of recently used files

Change the number of files that appear in the list of recently used files

1. Click the File tab.

2. Under Help, click Options.

3. Click Advanced.

4. Under Display, in the Show this number of Recent Documents list, click the number of files that you want to display.

Note: These steps do not apply to InfoPath 2010.

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Keep a file on the recently used files list

1. Click the File tab.

2. Click Recent to see a list of the recently used files.

3. Right click the file you want to keep, and then select Pin to list, or click the pin icon: .

   When a file is pinned to the list, the pin icon looks like a push pin viewed from the top: .

4. Click the pin button again to unpin the file.

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Add a quick access list to the Backstage file navigation bar

1. Click the File tab.

2. Click Recent.

3. Select the check box to Quickly access this number of recent documents: and choose how many files you want to see.

4. Links to those files will appear above Info in the navigation bar, regardless of where you are in the Backstage View.

Note: Clearing the check box removes the list.

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Clear the list of recently used files

1. Click the File tab.

2. Click Recent.

3. Right click a file in the list and select Clear unpinned items.

4. Click Yes to clear the list.

Note: Setting the number of recent files to zero also clears the list. To turn the feature back on, set the number to something other than zero. Update the list by opening the files again and resetting the pins.

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