Fixing missing Quick Access in Windows 11 File Explorer

[system]

Is your Quick Access menu missing from Windows 11 File Explorer? This can be a frustrating issue, especially if you rely on it for quick navigation. Don’t worry, though – there are several ways to bring it back. Let’s explore the most effective solutions to restore your Quick Access menu.

Method 1: Adjust folder options

This is often the quickest and most effective fix:

1. Open File Explorer using the Windows + E shortcut.
2. Click the three dots at the top, then select ‘Options’.

3. In the Folder Options dialog, choose ‘Home’ from the ‘Open File Explorer to’ dropdown menu.

4. Click ‘Apply’, then ‘OK’. Restart File Explorer to see the changes.

Note: Corporate users might need to uncheck the ‘Recommended section’ option in the dialog box to restore Quick Access.

5. Next, clear your File Explorer history. In the same Options dialog, click the ‘Clear’ button.

6. Re-pin any missing items to Quick Access by right-clicking them and selecting ‘Pin to Quick Access’.

7. Finally, re-enable ‘Recent Files’. In Options, check ‘Show recently used files’ and click ‘OK’.

Method 2: Run system scans

If the first method doesn’t work, try running system scans:

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.

2. Run the following command: DISM.exe /Online /Cleanup-image /Restorehealth

3. After it completes, run: sfc /scannow

4. Finally, run: DISM /Online /Cleanup-Image /RestoreHealth

Restart your computer after these scans complete.

Method 3: Update Windows

Keeping your system up-to-date can often resolve such issues:

1. Press Win + I to open Settings, then click ‘Windows Update’.

2. Click ‘Check for updates’.

3. If updates are available, install them and restart your PC.

Method 4: Clear Quick Access cache

Clearing the cache can sometimes resolve Quick Access issues:

1. Navigate to %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations in File Explorer.
2. Select all files (Ctrl + A) and delete them.

3. Go to %AppData%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\CustomDestinations and delete all files there too.

Method 5: Enable Navigation Pane options

Sometimes, Navigation Pane settings can affect Quick Access:

1. Press Win + R, type control.exe folders, and press Ctrl + Shift + Enter.

2. In File Explorer Options, go to the ‘View’ tab and enable all options under Navigation pane.

3. Click ‘Apply’ or ‘Restore Defaults’.

4. Alternatively, click ‘Reset Folders’ in the ‘View’ tab and restart your PC.

Method 6: Enable recent items in personalization settings

1. Open Settings and go to ‘Personalization’.

2. Click on ‘Start’.

3. Toggle on ‘Show recently opened items in Start, Jump Lists, and File Explorer’.

Method 7: System restore

If you have a restore point, you can use it to revert your system:

1. Type ‘restore’ in the Start menu and click ‘Recovery’.

2. Click ‘Open System Restore’.

3. Click ‘Next’ in the System Restore dialog.

4. Choose a restore point and click ‘Next’.

5. Click ‘Finish’ to start the restore process.

Method 8: Reset File Explorer via Command Prompt

1. Open Command Prompt as administrator.
2. Run this command: del /F /Q %APPDATA%\Microsoft\Windows\Recent\AutomaticDestinations*

3. Check if Quick Access is now working in File Explorer.

Method 9: Use Registry Editor

1. Type ‘regedit’ in the Start menu and run as administrator.

2. Navigate to HKEY_CURRENT_USER\Software\Microsoft\Windows\CurrentVersion\Explorer\Ribbon.

3. Find and delete the ‘QatItems’ entry, then restart your PC.

Method 10: Create a new user account

If the issue persists only in your current account:

1. Open Settings and go to ‘Accounts’.

2. Click on ‘Other Users’.

3. Click ‘Add account’.

4. Set up a new Microsoft account.

5. Log into the new account and check if Quick Access works correctly.

Method 11: Reset your PC

As a last resort, you can reset your PC:

1. Open Settings and go to ‘System’.

2. Click on ‘Recovery’.

3. Click ‘Reset PC’.

4. Choose ‘Remove everything’.

5. Select ‘Local reinstall’ or ‘Cloud download’.

Additional tips:

• You can try an in-place repair using a Windows ISO image from Microsoft’s website.
• If the issue appeared after a recent update, try uninstalling that update from the Windows Update page in Settings.
• Consider using alternative file explorer applications from the Microsoft Store with Quick Access functionality.